Hello, battlers. I'd like to build a ship for this hobby, preferably an Iowa or a Missouri (because I was born L.A. and could see the Iowa every day.) Are there any sources of free plans for this beast? Fastgun plans.
You can find plans for USS Missouri here on the site in the resources section under free ship plans. With that said, an Iowa-class battleship as a first boat is highly discouraged. It is, quite literally, the longest boat in the hobby and the second largest by weight. Ships that size generally require more of an experienced hand when building due to their size and the numerous systems internally. (Also, the cost $). Once on the water, an Iowa will attract an absolutely massive amount of attention and will get pounded on regularly. Very rough for a rookie to learn the ropes when he's getting beaten up every battle. If you are open to suggestions, I'd recommend you pursue your Iowa dream but make it your 2nd or 3rd boat. Build something smaller first to understand how the hobby really works. This way your learned lessons can refine your Iowa as you build it. A smaller battleship in class 4 or 5 (at the largest) would be a solid starter boat and teach you how this crazy hobby goes. There are also the predreadnought battleships that have become very popular lately. Also a much shorter build timespan, letting you get on the water sooner and stay there longer.
I would also gauge your passion and monetary resources. Bigger hull, more powerful drivetrain, more guns, etc. Everything is more expensive and even an experienced battler/builder would struggle to build an Iowa with all new parts for under $1000 I bet. If you are set on an Iowa @modelshipsahoy has a fiberglass hull. There are no such thing as fastgun plans. Just general plans and the rest is built through observing those with experience.
