After long thought and many changes of mind I have settled on USS Ward DD-139. I had considered many things including SMS Breslau, USS Washington (ACR-11), RM San Giorgio, and USS Illinois (BB-7) but settled on the destroyer. If I am feeling very adventurous I'll do her up in dazzle!
what class is the ward? Why not the Texas or Maine those two second class battle ships would be cool!
At first, I wanted to do a Suffren CA ... then a Jean Bart after printing a gorgeous set of plans in 1/96th scale (100+ inches long!) ... then realitiy set in on the cost of cannons ... The ship on the building schedule for Battlestations will be a FN Verite PDN. It'll be slow, but it will turn on a dime. The Jean Bart will be a future project ... the sheer size of the ship in 1/96th scale is amazing.
I am thinking one of the early US Battleships, Illinois or Maine classes for a second subject. Start small and work up.
Why were the cage masts put on some battleship? In my opinion their ugy and useless unless your having the parts of the sides covered and havinga hog or cow on a spit halfway up in the now vlocanoish looking mast cooking away int the hot gas of a bon fire in the center made from some of the decking
The theory was to put spotters up high where they could see how the shots were falling and to be light weight while doing it. In reality they had vibration problems and may have been some what flimsy. Michigan's mast failed in a storm but it was found to have been poorly repaired. There were issues with corrosion of the tubes as well. Heavier directors and a desire to put some armor on the communications leads led to their replacement with tripods or towers.
Ahem? Oh HAI James! 8) As to the rudders: A.7. Rudders must scale in size and shape. No enlargement is allowed. I'm not saying that I would be at people's boats with a caliper on the rudders, but if I showed up with a V-108 with a 6 square inch rudder, I'd hope someone would measure it and ask where I got my plans
