_GOTOBOTTOM
Ships by Class/Type: Cruisers
Topics covering cruisers both past and present.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
Northampton-class Heavy Cruiser kits?
lancer525
Joined: February 07, 2007
KitMaker: 11 posts
Model Shipwrights: 10 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - 11:52 PM UTC
Specifically, I'm looking for a relatively large-scale kit, for R/C use. I've looked all over the net, but haven't found hardly anything that looked worthwhile.

May I ask for a few suggestions and recommendations?

Thanks
Gunny
Visit this Community
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: July 13, 2004
KitMaker: 6,705 posts
Model Shipwrights: 4,704 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 03:59 AM UTC
Ahoy, mate!
Welcome to Model Shipwrights!
About the large scale heavy cruiser. . .the largest (and one of the best) I've seen is by Yankee Modelworks, but at 1/350 scale, not nearly large enough for R/C. . .I do believe that you may have to do a complete scratchbuild to satisfy your needs, my friend. . .Have you thought about finding a fibreglass hull and going this route?
~Gunny
lancer525
Joined: February 07, 2007
KitMaker: 11 posts
Model Shipwrights: 10 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 05:49 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Ahoy, mate!
Welcome to Model Shipwrights!
About the large scale heavy cruiser. . .the largest (and one of the best) I've seen is by Yankee Modelworks, but at 1/350 scale, not nearly large enough for R/C. . .I do believe that you may have to do a complete scratchbuild to satisfy your needs, my friend. . .Have you thought about finding a fibreglass hull and going this route?
~Gunny


Well, thank you for that sterling welcome, Gunny! I am much obliged, and pleased to be here.

I suppose I should begin by saying that the extent of my modelling has been the general kits available at most toy stores, i.e. the 1/72 airplane and similar models. I have always had a fascination with naval vessels, however, but it wasn't until recently that there was even a hobby shop in my area that carried them. And most of them are anywhere from 5 to 8 inches in length or so. So you'll have to forgive my ignorance with regard to "scale" (hence the reason I never mentioned a specific scale in my original post) as it is understood by the more experienced modellers.

I presume that a 1/350 scale model would end up around 18 inches or so in length. Given that, I would guess that what I had in mind would then be somewhere around a 1/72 scale model, ending up about 7 feet long. If my reckoning needs correction, by all means, set me straight. I am here to learn what I don't know.

I had hoped that "scratch building" wasn't going to be my only option, and to be perfectly blunt, I haven't the foggiest idea where to go about looking for hulls, parts, plans, etc. Therefore, any suggestions or recommendations would be most welcome.

Again, thank you
skipper
Visit this Community
Lisboa, Portugal
Joined: February 28, 2002
KitMaker: 5,182 posts
Model Shipwrights: 4,070 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 08:18 AM UTC
Hi "Lancer525"

Well, I'll second Mark's welcome and add a little more info to you...
Since I don't know your location, I will provide you with some links for R/C big scale ship models
http://www.ausbg.org/links.html

My own advice to you is to start with a small, easy built boat/ship model, so that you learn your skills and than chage for a biogger and more complex project! This way you'll not loose focus and you'll know what to expect.

I hope that you can find what you're looking for, but if you want to built static ship models, you know you'll find help and encoragement here!

If there's anything you need - please ask
Cheers
Skipper
Gunny
Visit this Community
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: July 13, 2004
KitMaker: 6,705 posts
Model Shipwrights: 4,704 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 03:35 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Ahoy, mate!
Welcome to Model Shipwrights!
About the large scale heavy cruiser. . .the largest (and one of the best) I've seen is by Yankee Modelworks, but at 1/350 scale, not nearly large enough for R/C. . .I do believe that you may have to do a complete scratchbuild to satisfy your needs, my friend. . .Have you thought about finding a fibreglass hull and going this route?
~Gunny


Well, thank you for that sterling welcome, Gunny! I am much obliged, and pleased to be here.

I suppose I should begin by saying that the extent of my modelling has been the general kits available at most toy stores, i.e. the 1/72 airplane and similar models. I have always had a fascination with naval vessels, however, but it wasn't until recently that there was even a hobby shop in my area that carried them. And most of them are anywhere from 5 to 8 inches in length or so. So you'll have to forgive my ignorance with regard to "scale" (hence the reason I never mentioned a specific scale in my original post) as it is understood by the more experienced modellers.

I presume that a 1/350 scale model would end up around 18 inches or so in length. Given that, I would guess that what I had in mind would then be somewhere around a 1/72 scale model, ending up about 7 feet long. If my reckoning needs correction, by all means, set me straight. I am here to learn what I don't know.

I had hoped that "scratch building" wasn't going to be my only option, and to be perfectly blunt, I haven't the foggiest idea where to go about looking for hulls, parts, plans, etc. Therefore, any suggestions or recommendations would be most welcome.

Again, thank you



Aye, matie, you are correct in yer scale assumptions, for sure! A good example, Revells latest 1/72 scale Gato submarine, measuring in at almost 5 feet long!!! (Oh, what a beauty!!!)

Take Skippers suggestions if you want to go R/C first, there are some very good ready-to-float models available, as well as build yer own kits. . .and if you decide to go with a static model, well, we love to help and talk about these as well! Regardless, hope you find what yer looking for, and above all HAVE FUN!
Keep Modeling,
~Gunny
lancer525
Joined: February 07, 2007
KitMaker: 11 posts
Model Shipwrights: 10 posts
Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 02:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi "Lancer525"

Well, I'll second Mark's welcome and add a little more info to you...

My own advice to you is to start with a small, easy built boat/ship model, so that you learn your skills and than change for a bigger and more complex project! This way you'll not loose focus and you'll know what to expect.
Skipper


Thanks for that piece of info, I really do appreciate it.

However, looking at those R/C combat ships, I am disappointed at how "rough" and poorly made they look. They look more like toys than scale models.

I'm sure that I have just offended most, if not all of the R/C modellers out there, so please let me apologize and say that it isn't my intention to disparage what looks like an incredibly interesting hobby.

I just wanted something that was a little more accurate and detailed. And firing guns were never part of the plan. I honestly have never imagined that people would actually do that, but I can tell you when I was much younger, flying R/C planes, we spent a lot of time, and wrecked a lot of planes, trying to figure out a way to shoot each other out of the sky. We ended up tying a piece of surveyors flagging to the tails of planes, and cutting them up with the props of the attacking planes, so that we could dogfight. If we had known about these air guns for these boats, we'd have really been able to do some damage! The internet

Which brings up my second point. The link you gave, Skipper, (for which I am really appreciative) only pointed me to clubs of people, and not to stores or sellers of kits or hulls. At least, I didn't see any. And the one or two I have found on my own, have a terrible, if not eliminating issue. Fiberglass. I am highly, deathly allergic to fiberglass. So, it seems as if I simply won't be able to do this at all.

I am very glad that I found this out at such an early stage of research, so that I wouldn't have been in for a nasty, and potentially dangerous surprise.

Thanks everyone, for all of your help.
skipper
Visit this Community
Lisboa, Portugal
Joined: February 28, 2002
KitMaker: 5,182 posts
Model Shipwrights: 4,070 posts
Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 03:44 AM UTC
hi Lancer525

There are more accurate R/C Ship Models - the thing is that I lost that particular bookmark
One thing is certain: most R/C ship models are Glass fiber!! You can always (this is not from my own experience, since I am only a static modeler!!!) get a cheap r/c boat, or buy the servos and gear boxes separatly, and convert a static ship model into a r/c one
Here's a small list of suitable models (read candidates!) for that purpose:
- Italeri 1/35 PT 596 Elco
- Any Trumpeter 1/350 Carriers (or any brand BB'z also - for instance Tamiya 1/350 USS Enterprise is more than 1 meter long!!)
- Revell 1/72 Gato Submarine
- Revell 1/72 Type VII U-boats (VIIC and VIIC/41)
- Tamiya 1/72 JSDF Torpedo Boat
- OOP (and expensive) Nichimo 1/200 Yamato and Musashi

You can even go scale r/c ship modeling using:
- Revell 1/72 PT-boat
- Trumpeter 1/144 USS Seawolf
- Trumpeter 1/144 Kilo SSK Submarine

If you REALLY want to make a good r/c ship model, any of these should make you happy and make a big splash in the pound near you - compared with the less detailed r/c boats

Cheers
Skipper
lancer525
Joined: February 07, 2007
KitMaker: 11 posts
Model Shipwrights: 10 posts
Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007 - 11:59 PM UTC

Quoted Text

hi Lancer525

There are more accurate R/C Ship Models - the thing is that I lost that particular bookmark
One thing is certain: most R/C ship models are Glass fiber!! You can always (this is not from my own experience, since I am only a static modeler!!!) get a cheap r/c boat, or buy the servos and gear boxes separatly, and convert a static ship model into a r/c one
Cheers
Skipper


You know... This might be the best idea for getting back into modelling, R/C, and combining them with my joy for Naval History. Thanks for the ideas, Skipper! I am certain they're going to help me restrain myself...

I had forgotten that gleam that develops in the eyes of a modeller, when they first settle on a build idea. I had also forgotten the reality check that always comes into play when you realize that build idea is much more expensive, complicated, and difficult than you first thought! I remember the first time I got into R/C aircraft, years ago, with visions of that beautiful F9F Panther I was going to build and impress the local club with. After wrecking four trainers, and discovering that fanjets were out of my wallet-range at the time, I scaled back some.

Now, this guy is my kind of modeller. I just wanted to let everyone know that I wasn't the only one who was thinking large-scale:

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/shipmodels/german_models/admiralgrafspeeterra.html

Now if I can only find a good set of plans for the Northampton or the Colorado, I'll be set. I have inspiration now!
 _GOTOTOP