R/C Naval Combat

My next tasks are to make and install the rudders for Vanguard and Rodney. Rodney's can't be made the full size allowed without projecting below the keel or being too short at the front, which is not an efficient rudder shape.

Hanging below the keel is a  bad idea as I found out when a deep but short keel was fitted to Hood. Hood turned better but in the shallows the rudder was quickly caught and twisted aft, wrecking the rudder shaft. Both Vanguard and Rodney will have rudders slightly less than max. allowed area. I'm going to carve wooden masters and mold them in resin like I did for my 1/72 scale sci-fi sub's 4 cruciform rudder blades.

Bob

Bob I have a friend in Halifax that designs all my rudders custom, he is an naval architect and has worked on my rudders to maximize my models turning. I give him the max allowed area allowed for the rudder and he designs the shape. He then sends me the specs and I make the rudder from fiberglass. Some of the shapes he has sent me would suprise you but it has made my models much better at turning. I think I had him do a design for Vangaurd ket me check for you.

Chris

Thanks Chris,

Do you give him a maximum depth and the shape of the keel at the rudder location?

Bob 

Its been awhile since I sent him the specs as I have moved on to smaller boats but I will look and see what he sent me for vanguard. Most of his designs do extend under the keel of my models though, some more than others. My QE turns better than your warspite does but its rudder does extend lower than the keel but not by alot. My badden is a menace nobody likes it as it can out turn just about any ship and has enough firepower to hurt even the largest models. I hope to get down to Halifax next year with both of them and maybe my two german crusiers PE and Graf Spee if they are ready for combat.

Hey Bob I just got a look at the rudder design for Vanguard and made a cardboard mock up and it will be lower than the keel by almost a half an inch and is not what you are looking for as it will be a hazard as you posted earlier in shallow water that nabs in Halifax uses close to shore. I tend to walk out about 10 feet to retrieve my boats to avoid this. Its also a reason we do not battle past sept 15th here due to falling temp unless it is at least 15 degrees out. The water gets real cold as I found out the year canats was held here and I had to help Chris O retrieve the Venetto. To answer your other question I send him a copy of the ships plans and several pics and dimentions of the ship in question so he can take all variables into account, his computer does most of the number crunching for him and he runs computer simulations on the design before he sends it to me.

PS. Man its a really big rudder and ugly to. I have not seen one that big before its even larger than Steve H's.

Chris