One of my big pipe dreams is to build, or assist in the build of a LARGE scale ship model. So, given that thought, and lets imagine, just for grins and giggles, that we were going to build a USS ARIZONA, in say 1/48 scale. That would make a model 12.6 feet long.
Does anyone make shipboard stuff (gun mounts, fittings, etc.) in that scale? and if not, what is the largest common commercial scale the parts can be had in . . . like I said, just for the thoughts? How big of a boat, scale-wise, could realistically be built?
My math is probably incorrect, but if the BB displaced 37,000 tons; applying the law of cubes 1/48 x 1/48 x 1/48 would suggest a model displacement of 0.33 tons, or 660 pounds if she were a floaty. That actually surprised me as been fairly light.
There are a fair number of big ship models like that around. I think they usually are scratch built.
HooYah Deep Sea, back in the late 70’s, i saw a huge supposedly working model of the Bismarck sitting on a long boat trailer in the main hallway of the Bayfield Mall in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. the model was between 30’ to 40’ long with the main 15" guns capable to fire .22 caliber blanks & was motorized. the pilot sat under\in the forward superstructure. the model was supposedly made in Keswick, Ontario, Canada. do not know what happened to it.
37000 is the short ton displacement. I think the long ton disp. was 32000.
In any case, around 660 - 749 lbs. I remember working with a guy who wanted to build a 20 foot long Santa Maria. A little complicated because obviously she was never measured by the tax collector. He wanted to pack the hull full of styrofoam because it would “help it float”.
Never mind that styrofoam weighs more than air. But he couldn’t accept that I calculated he’d need about 2900 lb.s of ballast.
Hell of a dream Hoo Yah. Where would you build it? If you decide to go ahead, I’d be no good building anything because it probably wouldn’t survive the journey, but I would be willing to donate some funds.
How big realistically? I would say that would depend on you. Most commercially available stuff would probably be in 1/96 or 1/72 but you’re still going to have a lot of scratch building to do. You could check out Shapeways, but it might be cheaper in the long run to learn a design program and get a 3D printer. I was going to suggest a well equipped workshop, but people have been building boats for a long time with basic hand tools. A good book on building wooden boats would be helpful. Also learning how to cast resin would be a good thing as well. I’ll see if I can find it, but the last time I was at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola there was a 1/48 Nimitz hull in stainless steel that had been built by a local shop class. It was humongous.
Sadly I had to see a model go to ruin because of someone’s greed. 14 foot long, Powered by a trolling motor. You sat with your head in the Square Wheelhouse. Yes! It was the Fletcher from Tora,Tora, Tora!
I wanted to buy it and restore it to run on opening day for the San Joaquin Yacht Club on Bethel Island ,CA. and the Driftwood Yacht Club Opener. He wanted way more for it than it was actually worth in the condition he let it degrade to.
One day it was gone. I stopped by and his wife had trashed that “ugly thing on the front lawn.” The old Fool was Dead and Good riddance!
Though the model itself is in a larger scale, 1/15, you might find this FSM article on restoring the model of the USS Nevada from the movie, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” interesting.
Another similar project was the 1/72 scratchbuilt USS Wolverine, one of two training carriers that our navy operated on Lake Michigan during the war. That was quite an impressive project, too! There is a thread for that build here in the forum someplace; the project was also featured in an issue of FSM in the early Aughts. But here is a link to the thread at ModelWarships.com:
Thank you all for the input; as I was saying, it is only a pipe dream. I have neither the funding, nor the time, nor a suitable location for such a project. Additionally, the question comes up; what to do with it after its done.
But just think; we’ve all seen large models, used in parades and such, that were frankly speaking, hideous when the point of correctness or detail was brought up. Then there was the guy who was building an 30-something foot long ARIZONA in his yard; I don’t know whatever happened to that project.
I would just love to see a bunch of true enthusiasts (with great backing!) to be tasked with a large build, with a emphasis on detail . . . That would be cool!
Still don’t know where it would go when finished; but I guess that’s part of the dream!
