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Constellation a 1:36 scale RC model

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Moderators: Winston, aew

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aew

Tue Apr 09 2019, 08:51am

aew

Registered Member #1929

Joined: Wed Nov 30 2011, 03:05pm
Posts: 2925

Very nice work on the sails.
At that scale, the material of the sails looks much more realistic.

JerryTodd

Thu Apr 25 2019, 08:37pm

Registered Member #1987

Joined: Wed Dec 21 2011, 04:06am
Posts: 71

The pivot guns have iron tracks under them to protect the deck, and make it easier to shift the guns. Commonly referred to as "gun circles" they are, in American ships, sections of cast iron, a bit like model railroad track, screwed to the deck with counter-sunk, flat head iron wood screws.

Exactly what pattern these things were on the real ship is anyone's guess. The museum folks say they were a basic circle under each gun. I think that's too literal an interpretation of the "gun circle" term used to describe them in any pattern. In my research I was hard pressed to find a "simple circle" on any ship. There were some, but most ships had something a bit more complicated. I went with what I did based on that and the diagram below from the Navy's 1852 manual; Preparing Ships of War for Battle

Mine are sheet styrene, a little under 1mm thick, and glued to the deck with gel CA

Tim C

Fri Apr 26 2019, 03:12am

Registered Member #4126

Joined: Fri Feb 15 2013, 05:19am
Posts: 1113

Looks Nice.

Later Tim

Charles

Fri Apr 26 2019, 03:55pm

Registered Member #1923

Joined: Mon Nov 28 2011, 06:07pm
Posts: 1005

Yes nice build
This is a big project good work

aew

Sat Apr 27 2019, 08:42am

aew

Registered Member #1929

Joined: Wed Nov 30 2011, 03:05pm
Posts: 2925

That diagram is really interesting Jerry. If I understand it correctly, the sequence is as follows for the port side bow gun:

The gun is run in and pinned at the breech end to the centre of the large circle.
The gun carriage can now be 'shifted' by rotating it around this pivot to bring the muzzle end over any of the (free) small outer circles.
The carriage is now pinned to the centre of the small circle and unpinned from the large circle.
The gun is run out.
The gun can now be 'pointed' by swinging it around the outer pivot.

I think that's a bit too complicated a challenge for RC operation, even for you!

(But very nice work copying it regardless.)

JerryTodd

Sat Apr 27 2019, 11:49am

Registered Member #1987

Joined: Wed Dec 21 2011, 04:06am
Posts: 71

I think you have it right.

It seems, from all the drawings and diagrams I've found, that prior to the Civil War, the slide only had trucks at one end, and skid-plates at the "forward" end. More often than not, no circle was provided for the aft trucks unless they were being slid sideways, or some way they didn't normally rotate. I put a smaller circle at the aft end because the gun would be pivoted on it's aft to get it to a firing position. Without a circle there, it would be impossible to pivot the gun on it's aft end.

The diagram also shows circles for a center skid plate. Thinking about it, I should probably retrofit those on mine as well.

The deck has almost no camber forward of the foremast, or aft of the mizzen - it's basically flat here. Anything beyond the very slightest camber and the gun would run aground, or flex the slide to pieces. At the least it would hinder shifting.

You might find this of interest:

[ Edited Sun Apr 28 2019, 06:40pm ]

aew

Sun Apr 28 2019, 08:13am

aew

Registered Member #1929

Joined: Wed Nov 30 2011, 03:05pm
Posts: 2925

Thanks for the link Jerry. Looking at that, I can see what you mean about different arrangements of the circles!

When you now study the Alabama model with its single gun stowed fore and aft in the centre, you can see what's coming - let's fit an even bigger gun, leave it in the middle and just turn it to point where we want!

NovaStorm

Sun Apr 28 2019, 11:19am

Registered Member #5618

Joined: Sat Sep 22 2018, 02:33pm
Posts: 492

That is some impressive at such a scale. You could do some real damage with those guns

. The sails look great! Will be looking forward to her maiden voyage.

JerryTodd

Sun Aug 25 2019, 03:59am

Registered Member #1987

Joined: Wed Dec 21 2011, 04:06am
Posts: 71

Back in May I took the three models to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's Model Expo. I rented a UHaul trailer to get everything there with my little Matrix.

I set up my display, and eventually got Constellation into the Miles River.

I was surprised how little access there was, and that only to a space between docks with the wind seeming to blow from every direction. I was looking forward to sailing in "open water" but the whole thing was a bit hair-raising. The boat handled well under the circumstances. To add to the tension, my camera kept telling me my fresh batteries were dead, so I hardly got any photos and no video. What's posted here are thanks to other folks at the event that sent them to me.
Every sail there's a "first." This was the "first" time she sailed with courses set. The spencers would have been set as well, but I was concerned their sheets would snag and damage something, so I kept them brailed up.