- Ship Weights -
This article is intended to be a ship building
resource for estimating where ultimately a competitive battle weight of a ship
should be. Traditionally maximum ship weight has been regulated. The formula is
as follows: Maximum Scale Ship Weight = full displacement of the actual ship in
long tons divided by 1333; plus 10%. Class 2 and lower add an additional 25%. Treaty limitations or ignoring of treaty limitations,
intentional deception about ship tonnage, and differences in the way a nation reported
ship tonnage (fully loaded vs no load) leads to difficulty interpreting what a
good scaled model fighting weight should be.
There are several hobby specific factors that influence
how much your ship “should” weigh. Various hull shapes and sizes will displace
water differently. Even within the same class a wood hull vs fiberglass hull vs
two different manufacturer’s fiberglass hull will have different slopes/angles/heights
that will make them float higher or lower with an equivalent weight. Generally,
our length and width are both regulated and frequently measured however, the shape
of hull below the water line and height of the model ship is much more
difficult to regulate due to difficulty measuring, intentional changes in
attempts to influence performance or ease of building, imprecise building
techniques, and/or poor source material. Maximum weight has traditionally been most
relevant as it relates battery chemistry, though with advances in technology
this is becoming considerably less limiting. Additionally, rule changes have meant
that we are now able to change batteries between sorties. Performance related weight
decisions include the fact that the more or less a ship is weighed down is a
balance between reserve buoyance vs increased target area above the water line.
Though the best way to figure out how much your ship “should”
weigh is to battle it and make adjustments over time. However planning for this
in the construction stages will considerably decrease the time it takes to get
the ship functioning well. If possible, it’s best to find someone with the same
hull (preferably an experienced captain with a battle tested high functioning
ship) and take measurements directly from them. The following table is a
resource for ship weights that should hopefully help the process otherwise.
