The HMS Rodney has arrived today. Hull and turrets with plans. Thanks bb26. It arrived intact and sooner than I expected.
Hope your build goes well, looking forward to seeing what she'll look like new. Mine was very third-hand when I got her and I've never really focused on putting detail on her. You're going to love the over-the-shoulder concentrated 9-gun blast she can deliver.
Really looking forward to building her. I had fun battling against it with Yamato. Sinking it was even better but now I like to operate one for a change. The Hot Rod thread it will be when I start her.
Properly handled, the Rodbox can suprise much heavier opponents. In the six or so years I've owned her,my Rodney has taken down an Iowa in a one-on-one, as well as several Sodaks, a Littorio, an Imperio, a Yamato (opened it up like a sardine can), badly mauled a Washington to the point where the skipper only just got it to port, chewed an entire panel out of a Bismarck with two salvos sending it under and forced a Scharnhorst to beach and declare. I've been pretty successful against merchants too. The only ships I seem to have trouble with are those damned Richeliues, I always and up getting tagteamed by them. Bloody frogs. Oh, and don't go near her if you have a cruiser, you won't survive...underwater torp tubes are instant death for cruisers...bwahahahaha....
We found with just a standard FG setup it was handicapped too much. We tried dual sidemounts on it then it became more competitive for FG. It is a worthy opponent when those Turrets are set up more effectively. It can take a lot of punishment also . I remember we had Musashi and Yamato sandwich it and we hammered it to pieces but it took 2 of us to put it down . I imagine in BG it is just nasty.
For FG, she's a dog. I admit that. Twin shafts, one rudder, long and slow. Not good FG material. In BG, she's a wolf. Your only chance is to run, and run fast. If you hang around and try to slug it out with her, she'll kill you.
Well with 2 sets of plans , one which gives me a bow and stern profile and the other gives me a breakdown level by level in sections of the superstructure levels I should be able to make a decent looking Rodney.
The plans I got from Ralph when I bought the hull. I thought they showed a good bit of detail for building. You will have to make your own secondaries but I dont see that as a problem.
My most recent experience vs a Big Gun Rodney showed she has a weakness against VU's. Gascan and I formed a line-of-battle and matched our two triple 7/32" bow turrets against our local Rodney's three triple 1/4"ers, and steamed 25-knot parallel courses for 5 minutes. The slugfest was awesome and pieces were flying everywhere from all ships involved, and much fun was had all around. But in the end, poor Admiral Ben blew the snot out of our casemates, rather than our hulls, while we turned his hull into a sieve. I think a good part of that was positioning, though; we approached from in-shore firing outward, while he was further out, firing towards shore, and that's always harder to spot fall of shot and adjust.
With out a doubt when I took on Richard Simpson's Iowa. It was one heavy salvo after another. Iowa could only bring 6 of her nine guns to bear while Rodney was hitting with her guns angled so all nine barrels were concentrated in a small area of Iowa's bow. Iowa's pump kicked in and Richard tried to get Iowa between Rodney and the bank, but ran aground. I took my chance and while Iowa tried to get off the bank Rodney punched three salvos into her starboard bow, right on the waterline. By this time, Rodney was pumping hard as well and I decided to try an escape. Backing Rodney off the bank, I was dismayed to see Iowa break free from her grounding and begin pursuit. Suddenly, Iowa's bow dropped, and she submerged, just like a sub in a crash dive. Jubilant, I tried a victory lap around Iowa's float and got Rodney's props tangled on the float line. Ever so slowly, Rodney settled, then with a rush, she dropped to the bottom. With my efforts trying to get her within reach on one prop, I'd blown the main fuse and the pump had stopped. Morale to the story: If you do manage to sink an opponent, don't hang around and gloat.
Everything is faster than her in Big Gun. Even some merchants. I can't wait to see Stoko's Rodney with all the detail he tends to pack on his ships, it's gonna be epic!
WOW Curt, I am very relieved!! For a minute there I thought you wouldn' t have enough to work with only the refits of Bismark and Yamato, the VDT, VU, the Koenig, Turpits, and North Carolina builds, finishing up the Mighty MO!! (did I miss any?) Now with a big fat Rodney to add at least you won't be bored!!!! By the way, I notice some of the latest, largest boats are Allied?!?! lain:lain: You got an identity crisis going on???lain:lain:lain: J
I didn't want to disappoint myself. I have Montana and Arizona as possible future Projects to consider and dare I say Richilieu.
