Build your own Roman warship

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

I found this recently and thought someone might enjoy it. I haven't made models in a looooong time but this I could get in to.

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/acy/acy1401.htm

I was trying to add the picture but it won't work, sorry. Looks pretty cool, though.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That looks sooo much like a model I had in the mid to late '70's hock: :lol:

[Theodosius the Great]

Ave Satvrninvs,

I built this model in addition to a much larger trireme (Punic War era). The latter is much more difficult to build and has more complicated rigging.

http://www.shipmodels.co.uk/941_1_1305477.html

~Theo

[M. Demetrius]

On the one it says 1/48, and the other 1/250th. I think the 1/250 must be wrong. It doesn't have the look of a 240' long boat, so I'm voting for the 50' long one.

I have this crazy idea beginning to gel of building a Roman oarship that has actual working oars, radio controlled. Sails up, sails down. Preliminary size is looking like around 2', or .6m Lots of things to work out before cutting any wood, though. complicated stuff for my old brain.

BUT! How cool would it be when the RC sailboaters are confronted by a ramming speed warship that doesn't rely only on the wind?

Now if I can figure out how to make a remote controlled Greek fire launching ballista on the bow deck --- :twisted: :wink:

[Theodosius the Great]

Demetrius,

Wow, I had the same idea ! Radio operated rigging for the sails and some kind of steam powered mechanism to simulate rowing for the oars.

That way you wouldn't need to hire a crew which would be a PITA.

GMTA :wink:

~Theo

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

On the one it says 1/48, and the other 1/250th. I think the 1/250 must be wrong. It doesn't have the look of a 240' long boat, so I'm voting for the 50' long one.

I have this crazy idea beginning to gel of building a Roman oarship that has actual working oars, radio controlled. Sails up, sails down. Preliminary size is looking like around 2', or .6m Lots of things to work out before cutting any wood, though. complicated stuff for my old brain.

BUT! How cool would it be when the RC sailboaters are confronted by a ramming speed warship that doesn't rely only on the wind?

Now if I can figure out how to make a remote controlled Greek fire launching ballista on the bow deck --- :twisted: :wink:

Will be ok untill some one decided to ram back with a ww1 era ironclad... :wink:

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Wouldn't have to be a wwI ironclad. It could be a civil war ironclad,even.
Yes, the size thing is a bit confusing. I believe they sell two different models(?). Anyway, the description says it's 13" long. I like those dimensions better than the fractional one.
What got me started on this was I saw it last week end at Hobby Lobby
and thought it was cool but priced in the "ouch" range. This web version is about half price (still a bit "ouch") but better.

[Tarbicus]

The Andrea Miniatures 54mm (1/32) bireme, complete with 43 figures - the grandaddy of them all:
http://www.andrea-miniatures.com/market ... etalle=831

[M. Demetrius]

Radio operated rigging for the sails and some kind of steam powered mechanism to simulate rowing for the oars

Steam should work, it has adequate power, but I'd thought of just plain electric. The size is the issue, since it would take significant power to run the oars, so that would mean a large battery bank. The trick is how the oars would work, since they must rotate in an ellipse, not a circle. I'm still struggling with the way to do that. I believe a bireme could work from a single connection per pair of oars (they would be joined together under the deck into only one mechanical connection, I think). But it's a puzzle so far.

I'm suggesting that the oars actually be the propulsion method (but probably with a small conventional motor in case the battery bank failed when the boat was far from shore. Separate battery, of course. Maybe the one that turns the rudder, raises and lowers the sail, rotates the mast could be connected to a normal underwater propellor)

If ever it gets to the drawing board I'll put something up to show it.

[Cornelius Quintus]

Avete omnes,

I'm just returning from I climb under the roof, where I found that model stored safely in a cardboard box. Guess I've built it 25 years ago.

According to the height of the shields (15mm), scale might be approx. 1/60.

I remember my 'crew' was chartered of painted Asterix figures which were sold together with a chewing gum. But the they seem to have paid off in the meantime...

[M. Demetrius]

As I get closer to drawing up plans, I'll probably get the model to steal their proportions and general design. The below decks area will necessarily be quite different.

Probably, the first level will be a rowboat, with maybe 4 or six oars, like the "lifeboat" on a warship. That will help me figure out how to make the oars work.

[Tarbicus]

Another large scale bireme (1/30), and a damn sight cheaper than the Andrea one:
http://www.shipmodels.co.uk/512_1_2417153.html

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

The trick is how the oars would work, since they must rotate in an ellipse, not a circle. I'm still struggling with the way to do that. I believe a bireme could work from a single connection per pair of oars (they would be joined together)

David, you could attatch all oars on each side and use the mechanism from an HO scale train set engine. That way you get the elliptical rowing.
Just an idea.

Tarbicus, thanks for the links. Very nice.(too bad shipping would kill it for us across the pond). Unless, of course, you sail it over.

[M. Demetrius]

Hmm. I wonder if each side's being separate would allow for propulsion steerage. Man, the array of servos and transmitter/receivers is getting laptop level complicated!

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Well,yeah, then you have to attatch the rudder,too. Man, this is getting technical. Could work, though.

(how was your b-day? I hope it was as you wanted).