Steve's Shipyard
THE GERMAN DESTROYER Z-38
Check out the newest Axis destroyer!
Here is a tour of the Z-38 destroyer. Most of the parts found in the destroyer can be ordered from Battler's Connection, who also sells the hull. Charley Stephen's service was just outstanding, as he filled my orders very quickly, enabling this ship to be built in just 10 days!
The hull is a fiberglass hull from Battler's Connection, with a 3/16 aircraft plywood subdeck, and a 1/16 aircraft plywood deck. As you will see, the deck is cut so it fits snugly onto the subdeck. Most of the superstructure is balsa, some styrene, with 020 lexan sheet decks and gun tubs. The main mast is a 6" Deans mini whip antenna with a styrene tube around it, and some styrene and flower wire details. The boats are 030 styrene, with small single gun turrets from Battlers Connection, and the large dual gun turret one of the old Swampworks Bismark turrets. The idea here was to make the top as light as possible. I just had to add some ladders and a small amount of rigging to make it look right. Also, the top is painted with Testors Model Master 1930 flat gull grey, and the bottom is Krylon 1317 Ruddy Brown Primer. The wood is sealed with epoxy that was thinned with Acetone.
The gun is a 50 round cannon provided by Battlers Connection specifically for the z-boat. While I usually prefer the "gas hog" cannons with stainless steel barrels, high flow fittings, etc, I just couldn't afford the gas flow. The 12 gram cartridge will only fire 53 rounds, if I'm lucky. I went with a stern gun, just because. Also, you will notice the superstructure is removable, allowing me to tweak at lakeside. A single small zip tie, and some strategic wooden supports, holds the gun very securely in place.
This is my favorite photo. Notice the brass thing between the prop shafts, between the rudder servo and the drive motors. That's a KIP solenoid. My cute widdle ship will fire 6 rounds per second.
Another cool photo, showing the radio box. It's made out of 1/16 aircraft ply, with 020 lexan lid. It has a full size Futaba receiver in it, with 2 micro servos. Servo 1 controls the motors, servo 2 the pump and the gun solenoid. The box is water tight (per my bathtub test).
Under the radio box is my 12 gram CO2 cartridge, in the aluminum adapter, on the bow-end of the Palmer adjustable regulator. Again, all this is from Battlers Connection. The only gripe I have is that I had to fabricate my own fitting for the regulator. I did this in about 3 hours by driving to multiple hardware stores until I found the right plug. I drilled a hole in the plug, then screwed it into the regulator. Then I had to cut off the end of the plug, tap the hole, and insert a clippard fitting. All this then had to be soldered, which meant getting out the torch. I would have paid an extra 8 bucks if the reg had come with the fitting.
Oh, and in case you are observant, the reg sits cattywampus in the bottom of the hull, with the fitting to port. I did this on purpose, because it puts the heavy end of the regulator to starboard, and my 50 round gun magazine goes around the port side of my pump.
These shots show the midsection. The main batts are 6 rechargable NiCads soldered in series. They are 1.2 volt 1400mah AA size batteries, in series, for a 7.2 volt pack. I recharge them with the 1 amp quick charger for 10 minutes, or cook them overnight using my futaba receiver pack charger. The receiver pack (separate power is better than filtered power) is on top of the main pack. The bilge pump is just aft of the batteries, with the half unit pump outlet to starboard. Be sure and check this puppy out. Some balsa keeps the pump in place. The motors are just aft of the pump, mounted in a single piece of 1/16 aircraft ply, epoxied to the hull and the subdeck.
Here's the Z-38 running around in the pool before battle!
Here's the Z-boat in battle at the Pearl Harbor battle in 2000!
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