Tirpitz by mtdoramike - Tamiya - 1/350 - PLASTIC - German Battleship

[mtdoramike]

I was able to pick up this Tamiya 1/350 scale German Battle ship Tirpitz, which is the sister ship to the infamous Bismarck kit for $48.00, which I though was a pretty good deal since it retails for about double that price. I intend on building it radio control, which shouldn't be too difficult since it as well as the Bismarck with both made for R/C use with diagraming of the R/C setup in the instructions. This model will be more of an inside build versus me having to work out in my shop like I usually do with my wooden models. 

[cog]

Interesting to use a 1/350 for RC

[mtdoramike]

14 hours ago, cog said:

Interesting to use a 1/350 for RC

in actuality, scale is irrelevant. The main issue is, is the model large enough to fit all the inner working of the R/C components without them riding on top of each other. But at close to 30" long, the hull would be the perfect size for conversion, large enough to stow away the electronics, but yet small enough to transport easily. The only thing I'm going to be mindful of is water line and weight issues because after adding the R/C equipment and additional ballast if any how it will sit in the water. I'm positive, it will not be the type of R/C boat you would water grab on a windy choppy day, but more like a calm almost glassy day on the pond. Plus Tamiya makes it with a solid plastic hull, so no piecing it together with a seam.

 

mike     

Edited July 20, 2019 by mtdoramike

[CDW]

You made a wise choice for a plastic warship R/C conversion. Your investment won't break the bank, and not much else looks as cool as the Tirpitz. I love that box art camo pattern.

[mtdoramike]

Me too CD, I was actually looking at the Bismarck during the Amazon Prime days to see if it would be one of those few items on sale, but it wasn't. Then I ran across this Tamiya Tirpitz that was new old stock, I think the kit dates back to like the 80's or early 90's and at $48.00 I couldn't pass it up especially since it's basically a spitting image of the Bismarck. I can order a update set like the wooden decking (which will be covered with resin to make it water proof) and some detail brass parts to spruce it up a bit. I figure all in all, I could have a total of $150.00 in it with the electronics and such. I was also eyeing the Tamiya Enterprise 1/350 scale aircraft carrier, but at about $200.00, I figure I'll try one of the cheaper kits first. Then if it goes well or I can get a decent deal on the Tamiya Enterprise, I might try building it R/C as well and maybe donate it to a local VFW. Now that one I would really go all out on like hop ups, interior lighting 1/350 scale figures and the works. But right now that is just a dream or bucket list of mine.   

[CDW]

I've never seen inside the box of the Tamiya Tirpitz. Does it include the torpedo tubes? 

Look on Ebay for the 1:350 Merit John F. Kennedy CV kit. It consists of a whopping 1,200 + parts count including some photo etch. A much more modern kit that the Tamiya Enterprise. You would probably only need paint and glue for that model along with your conversion parts. I've seen it as low as $199 with shipping included from Hong Kong.

[mtdoramike]

CD, I looked in the Tipitz box, and didn't see anything that looked like torpedo tubes, but I could have overlooked them. I don't usually like to fiddle with a new kit too much once I receive it because then it makes me itchy to start building it rather than finishing my current projects. I did however see a small brushed motor and small gear box inside the box, which I assume could be used to make something on the model move. Don't know if that came with the original kit or something extra thrown in the box, since it was posted as new old stock. I do know that the motor would be too small for that sized model unless you have two of them. I plan to run two motors and props rather than the actual 4 and will install two dummy props and see how it goes.

[Richmond]

CDW - I have this kit as well  - here are the instructions

115195-98-instructions.pdf

[lmagna]

I can guarantee that this model will RC with no issues of fit or weight. Like you said it may be a little nerve racking top take out on a windy day with a large chop but even that can be easily handled with a little forethought in the building of the ship.

 

Over the years I have converted several plastic kits to RC. I think the smallest was possibly the Revell harbor tug. It ran almost every month summer and winter with virtually no issues for about two years until a guy with a much larger boat ran it over and sank it in a pond that was far too murky to allow finding it.

 

(This is not the one I built but someone else's work) There are a couple of small boat videos that follow this one.

 

The next larger was the slightly larger Lindburg harbor tug although the superstructure was highly modified to look like a local tug here in my city. Then there was the Lindburg Atlantic fishing trawler, the tuna clipper,(Again highly modified superstructure) the Lindburg shrimp boat and the lindburg mine sweeper. The mine sweeper was twin screw as well. Then there was the Coast Guard 95' Patrol boat that I did in traditional CG colors and also in Vietnam deployment colors. The Revell USS Burton Island Wind class icebreaker also made an excellent RC boat but was never much good at actual ice breaking! I also did three supmarines, Revell Gato, Nichimo U=Boat, and the original Aurora Skipjack. The subs were cheating a little though because they don't need to float all that well and when built right are pretty watertight. But unless the water is clear you spend a lot of your time trying to sail an upright stick around the pond while trying to hold it at periscope depth!

 

All of these models worked quite well and were all well under 30". Their only problems were that they all were small SCALES. 1/100 and smaller. This made many parts in the boats pretty fragile and I was always making new parts from brass rod and sheet to replace the kit plastic stuff. The other part is that they get small real FAST. Most sailing looks best when you are twenty or thirty feet or closer. The same is certain to happen in 1/350 scale. I have never seen this ship in RC operation but I have seen 1/96 battleships running and they get pretty small quickly as well so one can only guess what will happen with 1/350. I think you may spend a lot of time hugging the shore and practicing docking or getting used to looking at your ship at a scale 30,000 yards on the horizon!

 

[mtdoramike]

I agree Lou, at 1/350 scale, this is not a lake model, but more like a pond model and I figure about 50 feet distance would be about tops for visual reference. My older kit actually comes with a gear box to run two props with one 280 motor which is both included in the kit and is pictured on the side of the Tamiya box. I was surprised to see this because on all the descriptions I have found on this kit, I found no information that this was included in the kit. The Tirpitz kit shows two prop operation, but I thought the Tirpitz ran 4 props.

 

I will most likely change the gear box and run two independent motors, I don't like running gear setups unless there is no other option.