- Emanuel Filiberto Duca d’Aosta -
RM Emanuel Filiberto Duca d’Aosta – Tyler
2.5 units, 22 seconds, Italian Light Cruiser
The Duca d’Aosta subclass consisted of two ships:
Emanuel Filiberto and Eugenio Di Savoia. These ships were the fourth generation
in the “Condottieri” light cruisers, which was a line of Italian light cruisers
built from 1928 through 1933, each subclass serving as a stepping stone in the
evolution of the line.
The Duca d’Aosta subclass were of interest to me due
to the relatively large size for class 2, such that I thought it would be
relatively easier to build than some of the smaller class 2 cruisers.
Additionally, the step deck design means less hull exposure. And still another
bonus, there have not been many of these ships in the history of the hobby, some
of us value uniqueness. In my mind, it was going to be like an Italian version
of the FN Gloire. I first battled this
ship in 2009 and have used it as my secondary ship and campaign cruiser ever
since. It is set up with a ½ unit pump and twin stern guns of 50 rounds each
firing together.
My favorite
feature of this ship is the access point for loading the twin stern gus. Though it is a bit cramped. The rear funnel has a post
through the deck fitted with a spring on the back side which allows it to be
pulled upward and swiveled 180 degrees to allow access to the load point. Also
seen on this view are holes through the deck that initially had screws to hold
the deck in place. I subsequently fitted the ship with slides/locks.
The deck sections latch in a way in which it holds
itself together. The bow most section is the first off/last on and slides
towards the stern to come off. The overlap of the higher superstructure
containing the bridge/funnel holds down the middle part. The middle part is
also held down in part by the swiveling smoke stack. I put on rotating latches
where the mid section and stern deck overlap to help
keep things in place. The bottle is in the far bow, then the batteries, then a
modular radio box (I have 3 of these that are identical and are used in all of
my cruisers). Astern to that is the pump which sits right in front of the drive
motors.
With measurements starting in the stern. The bottle is
3.5 oz. Batteries are two 6v, 5 amp hour NiMH run in parallel for 10 amp hours.
With the bottle and batteries removed you can
appreciate how I cut material out so the bottle and batteries to sit low in the
ship.
The middle section. You can see the water tight simple
switch-based radio box that I have made 3 copies of over the years. I have kept
consistency for modular ability and simplicity. This is admittedly outdated as
most ships are now running electronic speed controllers and solid
state switches. In the future I expect switching over to more modern
technologies which might allow for the movement of the bottle to the center
compartment, which theoretically could improve turning with weight
redistribution away from the extreme bow/stern and towards the center.
The stern portion of the ship. The tape measure is
flush with the stern, but the angle makes it look off. The turret is on a hinge
to adjust the O rings of the guns, this sort of locks down by swiveling the
higher turret. Until I had made some adjustments, the BB’s
were skipping off the deck, which is where the paint has been chipped away.
Th slides are somewhat visible on this view. The now
not used 4-40 threaded inserts are visible in the sub deck.
The motors are direct drive via dog bone to 1.25 inch dual props. The solenoids and accumulations tanks
with check valves sit just in front of the cannons. The ship initially had a
water proof rudder box which was later changed to a water proof servo and the
box was opened. I cut holes in the box so the water can flow in and out but
left the structure of it in place mostly because it would be inconvenient to
cut it out. The guns stick out through tiny holes that required disassembling
the gun to get them out. I did this to try to limit water coming in the very
low stern part of the ship, it makes working on the guns a bit annoying. Many
captains will fill the holes with silicone or foam to water seal. The gun
magazines are zip tied to the deck. The barrels are also zip tied to the deck.
Rudder and prop positions. Props are 1.25 inch (x2) Octura brand that
was previously available and now discontinued. They are fairly direction and
with the narrow pointy stern, this ship flies in reverse. The turning however
is not very good despite the attempted fish tail rudder.
Rudder and prop positions. Props are 1.25 inch (x2) Octura brand that
was previously available and now discontinued. They are fairly direction and
with the narrow pointy stern, this ship flies in reverse. The turning however
is not very good despite the attempted fish tail rudder.