IRCWCC RULES
PART
II - SHIP CONSTRUCTION AND CLASSIFICATION
A. CONSTRUCTION
REQUIREMENTS
1. All ships shall have penetrable balsa “windows” which make up specific areas of their hull skin and are constructed in accordance with the following requirements.
2. The amount of required penetrable area
shall be based upon the length of the hull measured along the longitudinal
centerline of the ship. The total
percentage of the hull length which shall be penetrable shall be not less than
85%. The percentage that may be impenetrable
shall not exceed 15%. This 15% shall
include all ribs, solid material at the bow and at the stern and fillets.
a. A rib is any solid material attached to the hull skin, which is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the plane of the waterline, and whose function is supporting or defining the shape of the hull.
b. Ribs shall not be made of material exceeding 3/8" in width at their widest point.
c. Ribs shall not be spaced less than
1" apart measured from their centers.
3. Solid material in the bow shall extend no more than 2"
aft following the contour of the bow (see Diagram A).
4. Solid
material in the stern shall extend no more than 1" forward from the
extreme stern measured along the longitudinal centerline of the ship.
5. The main deck(s) shall be no more than 3/8" thick (maximum thickness for a single or a multiple deck assembly) measured at the edge contacting the hull.
6. Impenetrable material may be used as hull skin on a ship’s bottom, but it shall end at least 1" below the waterline, or more than 45 degrees down the turn of the bilge (see Diagram B).
7. The hull skin immediately around the prop and rudder shafts may be impenetrable material if it does not interfere with the inherent penetrability of the hull.
8. No water belts, double hull areas,
watertight compartments, or other construction techniques may be used that are
attempts to defeat the intent of these rules.
9. Watertight boxes may be used for the
purpose of protecting electronic equipment.
Such boxes shall not, due to their buoyancy, prevent the ship from
sinking. For the purposes of this
section only, “sinking” is defined to mean that the model completely submerges
when its hull is flooded with water.
10. No interior boxes, bulkheads, or other interior construction details shall subdivide the hull into separate compartments that affect the penetrability of the hull skin or the buoyancy of the ship.
11. A stringer is any solid material attached to the hull skin, parallel or nearly parallel to the plane of the waterline, and whose function is supporting or defining the shape of the hull.
a. No stringers shall be used unless required by the shape of the hull. Hull features that dictate the use of a stringer are: bulged hull areas, casemate guns, knuckles or armor belts.
b. A stringer shall not extend more than one rib beyond the hull feature which dictates its use.
c. A stringer shall be no thicker than 1/8" regardless of its length.
d. There shall be no more than one stringer between any two ribs in the penetrable area of the hull on each side of the ship.
12. Penetrable hull areas shall not be
constructed so they are self-sealing.
13. Bilge keels shall be no more than 3/8” wide measured at the hull surface, and shall extend no more than 3/8” out from the hull surface. They shall be constructed to scale in number, and relatively to scale in length, shape and location.
14. Superstructure surfaces may be
constructed of any material.
15. No form of positive hull pressurization shall be utilized.
16. On ships
which have casemate mounted guns, the cupolas may be constructed of
impenetrable material. A 1/8" wide
strip on each side of the cupola may also be impenetrable. If a flat bulkhead area between cupolas is
inset more than 1/2" from the edge of the gunwale the entire casemate area
(cupolas and all flat bulkhead areas inset greater than 1/2") may be made
impenetrable.
17. Maximum ship weight shall not exceed the
heavy model weight (as listed in the Ship List) plus 10%.
18. Class 2 and lower ships using CO2 may add
25% or one (1) pound (whichever is greater) to their maximum model weight, but
they shall have a minimum of 1/2" of freeboard at the ship’s lowest
point. Hull depth shall be adjusted as
required.
19. All ships shall be able to change from forward to reverse by radio control.
B. HULL
PENETRABILITY
1. All ships shall pass the following hull
penetrability test to be able to participate in any IRCWCC event:
The
ship to be tested shall be placed on its side. One end of a 3/16" (or
larger) diameter by 18" long brass tube shall be placed perpendicular to
and touching the ship's penetrable hull area at a spot between two ribs. A 12" long by 1/8"diameter solid
brass rod shall be placed about 1/8" into the brass tube. No lubricant of any kind shall be present
in the tube or on the rod. The rod
shall be released and allowed to fall freely through the tube so it strikes the
hull material. The rod shall penetrate
the ship's hull. The test shall be
repeated up to 4 additional times at other penetrable locations on the
ship. The rod shall penetrate the hull
at 3 different locations out of a maximum of 5 tries.
It is recommended that a ship be built so that it is able to
pass the above test with a 12” drop to allow for battle repairs and the
hardening of balsa with age.
2. All ships shall undergo penetrability testing prior to the start of the Annual
Championship. Hull penetrability testing at events other than the Annual Championship shall be performed as the result of a challenge by another Captain only. The challenger shall submit to the same test at the time of the challenge.
3. A Contest Director may require that a ship undergo penetrability testing at any time at any event.
C. SCALE AND
PROPORTIONS
1 Any ship laid down after January 1, 1991 shall be built to 1/144 scale. Ships which were properly built to 1/150 scale shall be "grandfathered" if they battled in a sanctioned IRCWCC battle prior to December 31, 1990.
2. The allowable error in the beam of a model ship shall be +/- 1/8" or 2% of the listed scale dimension, whichever is greater. The allowable error in the length of a model ship shall be +/- 1/2" or 2% of the listed scale dimension, whichever is greater.
3. Hull shape shall be relatively to scale. Running gear (such as skegs and bilge keels) shall be relatively scale and in the correct scale location.
4. Each ship shall have a marked waterline. The center of the marked waterline shall be within 1/8" of the actual floating waterline of the ship. Ships in Classes 7 through 2 may have up to a 1/4" wide taped or painted waterline, and ships in Classes 1 and 1/2 may have up to a 1/8" wide taped or painted waterline. Any class of ship may have a scale width waterline. Prior to the start of the Annual Championship each hull will be floated at “battle ready tonnage” (full weight and compliment of batteries, ammo, gas and etc.) and the displacement of the hull will be verified by the ability to float within one eighth of one inch above or below the center of the marked waterline for the length of the hull entirely.
5. Each ship shall be equipped with the proper scale number of shafts, propellers or drag props, and rudders, all in relatively scale locations.
6. Ships shall have barrels installed in all main battery turrets.
7. Each ship shall have all model superstructure parts which exceed one cubic inch in volume in place in their scale locations.
D. RUDDERS
1. Only rudders shall be used to steer
ships. No "turning motors" or
other systems may be used to assist in turning.
2. Except as provided in sections D.3 and D.4, below, the maximum movable rudder area allowed for a ship shall be determined by class as follows:
|
Ship Class |
Rudder Area (sq. in.) |
|
7 |
4.00 |
|
6 |
4.00 |
|
5 |
3.00 |
|
4 |
2.50 |
|
3 |
2.00 |
|
2 |
1.75 |
|
1 |
1.50 |
3. Single rudder Cruisers over 599’,
single rudder Battle Cruisers over 700’, single rudder Battleships over 700',
and all ships with two or more rudders may have 50% more total rudder surface
area than the amount stated above. If
the additional rudder surface area is utilized, all rudders shall function to
steer the ship.
4. If a ship has a rudder or rudders that, when correctly constructed to scale size and shape, has/have more actual surface area than allowed above, the ship may utilize the larger surface area rudder(s) provided that the scale size and shape can be verified as correct. An interested member may challenge the total rudder area of a ship prior to any event, and the captain of the challenged ship shall provide verification of the basis for the deviation in size. The Executive Board (or the Contest Director if a quorum of the Executive Board is not present) shall determine the outcome of the challenge.
E. CANNONS
1. A cannon is an offensive battle unit which shall not fire any projectile other than a standard BB (.177" diameter steel shot).
2. Maximum cannon firing pressure shall not exceed 150 p.s.i. Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) or other ozone depleting chemicals as a propellant is prohibited.
3. Cannon units are defined as follows:
a. A one‑unit cannon carries a load of 50 BB’s if fired single shot, or 15 BB’s if spurted.
b. A ½ unit cannon carries 25 BB’s if fired single shot, or 10 BB’s if spurted.
c. A ¼ unit cannon carries 12 BB’s if fired single shot, or 5 BB’s if spurted.
4. A ½ unit cannon magazine may be added to a 1‑unit cannon magazine, making a one and one-half (1½) unit single shot cannon with 75 BB’s.
5. Except as provided in section 11.e, below, a ship may mount only a single one-half (½) unit cannon in its offensive armament, and a whole cannon unit shall not be divided into smaller (½ or ¼) unit cannons.
6. All cannons, except those designated as spurt guns, shall be single shot cannons.
a. A single shot cannon is defined as one which fires one BB for each movement of the transmitter control from neutral to a fire position and then back to neutral.
b. A spurt gun is a cannon designed to fire one or more BB’s with one movement of the transmitter control from neutral to a fire position, and then back to neutral. A spurt gun may, but is not required to, expend its entire magazine with one control movement.
c. Only ships in Classes 1, 2 and 3 may be armed with spurt guns.
d. Each spurt guns shall have an O‑ring or restrictor tube, and the inside diameter of the barrel at the muzzle shall be no more than .190".
7. The maximum length of each cannon barrel shall be limited as follows:
a. O‑ring cannons: 5" from O-ring to tip of muzzle.
b. Restrictor tube cannons: 6" from the outlet side of the restrictor tube to the tip of the muzzle.
8. For test purposes a single shot cannon shall be allowed a 20% variance in the ratio of transmitter control movements to BB’s fired. Example: for 30 transmitter control movements the cannon may fire anywhere from 24 to 36 BB’s and still be acceptable.
a. A Contest Director shall determine compliance based on both shore testing and firing characteristics during battle.
b. Single shot cannon testing shall be by challenge only. The challenger's cannons shall be tested at the same time as the challenged cannons.
9. Cannons shall be placed in the appropriate turrets or casemates occupied by the main battery of the ship being modeled.
a. Cannons mounted in turrets shall extend from the face of the turret in the same manner as the actual ship being modeled.
b. Turret barbettes shall be of scale size and shape and shall not be modified to increase the down angle of the cannon.
c. Turrets shall sit flat on their barbettes.
d. No cannons shall be mounted near the waterline or below the waterline.
e. Cannons may be mounted in the superstructure if the main turrets are physically too small to house the cannon.
f. Ships in Class 4 and above which had their actual main armament all located forward of their superstructures may use an aft secondary battery to mount a single stern cannon.
10. All firing cannons shall be positioned as follows to cover one of 4 quadrants. The forward and stern quadrants are each 30 degree segments arranged 15 degrees to either side of the ship's longitudinal centerline. The side quadrants are the two remaining 150 degree segments, one on each side of the model, between the forward and stern quadrants.
a. Ships in Class 4 through 7 may have side firing cannons. Side firing cannons are those which are set to fire within a side quadrant (i.e., to shoot at an angle greater than 15 degrees measured from the ship’s longitudinal centerline). Such cannons may cover either or both of a ship’s side quadrants. However, unless otherwise provided in section 11.b or 11.c, below, only one (1) side firing cannon may be used per side.
b. Ships in Class 3 and below shall have cannons which fire only in the bow and stern quadrants.
c. Unless otherwise provided in section 11.a, below, all ships shall leave one specific quadrant undefended at all times.
d. Unless otherwise provided in section 11.b or 11.c, below, there shall be no more than one (1) firing cannon covering a side quadrant.
e. Bow and stern firing cannons on all classes of ships shall not be angled more than 15 degrees left or right of the longitudinal centerline of the ship. The maximum number of firing cannons covering the bow and stern quadrants of any ship shall be limited to the number of main battery guns that could fire in those quadrants on the original ship.
f. Turrets on any ship having them may pivot. Pivoting turrets can only be used to move guns as permitted within their appropriate quadrants.
g. Ships in Class 4 and above may have rotating turrets. Rotating turrets are those that are able to traverse from one quadrant to another, including from one side to the other. A ship with rotating turrets may not violate section 11.b or 11.c, below.
h. Any cannons carried on board a ship but not used in battle shall be pinned.
i. No firing cannon shall be positioned so that it fires at an angle above horizontal. No firing cannon shall be positioned so that it fires at an angle greater than 20 degrees below horizontal.
11. Authorized exceptions:
a. Any ship over 40,000 tons standard displacement or 60" scale length (in 1/144 scale) may cover all four quadrants with firing cannons.
b. Any ship over 40,000 tons standard displacement or 60" scale length (in 1/144 scale) may have one rotating turret with one cannon. When so equipped a ship may have no more than two side firing cannons, one rotating and one static, covering the same side quadrant.
c. The following ships may have two side firing cannons in a single turret covering a side quadrant provided that they are the only side firing cannons covering that quadrant:
1) HMS Nelson class
2) Any ship on the Ship List with a LOA of more than 800 feet
d. Any authorized ½ battle unit may be
used as either of the following:
1) A ½ unit pump, provided it is the only pump
on the ship; or
2) A 1 ½ unit single shot cannon with a 75 BB
magazine
e. Ships in Class 2 or smaller may use their battle units in one-half unit increments for either cannons or pumps.
12. Automatic‑tracking and automatic‑ranging systems for cannons are prohibited.
F. OTHER
DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES
All devices, other than BB cannons, which are capable of producing damage to an opponent’s ship, including mines, torpedoes, depth charges, rockets, explosives, chemicals, fire, etc., are prohibited.
G. PUMPS
1. A pump is a defensive battle unit and shall not be of a positive displacement design.
2. A one-unit pump shall have one round 1/8" inside diameter discharge port. A one-half unit pump shall have one round 3/32" inside diameter discharge port. The port diameter shall be measurable from the outside of the ship.
3. Except as provided in section 11.e, above, a one-unit pump may not be subdivided into two ½ unit pumps.
3. A pump shall have only one electric
motor, one impeller and one intake.
4. A submarine may have a pump provided that the pump can only
be used to pump water into and out of an enclosed ballast tank. The pump shall not be used for damage
control.
5. A pump outlet shall be aimed so that it discharges water outside of the ship at an angle which is either not more than 10 degrees above horizontal, or an angle which is not more than 10 degrees from vertical.
H. COMBAT
SHIP CLASSES
1. Only combat ships which were launched between Jan. 1, 1905 and Dec.31, 1946, and were completed, are approved for IRCWCC semi-scale model combat. Refer to the IRCWCC Ship List for a list of approved combat ships.
2. Listed below are the authorized classes for combat ships and the total offensive/defensive units allowed. This list takes precedence over any entries shown in the Ship List.
|
CLASS 7 |
7 1/2 units
|
|
CLASS 6 |
6 1/2 units
|
|
CLASS 5 |
5 1/2 units
|
|
CLASS 4 |
4 1/2 units
|
|
CLASS 3 |
3 1/2 units
Armored Cruisers
built before 1922, >= 14,500 tons. Armored Cruisers
built before 1922, 11,500 tons to 14,499 tons. |
|
CLASS 2 |
2 1/2 units
|
|
CLASS 1 |
1 1/2 unit |
3. Authorized exceptions:
a. The IJN Nagato (B) class is class 6 and shall have 6.0 units.
b. Ships of the USS Iowa and IJN Yamato classes (built in 1/144 scale are class 7 and shall have 8.0 units.
c. HMS Hood is class 6 and shall have 6.0 units
4. All displacement values shown above are standard displacement. All displacement tonnages listed above are in English tons (long tons) of 2240 pounds each.
5. All ships are classified according to
their original AS BUILT specifications; reconstruction at a later date shall
not affect the class of the ship except as otherwise stated in the Ship
List.
6. The manner in which offensive and defensive units are
combined and used is the choice of each captain, but it may not be changed
during the course of a battle.
Offensive unit positioning may be changed between sorties of a battle.
I. SPEED
1. A combat ship’s maximum speed shall be determined from the table below:
|
Battleships |
LOA >= 720' |
24 sec./100' |
|
Battleships |
LOA >= 600' |
26 sec./100' |
|
Battleships |
LOA < 600' |
28 sec./100' |
|
Battlecruisers |
LOA >= 650' |
24 sec./100' |
|
Battlecruisers |
LOA < 650' |
26 sec./100' |
|
Predreadnought BBs |
|
28 sec./100' |
|
Heavy Cruisers (After 1922) |
|
24 sec./100' |
|
Armored Cruisers (Before 1922) |
|
26 sec./100' |
|
Light Cruisers (After 1922) |
|
23 sec./100' |
|
Protected Cruisers (Before 1922) |
|
24 sec./100' |
|
Destroyers |
LOA >= 300' |
22 sec./100' |
|
Destroyers |
LOA < 300' |
23 sec./100' |
|
Submarines |
|
28 sec./100' |
|
Convoy Ships |
|
34 sec./100' |
|
Gunboats |
|
28 sec./100' |
|
Monitors |
|
30 sec./100' |
|
CVAs, CVLs, CVEs |
LOA >= 740' |
24 sec./100' |
|
CVAs, CVLs, CVEs |
LOA >= 660' |
26 sec./100' |
|
CVAs, CVLs, CVEs |
LOA < 660' |
28 sec./100' |
2. The values listed in the table above take precedence over any values listed in the IRCWCC Ship List.
3. No change in the resistance in the
throttle section of a ship is allowed between sorties.
4. A ship shall not exceed its maximum allowable speed in any direction of movement, whether forward, in a turn, or reverse.
5. A ship shall not employ a timed throttle system that enables a ship to exceed its maximum allowable speed for any portion of the measured course.
J. COMPLIANCE
WITH CONSTRUCTION RULES
1. Any member who reasonably believes that
a ship’s construction is not in compliance with one or more of the above
construction rules may bring the matter to the attention of the Contest
Director. The Contest Director or
someone appointed by the Contest Director shall view the construction details
and take measurements or apply any tests that may be needed.
2. If it is determined that the ship in question is not in compliance with one or more of the above construction rules, a Citation of Non-Compliance shall be issued to the member who owns the ship and a copy provided to the President to be kept on record until the ship is reported to be in compliance.
3. If the determination that a ship is not in compliance is made immediately prior to or during an event, a secret ballot shall be taken among all participating captains (on both sides) to decide if the ship can compete without correcting the non-compliant condition.
a. If a battle is in progress, the vote shall be taken prior to the next sortie. The vote shall also be taken prior to each subsequent battle as long as the ship is still in violation.
b. If one dissenting vote is received, the ship CANNOT compete until the condition is corrected. This voting procedure shall only be allowed during the sanctioned event in which the non-compliance was first determined.
4. A copy of all outstanding citations shall be provided to the Contest Directors of all future IRCWCC sanctioned events by the Vice President. The ship receiving the citation shall not be permitted to compete in any future sanctioned events until it has been inspected and/or tested by a Contest Director and found to be in compliance with all applicable rules. The Contest Director who finds the ship to be in compliance shall inform the Vice President and the outstanding citation shall be removed from the record.
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