Let The Battles Begin

John Mianowski examines his ship before going into battle. Photo by Jeanie Allen Davis.

Locals take part in model warfare

By Jeanie Allen Davis

What could bring a diverse group that includes an attorney, students, engineers, an airline pilot, a computer game designer, executive, shipping and delivery staff, and a computer software technician together for a day of challenging competition once a month? Battlebots is the answer for a group of model destroyer enthusiasts that includes Kaufman residents Wreno Wynne and his son, Wes. The battles are done with radio-controlled model warship combat.

Wes found Radio Control Model Warship Combat on the Internet, expressed an interest to Wreno and by 2002 the duo was hooked - so hooked that now, once a month, the North Texas Battle Group, a Big Gun R/C Warship Combat International club meets in Kaufman to combat on the water with battlebots.

John Mianowski and Dustin Delaire founded NTXBG in 1997. At the time, most battles occurred at Huffines Park in Richardson. In 2003, they were moved to NTXBG's Home Port at Star Brand Ranch.

Mianowski has been battling warships longer than the other members and has built the most ships in the NTXBG fleet. Investment, he said, in the hobby seems to run $150 for each entity of the ship including the hull, radio, each turret, and miscellaneous items.

NTXBG members agree that a certain amount of stock is maintained like replacement skin and balsa, propellers and other necessities to hasten repairs when needed. The quicker the repair, the sooner the ship is back in the water battling.

In an article published in the December 2005 issue of Servo Magazine, Wreno described the a typical battle as, “Scale model warships from 1900 to 1946, with 85 percent of their hulls being penetrable balsa to within at least one inch below the waterline, fire CO2 powered cannons at each other to blow holes in one another. When the water comes in faster than the bilge pumps can pump it out, they sink, are recovered, patched, and battle again.” And that pretty much sums it up.

To qualify for combat, the ships must have been in service or laid down between 1900 and 1946. Building standards are 1/144-scale of the original ships. Battleship names include USS Alabama, FNS Juareguiberry, USS Jeremiah O'Brien, FNS Normandie, USS Des Moines, SPS Espania, IJN Musashi, DKM Kronprinz Willhelm, DKM Scharnhorst, FNS Dunkerque and USS Lakeshore.

“Our format of the hobby allows the ship to perform as it did in real life,” Weber said.. “It allows us to have more fun because the ships have different roles.”

Although battlebots have been around about 20 years, the hobby is still in its infancy. Together, the club has 18 combat ready warships and about 10 convoy ships that battle.

On dry land, the group is very social, exchanging recent discoveries regarding the hobby and helping solve problems. But when the battlebots are on the water, the commanders are extremely competitive. And, yes, they do sink ships. After all, that is the purpose of the game.

In July the North Texas Battle Group will hold its annual North American Big Gun Open (NABGO). The three to four day event features competitions including maneuvering events, gunnery events, regulation battles, night battles and the Texas Cage Match where the battling area is reduced and the last ship standing wins.

Awards are given to commemorate the event like best-engineered ship and most feared. And it gives the commanders an opportunity to discuss what various clubs are doingŠ a chance to collaborate for a weekend.

For more information about North Texas Battle Group visit www.ntxbg.org. The site gives member information, club information, upcoming events, monthly battle times and a wealth of knowledge on how to get involved in the battlebot hobby.