Julius Perdana Builds 25.5-Foot Rideable RC Bismarck for $400, Firing Fireworks

Q: How did one creator turn $400 and plastic sheets into a 25-foot rideable battleship with working cannons?

He did it by separating the expensive, load-bearing parts from the cheap, decorative ones. Julius Perdana built the 25.5-foot, 1/32-scale Bismarck around a fiberglass-coated plywood “Captain’s Tub” with a weighted keel, which carried the pilot’s weight and kept the craft stable. He then attached lightweight bow and stern sections made from 3mm Coroplast plastic sheets and hot glue, so those large outer sections only had to float themselves, not support the driver. That modular approach kept the budget to about $300-$400 while still producing a rideable ship. Power came from a modified 12V trolling motor, controlled through a 60A RC car electronic speed controller and a standard RC transmitter. A heavy 12V car battery was placed in the bow to counterbalance the pilot, who sat low in an F1-style reclined position inside the bridge tower. After water tests, Perdana improved performance with a custom 3D-printed four-blade, high-pitch propeller. He also gave the model working weapons. The main turrets rotate on 360-degree servos and are controlled by a separate transmitter. The barrels are spring-loaded to fire standard Roman candles and retract to mimic recoil. For ignition, he created a simple remote system using a resistor wrapped with match head material to light the fuses from the cockpit. The result is a pond-going battleship that combines low-cost materials, careful weight distribution, RC electronics and 3D printing into a highly original, fully rideable replica.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo · Jul 6

A 25.5-foot, 1/32-scale Bismarck replica built by YouTuber Julius Perdana can carry him inside the hull, cruise ponds and fire Roman candles, all on a roughly $300-$400 budget.
To keep the project cheap and afloat, Perdana used a fiberglass-coated plywood “Captain’s Tub” with a weighted keel to support the pilot, while the rest of the hull was made from 3mm Coroplast and hot glue.
A 12V trolling motor, 12V car battery and 60A RC car speed controller power the craft, with two 30kg servos steering it and a custom 3D-printed four-blade propeller replacing an underpowered stock prop.
Separate RC controls rotate the main turrets, and a DIY ignition setup using a resistor wrapped with a match head lights the Roman-candle fireworks from the cockpit.
The build follows Perdana’s earlier large RC Yamato project, but this version was designed from the start as a rideable warship with a 1941 Baltic camouflage scheme and 3D-printed crew.