- Task Force 72
Task Force 72 is an international association of
Radio control ledmodel boat builders, all building in the commonscale (ratio) of 1:72 (1 inch in 1:72 equals 72 inches in real life).History
Task Force 72 originated in
Australia in 1994, when a number of individuals building radio controlled models came together to form avoluntary association .The name derives from the military term for a group of
warships operating to a common purpose, atask force , and the scale of the ship models being built (1:72).In the years since, the association has grown from a small number of model builders to several hundred currently active and former members located in Australia, the
United States ,United Kingdom ,Canada ,New Zealand and several other countries.At this time the largest grouping of members is located within Australia, although it is hoped to grow membership internationally
Annual Regatta
The Association holds an annual
regatta each year atWentworth Falls Lake, located in the Blue Mountains, west ofSydney inNew South Wales , Australia.The Task Force 72 regatta is usually held in November or December of each calendar year. The 2008 Annual Regatta will be held on the weekend of Saturday 22 (10AM - 8PM) and Sunday 23 November (10AM - 4PM).
Task Force 72 hopes that the Association's membership in other countries will grow to the point where they are large enough to support their own national regattas.
Types of models constructed
Currently the majority of
model ships owned by Task Force 72 members aremilitary vessels however this is slowly changing as more non-military ships are completed. In fact the joint winners of the Wentworth Shield for best model at the2007 Annual Regatta were two non-warships, thelighthouse andnavigation aids tender Cape Don and the USS Charles Robinson, aLiberty Ship .Task Force 72 members have built models of a wide range of
ships andsubmarine s, ranging from 19th centurycruiser s to futuristicmissile corvette s, fromsailing ship s toballistic missile submarine s. Despite the majority of ships being of military subjects merchant and passenger ships are also well represented.All share a basic characteristic. They are built to a common scale of 1:72 and are radio controlled.
Task Force 72 fleet composition
As of October 2007 the Task Force 72 "fleet" is made up of several hundred models, ranging in size from extremely large models of various
aircraft carriers andbattleships down to very small models oftugboat s andpatrol boat s.The majority of the models are of medium sized vessels, such as
destroyers andfrigates , which are considered by their builders to combine a reasonable size for ease of transport and "seaworthiness", with significant scope for the incorporation of detail and providing sufficient internal volume for the mechanics of making the models operational.Task Force 72 Logo
The Task Force 72 logo comprises a stylised
compass rose with ananchor superimposed on the compass rose with the words Task Force Seventy Two surrounding the design.External links
* [http://www.taskforce72.org/ Task Force 72 home page]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.