USS SHARK SSN-591: Refit Log 2016-08-23 (1:48 BeBoer Skipjack)

[QuarterMaster]

She may not be the most accurate hull, but my goodness do I love this boat!!

Another in the "Not so reality TV" Series brought to you by.....
INDIVIDUAL ANEMICS
Electric Model Boat Division
...a "sub" Division of MRCSB (where the rent is TOO DAMN HIGH!!)

[greenman407]

Great Video!!! I really like your ballast tank design, surrounding your Dry Space! Thats Cool. Since you are using a 2.4ghz receiver you are limiting your subs diving performance, but then Im sure you know that. Great video. I should watch it again.

[trout]

Scott Trosper posted that same idea here (putting the ballast tank around the outside of the dry space) a ways back maybe even 2 years ago or more. The reason I remember is I have drawn and pondered the design since he mentioned it. Now the difference between Ed and I is Ed is making it happen! I will be jotting notes down for sure. Great video, very interested in how you run it. With 2.4GHz I will guess you are going to run the RX antenna up a periscope or other mast? Keep up the work!

[greenman407]

Yes, great motivation there ED! Is there a gearbox for that brushless motor? Even though the kv rating is low, Im quite certain that the motor wont be able to handle a 1/48 scale prop. Ofcourse I could easily be missing sumpin. It happens all the time.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

First: Excellent photography and editing. And your WTC is an excellent design -- love the annular arrangement of the ballast tank. Good stuff, Ed (you Bum!)

M

[Kazzer]

Aha! A convert to running on 2.4 ghz! Wonderful! I'd love to see a video of it in the water.

[trout]

I have not COMPLETELY lost my mind..... here is the like to Scott's idea:

[QuarterMaster]

First off..,.thank you ALL.

I'll answer these in order skipping duplicates by necessity...not user preference lol (Actually may need another video just to explain the design journey these past 4 months!)

Great Video!!! I really like your ballast tank design, surrounding your Dry Space! Thats Cool. Since you are using a 2.4ghz receiver you are limiting your subs diving performance, but then Im sure you know that. Great video. I should watch it again.

1) Annular Ballast Tank:

It kinda fell together on the design, I wanted room for a 2nd 12V 7.5Ah Battery (now at 15Ah capacity) The tank Volume is just a TAD more than Dave's Original D & E Miniatures adjustable tank at MAX volume on his WTC-3.5, which worked flawlessly on this hull. I was originally going to use...get this...a 5" toilet tank float which has a tad LESS volume. But would have eaten up room in the hull and nixed the double battery capacity idea. Since I'm using check valves and a paddle pump as my "Normal Blow" this just made sense since I was using the PVC pipe and acrylics caps anyway. I wanted to push some skills and use what I had laying around and could get quickly. I'm sort of a prepper and like to be self reliant in my design philosophy. BTW, I CAN'T cast to save my life lol. I tend to make one-offs from off the shelf parts.

This was easy since I already KNEW the approx volume. Having to adjust the size would require annular rings that and move fore and aft. I leave that up to the next sailor. Using o'rings on cylinders would be easy enough, I sized the WTC length to my need.

Ya'll know this is how the 1:1 boys do it.

2) 2.4 Ghz choice:

As I responded on another board that shall not be named (lol)

I'm just taking the lesson from Mike Dory who ran in brackish water, my antenna (the 1.25" exposed end of the coax) is threaded through a simulated Antenna on the SHARK and will ALWAYS be exposed above the water. Jim Wheeler had VERY tall out of scale scopes allowing us to run deep, which was nice to avoid surface runners I run with. They would just sorta bounce off the scope with nothing more than a "Loony Tunes" twaaaaang effect to them. My Keel depth at PD is close to 18"

Sure I would here people at a Regatta whisper "That's NOT to scale..." as to which I would just remember those with scales measuring my boat really need a life. We're here to have FUN. Don't get me wrong, accurate scale boats are the bomb...but really, ya need to knock another persons preference???

I save my FULL accuracy for my static models and don't cry when my play boats get dings. But that's me.

To be honest I rarely ever dove past my scopes. I get VERY nervous in open water when I lose sight of my mast's. NEVER outside of a pool, which I have rare access to anyway. So I don't see the need to stick with 75Mhz anyway. I have two good 75Mhz radios which I'm saving for the Mason NAUTILUS and Teskey PROTEUS, boat's sans scopes.

Yes, great motivation there ED! Is there a gearbox for that brushless motor? Even though the kv rating is low, I'm quite certain that the motor wont be able to handle a 1/48 scale prop. Ofcourse I could easily be missing sumpin. It happens all the time.

3) Gear Reduction:

I have to check, but she has a 3" maybe 3-1/4" 7 bladed solid brass prop I'm swinging. The WTC-3.5 had a Graupner Speed 500 using a 3:1 (correct me if I'm wrong Dave) gear reduction. I The boat was sooo fast, I estimated 9' second at Flank, but I lose control as I would near 1/2 throttle where she'd start to porpoise and yaw uncontrollably. Think I hit Flank once or twice at Groton.. So I just sorta took another tip from Mike Dory who said "Why do they all wanna travel at warp speed??" So I just love to ghost along now with a smidgen of a scope wake. Like Capt Kirk said.."Conquering is easy, control is not"

To answer your question it clearly violates the prop great than motor diameter thumb rule, but they say brushless motors are more efficient and have greater torque. So it's the grand experiment that I'll find out when it hits the water. I do have a MPJ 8063 3.8:1 Planetary Gearbox I can pop inline on the wet side easy enough if need be. This is Engineering!! (knuckle dragging at least)

Yes, great motivation there ED! Is there a gearbox for that brushless motor? Even though the kv rating is low, I'm quite certain that the motor wont be able to handle a 1/48 scale prop. Of course I could easily be missing sumpin. It happens all the time.

4) Sea trials:
She's due to hit the water in Groton on the 10th, I do believe you're on the guest list!

Again thank you all ...and a special nod to the TM (SS) Vet! (Shhhhh, don't let him know...he's my hero!!)

[trout]

Ed, This is going to be a very cool build to watch!

[QuarterMaster]

Ed, This is going to be a very cool build to watch!

I should have one more covering the overall assembly, then another one showing her operation at Groton.

Actual filming will be on and off over the next couple of weeks as I'm on the final push on the SHARK as well as wrapping up repairs on my son's BLUEBACK for SubFunRun'16 in Groton. The final video's should be completed after that.

First and goal....first and goal.....

BTW, it's this quote I was referring to with regards to a certain guest list! Fat Fingered the "cut-n-paste"

Aha! A convert to running on 2.4 ghz! Wonderful! I'd love to see a video of it in the water.

FYI, since I've been spending a lot of time in the shop. The Admiral, who is also the "Dept of WAR", has been experiencing "RC Sub Widow" during this period. It's a phenomenon closely related to the "Football Widow"....only nerdier. (All hail "The Big Bang Theory"!!)

My only satisfaction from her comments regarding this is watching her ears bleed as I have her preview these video's prior to publication.
(duck!!!)

[Scott T]

Where or what did you purloin the clear material for the ballast tank from? Curious about tanks construction. Maybe next video.
Really liked the video.
Scott T

[QuarterMaster]

Where or what did you purloin the clear material for the ballast tank from? Curious about tanks construction. Maybe next video.
Really liked the video.
Scott T
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n115690[/ATTACH]

Apologies for the tardiness, Groton fun run is next week and the SHARK is at "1st and Goal" So like the "Company" (WY via Mother) said "...all other priorities rescinded."

Thanks! Believe it or not, as nervous as I am before the camera (brain filters change how/what I exactly want to say), I find them easy and fun to do. You should see the stuff I cut out, I ramble on about all sorts of things....as if I'm sitting there with my sub-buds...ramble on and on.....like now.

McMaster Carr:

Impact-Resistant Polycarbonate Round Tube 5" OD, 4-3/4" ID, Clear, 1 ft. Length

Ballast Tank

McMaster Carr

8585K45

$28.05

Definitely not the cheapest since I don't by bulk. To cut it to it's 10.5" Length, I used two large diameter Stainless hose clamps spaced the width of of the Mitre saw blade and carefully cut. Trick I leaned to cut large diameter PVC in the recreational boating industry.

[QuarterMaster]

SHARK update: 2016-08-29
Many thanks to Frederick Swendsen, (hereafter to be known as "The Swede" even though he's Norwegian like me so just sit back and enjoy the "Hell on Wheels" reference!) for offering up the newly cast two-piece stern planes to replace the out of character single piece that originally comes with the DeBoer kit. Not only does it give her a more accurate look, but hopefully she won't "porpoise" now on anything above a 2/3rd's bell due to hydrodynamic flutter on the planes.
Looks like she'll be done this weekend! Trimming in Groton lol!!

If the planes solve this control issue and I can open her up for real, I just may "land" a submerged speed record lol...not that that's the goal of course.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

SHARK update: 2016-08-29
Many thanks to Frederick Swendsen, (hereafter to be known as "The Swede" even though he's Norwegian like me so just sit back and enjoy the "Hell on Wheels" reference!) for offering up the newly cast two-piece stern planes to replace the out of character single piece that originally comes with the DeBoer kit. Not only does it give her a more accurate look, but hopefully she won't "porpoise" now on anything above a 2/3rd's bell due to hydrodynamic flutter on the planes.
Looks like she'll be done this weekend! Trimming in Groton lol!!

If the planes solve this control issue and I can open her up for real, I just may "land" a submerged speed record lol...not that that's the goal of course. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n115754[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n115755[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n115756[/ATTACH]

A much, much better stern arrangement, Ed. No more flutter, no more 'over-control'.

M

[QuarterMaster]

SHARK update: 2016-08-31:

YES, these scopes and mast's are NOT to scale but it's what I have, and need, to run deeper than sail "awash" at times when the power boats "frak" with me. They sound like such angry hornets.....

The working Snorkel mast for air induction to surface will self raise and lower as the model surfaces or dive.

Not entirely committed to the look of the 2.4Ghz antenna, then again nothing else is scale.

As for the Snorkel operation: the short answer......, it's so light, it floats.

KISS principle. (Tattooed on my left tuchus check, the right is emblazoned with Murphy's law...sorry TMI)

Thin walled Carbon Fiber tube, close cell foam, and 1/8" OD PVC tube for support. Thin walled 3/4" Heat shrink tubing finishes it up.

This all slides over a brass tube inside the sail, which I hope it will ride up an down on. The tolerances are pretty loose.

Hopefully when she dives, it comes up, when it surface it goes back in. All thanks to the very water she floats in.

Never tried it before, so we'll see soon. My only concern is that too great a vacuum is generated as the water is drawn from the MBT, causing the mast to lower.
I do have gas backup.
Hopefully I'll be able to find the right balance between the suction and the inherent buoyancy of the mast.

In the end, if it doesn't work as planned, I'll rig it to remain raised and removable for transport. No biggie