1/96 THRESHER/PERMIT kit in pre-production

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I'm completing the tooling for a soon to be released kit. A new manufacturer commissioned me to do the masters and tools a while back. The eventual kits will feature GRP hull; resin sail and appendages; white metal propeller, yokes, and detail items; acid-etched MBTV's, MSW grates, flood-drain grates, painting stencils (hull numbers, hull name, draft markings); and dry-transfer markings.

The tools are done, and as I write this I'm popping out parts for two models. The primary function of those two models will be to check fit, and to work out assembly methodology and chronology -- steps that will be presented to the eventual customers in the form of a DVD, and website (under construction) PDF.

I've been working on this thing, off and on, for over ten years. The reason my customer and me have been quite about this is that -- unlike other American (so called) submarine kit manufacturers -- we refuse to muddy the marketplace with un-kept promises of, 'soon to be released' product. Products that never sees the light of day... Homey don't play that game!



We're soon to make these available. But. No promises. No money 'up-front', no big-ass announcements. Just a tease. And here it is:




















David

[reddevil]

Simply awesome, sir.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Simply awesome, sir.

So will be the retail price-tag. Brace yourselves!

David

[HardRock]

You're a dark horse. Remind me never to get into a poker game with you.

[secrtwpn]

..................I'll start saving my pennies

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Just pulled the first set of GRP parts. Came out perfect. Ready for production work.









David

[trout]

That is a Christmas gift! Merry Christmas!

[bwi 971]

Nice work........any reason that the fwd Z-cut will be so far towards the middle of the sub?

Not the mention the spherical end-constrains?

Did you realy integrated the hatching iwo the sail into the mouldings.......that is slick sir.

Grtz,
Bart

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Nice work........any reason that the fwd Z-cut will be so far towards the middle of the sub?

Not the mention the spherical end-constrains?

Did you realy integrated the hatching iwo the sail into the mouldings.......that is slick sir.

Grtz,
Bart

Thank you, Bart. I did this with our first kit, the 1/96 SKIPJACK too. The idea is to make as much of the hull ridged as to forestall any radial warping of the structure. It's an easy matter to make up the hull halves by sliding the open face of the upper hull over the extending SD attached to the lower hull -- the Z-cut does not get in the way.

By 'spherical end-constrains' I assume you mean the quarter-spheres that fair the ends of the three hull masters. They permit overlap of the glass during GRP lay-up without bunching and wrinkling.





Not clear what you mean by 'hatches' in the sail. I assume you mean the foundation that aligns and holds the removable masts and scopes? If so, yes, that foundation is molded in with the resin sail proper. I try to introduce as much scale and practical structure into a part as possible. By the way, Dave Manley is a Master at that kind of work -- when Kevin and I evaluated his masters and tools after the Caswell buy, we were amazed at the engineering he put into his submarine kits. Manley took us back to school!

David

[bwi 971]

thks David....those quarter-spheres that's gona be a real help when I make hulls in the future.

I'm sorry for this hatching thing I don't know the right word for it, looks like this



I see it on the upper hull were you will make the opening for the sail.



Grtz,
bart

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

thks David....those quarter-spheres that's gona be a real help when I make hulls in the future.

I'm sorry for this hatching thing I don't know the right word for it, looks like this



I see it on the upper hull were you will make the opening for the sail.



Grtz,
bart

Ah! 'cross-hatching' an old drafting trick to indicate wall thickness and material to be removed -- applied mostly to orthographic drawings. In todays CAD world idiots have never learned how to draw or read plans.

Yes, this indicates where to open up the top of the sail to afford access to the sail-plane linkage and SAS snorkel. The 'dimples' at the leading and trailing edge of the sail indicate where to punch holes to pass the machine screws that make fast the sail atop the hull.

Like this:



David

[reddevil]

Any idea about the final budget we'll requiere for the hull and fittings?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Any idea about the final budget we'll requiere for the hull and fittings?

Now, this may be wildly off the mark, but here's how I would price it (all retail pricing):

Hull kit 650.00

r/c system and devices 400.00

SAS SubDriver 500.00

You'll drop about 1.5K

David

[bwi 971]

Now, this may be wildly off the mark, but here's how I would price it (all retail pricing):

Hull kit 650.00

r/c system and devices 400.00

SAS SubDriver 500.00

You'll drop about 1.5K

David

And everybody went quiet after that.......you scared them…….you should have priced it 1499.00

Now serious looking closly to the details on the rear rudders, diveplanes and sail you know, when you get your hands on one of these, you will have an eye catcher at the pond

grtz,
Bart

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Your very kind, Bart (STOP THAT!)

I emphasis that the numbers I gave are mine, not those of the guy who will own this tooling, and produce kits from it, or the eventual retailor(s) -- if he elects to go that route.

The kit price I suggested is very 'iffy' at best.

David