1/32 French Arethuse

[Albacore 569]

What’s the weight come in at?

Weighs dry 26 pounds.

[Das Boot]

Hmm.. don't know that I weighed it dry. I'm guessing maybe 35lbs.

Not bad for that behemoth. Nice looking boat.

[RCSubGuy]

Hmm.. don't know that I weighed it dry. I'm guessing maybe 35lbs.

[Das Boot]

What’s the weight come in at?

[JHapprich]

Then here come two others for you, Steve: Swedish Hajen & Aborren II!

[RCSubGuy]

While I understand that a comment was posted in jest, it took away from the value and pride in this project. I say this not only as the one that built this boat, but speaking also from the perspective of many who frequent these forums. I've removed those comments in order to keep this thread clean.

Let's get back to the correct topic, shall we?

This was a challenging, but very rewarding build. It is a subject that is unusual and offered me a much needed break from the standard modern cigar tubes and fleet boats that sit on everyone's shelves. Bravo to Steve for persevering not only with me but with previous builders on this project. He willed it into reality and I'm happy he kept on me to get it done.

Now... we just need to get it to him in California in one piece....

[Albacore 569]

A really nice, large and extraordinary boat, though i always found the early french post-ww2's a bit too exotic to my taste. I dont know what that flag chat is about, but i enjoyed watching the video very much. Thanks for sharing, Bob!

I looked for many years looking at designs after nothing but Type 7 U boats. S Russian Alphas, and Akulas and Typhoons, even the wonderful Fleet boats. I love them all too , but model choices in a sea of historical significant or advancing designs evolution has always been limited. The impression then becomes only sub Innovation and history is limited to German, American and Russian subs? What about the British, Swedish, Dutch, Japanese, and French too? Modelers just had nothing else to build. In Norman Friedmans 'classic tech book 'Submarine Design and Development he mentions the 'Arethuse; class as remarkable little effective well balanced design for the mission task assigned then as Hunter Killer subs. 3d printing for these models for those that can afford them, with the right research material, (plans) affords a much broader range of choices of subjects. I wanted Arethuse to demonstrate that. I had to be persistent.

I thought, one propeller, (keep the propulsion arrangements simple and basic. Its a small sub, only 162 feet long, making it 61 inches long in 1.32 scale. So it will fit in the Car Trunk. Also it is a small boat bulild in a large scale (more opportunity for details easily). I didn't know French, but letter writing and emails using Google translate solved that, or at least good enough to get across what I was looing fo rand needed. The French National Museums were friendly & helpful if they had anything to share. Many didn't have, other had wonderful plans. I learned the French Arethuse used many design and features associated with the American Fleet boats! They adopted American Diesel Electric Fleet boat arrangement for the first time in French's Naval architecture. No diesel on a long prop shaft to clutch and de clutch . The diesels ran electic generators to the ships power, battery's, Propulsion Motor. Thn the motor arraignment was flexible to the designers where to place. It was efficient if a little heavier, but it was the only way in so small a hull anything else with sufficient power would work. The Periscopes on the Arethuse used the American ST radar ranging given by the Americans.

Those cool bow planes with both retracted is a great idea on the German 209's and the Arethuses. Bob mentioned streamlining in the Video which is exactly correct, but more, it minimizes flow noise for the passive sonars in those big upper and lower domes in Arethuses surrounding those bow planes. If the sonars where to be effective, the bow planes in design concept, there is always a reason why its this way or that. To me the bow planes also demonstrates simple physics, the control surfaces are small, but like a playground teeter tauter - its that long 'moment arm' the model demonstrates.

I'm so excited about Bobs new Radio's. The model submarine community has had an onus over its head because manufacturers stopped producing lower frequency Christal radios. Modeler submarine enthusiasts had to hoard and save. Bobs new 900 Hrz radio with it's powerful broadcasting (1/2 to 1 watt!) is a big breakthrough. I will be happy to show off Argonaute at regattas. The model will represent Nautilus Drydocks excellent work and innovations - & the future of Model submarines.

Steve



''

[JHapprich]

A really nice, large and extraordinary boat, though i always found the early french post-ww2's a bit too exotic to my taste. I dont know what that flag chat is about, but i enjoyed watching the video very much. Thanks for sharing, Bob!

[Albacore 569]

[Albacore 569]

Bob has a New video in his weekly series. The radio tests successful Confident of operation. Featured among many subs in thi latest video on you tube is the Argonaute. S636 of the Marine Nationale (French Navy) Operational from 1958 to 1982). I'll let Bob carry on with his comments and imput. .The video above I was surprised & pleased to find. I do not know French & I just use certain key search words and thing begin ot appear. 'Argonaute', 'sou marin' , etc.
Here is Argonaute in her new paint and markings on July 15. The unusual bow plane arrangement was 'surprisingly effective' Bob reported.

62 inches long, 1/32 scale.

Source of model image Bob Martin.

Steve

[SSBN659]

When I was still working I had a business meeting in Brest which gave me an excuse to spend a weekend in Paris with my wife Nancy before going to the meeting. While we were in Paris we visited the Argonaute at the the museum. At that time I wondered how they got the sub there but thought I probably would never know. Now I do.

Thanks for posting that video Steve.

Will Rogers
SBN659

[Albacore 569]

Here is a French documentary on You Tube about moving the Argonaute Hunter killer submarine inland to its present display at the Paris Science Museum.

[RCSubGuy]

Progress!

Arethuse (well... actually Argonaute) had her initial sea trials. We encountered an issue with the VEX radio that was initially installed, so swapped it out for a new Futaba 6-channel unit. Persistent glitches across the spectrum ended up getting traced to a faulty servo reverser in the forward dive plane servos. Both of those Hitec waterproof servos ended up fried from the electrical backlash, so now both are replaced with brand new units to the tune of $100 (sigh).

Despite having no forward planes, she performed exceptionally well. The boat is quick (very quick!), has great turning performance, and with just a bit of speed, the rear planes are very effective. I operated her at the pond on stern planes alone (which were on a dial), and it was actually quite docile and easy to control.

Getting closer! When I'm back from my trip on the 6th, we'll have her out to the pond once again. We are getting close!

You can see it in action in our weekly update video at about the 2 minute mark:

[RCSubGuy]

I'm putting a push on this project to get it finished by the end of June. Hull scribing is taking place now. The supplied drawings are great, but don't seem to match up to the photos that Steve supplied above. I'm doing a mashup of the two to best fit the model.

Rather than simply scribing the hull, I'm including a lot of 3D details, including hatches, recessed areas, etc. This should really lend realism to the completed model.

The rear rudder linkage needs to be redone. I did not properly allocate the needed room when I did the first iteration. I'll have to switch to a very narrow setup, likely a belt/toothed gear assembly.

[Albacore 569]

Excellent. Exactly what I was after. I'll have to rig up some kind of drawing, extrapolating the info from the photos in order to make a scribe plan of some kind.

Bob

Sent you 1/32 scale detail drawings with the model parts long ago. Still have? If lost, i'll happy to rush you copies Bob? Thank you .

Steve