1/32 French Arethuse

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  • RCSubGuy
    Welcome to my underwater realm!
    • Aug 2009
    • 1768

    1/32 French Arethuse

    As much as I'd like to put a comprehensive build thread together for every project we do, I often find myself utterly slammed and unable to dedicate the time needed to do justice for you guys. Well, in this case, as the customer doesn't have reliable access to emailed photos, I need to find another way to communicate progress on his build, so therefore...

    Enter the Arethuse!

    Okay, background.
    Units:

    S 635 FS Arethuse (1959)
    S 636 FS Argonaute (1958)
    S 639 FS Amazone (1959)
    S 640 FS Ariane
    (1960)
    Specifications:

    Builder:
    Arsenal de Cherbourg, Normandy, France

    Displacement:
    552 tons (surfaced) / 680 tons (submerged)
    Length: 49.6 meters (162 feet 9 inches)
    Beam: 5.8 m (19 ft)
    Draught: 4 m (13 ft 1 in)
    Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h) submerged / 12.5 knots (23 km/h) surfaced / 7 knots (13 km/h) snorkel
    Test depth: 200+ meters
    Range: ?
    Complement: 40

    Propulsion:
    2 x SEMT-Pielstick 12-cylinder Diesel Generators (790 kW / 1060 hp)
    1 x electric motor (970 kW / 1300 hp)
    1 shaft / 1 propeller

    Armament:

    4 x
    550mm torpedo tubes
    for 8 heavy torpedoes (4 + 4 reload)

    Systems:
    DUUA-1 sonar
    The Aréthuse class were submarines built for the French Navy in the 1950s. They were designed as attack submarines for anti-submarine warfare and were referred to as Sous-marins de Chasse by the French Navy. These submarines had advanced sensors and were very quiet. They were influenced by the World War II German Type XXIII U-boats. The Daphné class are an enlarged version built for the French, Pakistani, Portuguese, Spanish and South African navies.

    Designated Sous-marins de Chasse by the French Navy the Aréthuse class were designed as attack submarines specifically for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The design was influenced by the German World War II Type XXIII U-boats, though were larger, with a heavier armament and faster when submerged but retained a small silhouette and great manoeverability. They had a standard displacement of 410 tonnes (400 long tons), 552 t (543 long tons) surfaced and 680 t (669 long tons) submerged. Vessels of the class were 49.6 metres (162 ft 9 in) long with a beam of 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) and a draught of 4 m (13 ft 1 in). The Aréthuse class were the first French submarines to use a diesel-electric propulsion system and were powered by two 12-cylinder SEMT Pielstick diesel engines driving one shaft rated at 790 kilowatts (1,060 bhp) surfaced. They also mounted two electric generators that produced 337 kW (452 hp) connected to one electric motor for use while submerged rated at 970 kW (1,300 hp). The generators were placed on spring suspensions and the motor was attached directly to the shaft creating a near-silent operational environment while submerged. The submarines had a maximum speed of 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) surfaced and 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) submerged.

    Aréthuse-class submarines were armed with four torpedo tubes in the bow for four 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedoes. The submarines carried four reloads. They were designed primarily for ant-submarine warfare. They were equipped with DUUA I sonar. The Aréthuse-class submarines had a complement of 40 including 6 officers. By 1981, their sonar had been upgraded to one active DUUA II sonar, one passive DUUA II sonar, one passive ranging DUUX 2 sonar. They had a diving depth down to roughly 182.8 metres (600 ft).
  • RCSubGuy
    Welcome to my underwater realm!
    • Aug 2009
    • 1768

    #2
    This project was originally commissioned by this customer years ago, and I had to bail on him due to other commitments. After a year or two, he reached back out and found a hole, however small, in my build queue, and thus the project was re-engaged once more.

    Supplied to me were some excellent starts to some master patterns supplied by Matt Thor along with a prototype front dive plane assembly and a most completed fiberglass sail. Matt's work is exceptional, and the reference materials supplied by the customer are very good as well.

    The supplied hull masters were about 50% completed. As such, it was decided that we would make an attempt to 3D print this large boat based on the 3D files that Matt Thor had created to mill out the hull masters. Long story short, after a lot of modifications to the 3D files, I was able to print out the hull sections on my Anycubic Max3 resin printer. This is not filament, so the drawbacks of striations and post-processing are not present. The hull is also more proof against heat than standard PLA or PETG filament would be, though I would still strongly caution against leaving the boat out in the direct sun for too long.

    Hull sections were joined using rubber reinforced CA glue, and then a layer of 4oz fiberglass epoxy/cloth was laid up inside for strength.
    Attached Files

    Comment

    • RCSubGuy
      Welcome to my underwater realm!
      • Aug 2009
      • 1768

      #3
      The resin parts sand exceptionally well, and after a course of coarse grit and fine grit paper wet-sanding, the hull is very smooth and free of any striations or faceting.

      After the hull was sanded, we taped the seam and applied body filler to create a razor-thin seam line between upper and lower hulls.
      Attached Files

      Comment

      • RCSubGuy
        Welcome to my underwater realm!
        • Aug 2009
        • 1768

        #4
        The Arethuse has a lot of very unique characteristics including a non-conventional bow plane arrangement. Like the Type 209 submarines, it uses one forward dive plane to dive, and one to submerge, each pushing out perpendicular to the centerline of the boat to affect trim. This is going to prove problematic to implement as the planes are basically the entire width of the boat, making the creation of linkages very difficult. This will be an ongoing work for some time, I think.

        Also, the rudder is not a typical flat plane, but has a double wave shape with a central cone.

        Likewise, the propeller isn't just a prop... NOOOooooo. It has to be a low surface area five-bladed setup with some sort of cone coming off the hub. This hub mates with the rudder central cone to create a contoured line down the centerline of the boat.

        These pics show the rough parts in mockup.

        As of today, I've also got the propeller mounted and the rudder mounting frames created. The idea is that the rudder and rear planes will all be part of the lower hull. The upper hull will cover the entire assembly. The stern is very much like the German Type XXI for those of you familiar with the arrangement.

        I have to say, the flowing lines of the hull are growing on me, but the said takes a bit of getting used to....


        More soon.
        Attached Files

        Comment

        • DrSchmidt
          Captain
          • Apr 2014
          • 919

          #5
          I like these Type XXI-derived french Submarine designes. My fav would have been Narval class boat, but Aretuhuse is fine as well. I'm happily following the progress....

          Comment

          • Albacore 569
            Commander
            • Sep 2020
            • 321

            #6
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            • Albacore 569
              Commander
              • Sep 2020
              • 321

              #7
              Posting my research photo above here to Bob, as I fear he maybe not be receiving my emails. Posting here for you Bob & everyone else to see too. This should answer your question on extent of Bow plane extension.

              Steve

              Comment

              • RCSubGuy
                Welcome to my underwater realm!
                • Aug 2009
                • 1768

                #8
                Excellent. Thanks, Steve. I'm not getting your emails for some reason. But collecting everything here is a better solution anyway.

                Comment

                • Albacore 569
                  Commander
                  • Sep 2020
                  • 321

                  #9
                  Yes, my Earthlink server checked my email connections. I'm good on my end. Your server rc-sub.com & Earthlink did a IP check & seems your server blocks it thinking its spam. But agree, we can post here. Been with Earthlink since 1997. Same address. Everyone wants my skipjack name. Named after my first RC sub, the D&E Skipjack. :)
                  Last edited by Albacore 569; 08-19-2022, 11:55 AM.

                  Comment

                  • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                    Moderator
                    • Aug 2008
                    • 12256

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Albacore 569
                    Yes, my Earthlink server checked my email connections. I'm good on my end. Your server rc-sub.com & Earthlink did a IP check & seems your server blocks it thinking its spam. But agree, we can post here. Been with Earthlink since 1997. Same address. Everyone wants my skipjack name. Named after my first RC sub, the D&E Skipjack. :)
                    STEVE REICHMUTH!!! Damn, I'm dumber than a box of rockes.

                    ... it's you! (just checked your profile to get the name). I should have figured it out once you started cranking out the ARETHUSE class posts -- you've had a hard-on for that boat for decades.

                    For the record, Steve is a master at this game -- it was his wooden patterns of the 1/96 SKIPJACK that became the backbone of the kit Ellie and I produced back in the late 80's. This guy knows his ****!

                    How you been, pal?

                    David
                    Who is John Galt?

                    Comment

                    • Albacore 569
                      Commander
                      • Sep 2020
                      • 321

                      #11
                      Originally posted by He Who Shall Not Be Named

                      STEVE REICHMUTH!!! Damn, I'm dumber than a box of rockes.

                      ... it's you! (just checked your profile to get the name). I should have figured it out once you started cranking out the ARETHUSE class posts -- you've had a hard-on for that boat for decades.

                      For the record, Steve is a master at this game -- it was his wooden patterns of the 1/96 SKIPJACK that became the backbone of the kit Ellie and I produced back in the late 80's. This guy knows his ****!

                      How you been, pal?

                      David

                      Its me! Hi David!!!!! "Captain it is I! Ensign Pulver! What's all this crud about no movies tonight?"...lol.

                      I'm doing alright, retired health stable. My dexterity isn't as sharp as it used to be but i'm into it again. But after years (yes years) trying to bust through, the ceiling finally opened up and looks like my Arethuse with a big help from Bob, hell, not accurate, Bob is building and im helping a little best I can. Taken some of my meager IRA money and sending to Bob to complete the 1/32 Arethuse to be christened 'Argonaute'.

                      Matt Thor made fiberglass molds of the sail wood master I did years ago, Matt was even able to pull from the mold the tow line track in the sail was well. I then added details, light recesses, openings for masts and the bridge. Masts. I primed it and sent it with the wood cnc masters a couple of years ago to Bobs resentence in Florida. That's how long its been waiting. Sent Bob a check to hold a place in the assembly line. Finally this last month my number came up and get this hard on for the Arethuse taken care of finally after many years.

                      That sail is huge in proportion to the rest of the Arethuse design. But its to scale if the drawings from France are accurate. The many research photos' confirm so. It makes sense too. Te tall sail is due to the need for the longest periscopes for the deepest periscope depth practical. Why? the Mediterranean where these boats were designed to operate against Soviet subs, is clearer water than much of the Atlantic is in comparison. Why many WW2 British subs where painted with blue superstructures.

                      But this sail as Bob remarked may make some roll tendencies in turns. Just like the Skipjack sails ! Just like the Real skipjacks and the D&E Skipjack, I learned to easing into a turn avoiding knowing its snap roll tendency's. Should be fine handling I expect.

                      Those Bow planes too. We are curious how effective they will be too for depth control. The Arethuse's horizontal stern planes (pitch control) are enormous by contrast. We will now have a opportunity to see how they work.

                      Most other would have given up and said **** this hobby. While Bob completes the Arethuse, I am building myself HMS Meteorite. Both in similar scales and sies. 1/32 scale and 1/30 respectively.

                      I did the master hull for Skip Asay's 1/60 Albacore too. I watch your work in Todays work and marvel. The craftmanship an innovation in ideas and tools created ot make the finished sub. Amazing. Hope to get out and play with a sub in the sunshine soon before we are all too old. Point me toward the water!

                      Here ot Help and learn. Helping you David get the right number of blades on those beautiful props you make! Respectfully to you and everyone here. Has anyone heard from Marshall Clark? Mike Dory?

                      Steve
                      Last edited by Albacore 569; 08-19-2022, 07:30 PM.

                      Comment

                      • trout
                        Admiral
                        • Jul 2011
                        • 3545

                        #12
                        I run with Mike Dory in Southern California (although it has been several meets that I missed recently). The 4 hour drive from Vegas to hang with them, is worth it.
                        He is a blessing to run with. Great stories and wonderful knowledge.
                        If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                        Comment

                        • Albacore 569
                          Commander
                          • Sep 2020
                          • 321

                          #13
                          That's great! Happy to know Mike's still around kicking. I recall definitely all the above you describe. I still have old photos of his 1/32 Type IX on my work bench (same one in the meteorite construction photo's) getting a battery charge next to Duane Hillier's 1/48 Seawolf SSN-21. In his long driving trips in his SUV, someone made a sudden stop & Mike had to slam on the brakes. He stopped in time., but the Type IX went sailing in the inertia (not the good sailing) even though it was carefully secure on the bed in back. He used my shop to make a few urgent repairs and the boat was at the regatta I remember.

                          Duane made some painting touch ups and i think he asked me to help paint it . The outline of his hull is still marked in the concrete on my garage floor I keep as a memento of those times. Happy memories.

                          I remember Mike had a flotilla of subs. A Type XXIII, XXI, IX, VII, II, in 1.32. His Type 2 was a sweet little boat. Maybe someday my Meteorite can sail in the same pond. or the Arethuse French sub stalking them...lol. Has he added any more since? LOL.
                          Last edited by Albacore 569; 08-22-2022, 02:03 PM.

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                          • Albacore 569
                            Commander
                            • Sep 2020
                            • 321

                            #14
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                            Last edited by Albacore 569; 08-22-2022, 02:00 PM.

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                            • Albacore 569
                              Commander
                              • Sep 2020
                              • 321

                              #15
                              Same 'yard' then and yard now.

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