1/72 Virginia Class USS South Dakota

[Timothy L]

Not sure I will call this a full-blown builders thread but I thought it might be helpful to post pictures of the trials and tribulations of a newbie on his first wet hull sub.
Through the wonders of Subex25 I had the privilege of going inside the South Dakota last year. I decided right then and there I would learn how to build RC subs and would eventually build a model of this exact sub.
I built an Engel 212A to get my feet wet - but it is a dry hull with excellent step-by-step instructions. This model comes with no instructions LOL and is a wet hull. It will be a learning experience - not to mention incredibly fun!!!!
The ABS/GG hull was printed by Bob Martin and I am very pleased with it. At this point lower hull sections are welded together. The next step is to fiberglass the interior joints. I generally build a stand in the beginning of a project and throw a cover over it during building. This hull will receive an R&R dual tank WTC.
My primary reason for this post besides just the fun of sharing Is to let other beginners who may be intimidated by this hobby realize that a complete newbie can do it. To my mind it just takes patience and humility as you read and learn from others.

[RazorAntilles]

Looking forward to seeing this build come together! I've got my own batch of subs on the bench (2 LAs and a Typhoon) and I'm learning as I go, as well.

[Timothy L]

RazorAntilles - you might be interested in this. In addition to Bob Martin’s excellent book, Diving Deep, I just acquired a book by Norbert Brüggen titled Model Submarine Technology. It has additional and very useful information on the concept of buoyancy. At my neophyte stage I am finding it to be very helpful. You can get a used copy easily on Amazon for eight dollars. By the way, my schedule pulls me in many directions so posting interim progress pictures may be a bit slow lol.