Type 212

[redboat219]

Yes I agree Manfred, this would complicate charging the torpedoes specially in boats with narrow bows like the Gato or Type 7. One way to get around this is to make the torpedo tubes removable. You load and charge them off sub then install them. Need to install some safety features like locking pin to prevent accidental firing. It's like assembling a rifle with a round chambered.

[MFR1964]

That's a idea Romel, but i wonder if it won't be becoming to complicated, with two tubes it won't be a problem, but if you have to make something for the Gato, we're talking about six tubes, i will be a nightmare to put everything together on the shore with all the people watching you.

I did made a other solution in the past, a guy at our dutch forum started with using those gaslighter nipples placed into his torpedo's, as far as i know he is the inventor of using those nipples, i copied the system into gastorpedo's scale 1:40.
You can take out the torpedo complete with breechblock, insert it into the tube and relock the breechblock, firing stays the same by retrackting the breechblock, due to the scale of David's torpedo's it is not possible to insert the nipple in the nose like my scale 1/40 gastorpedo's.

Manfred.

[trout]

Manfred,
You took your SL-8 out of the cardboard box, would you be willing to give me the mm measurements? I am building a small Aluminaut and it is a tight space.
Peace,
Tom

[MFR1964]

Tom, if you take the standard version you get the next dimensions, lenght 47 mm (including pins), width 20 mm, height 12 mm, if you take my reworked version with the vertical pins you get the next dimensions, length 38 mm, width 20 mm and height 12 mm ( including pins).
If this doesn't fit inside your Aluminaut you can try the 6 channel version, it's even smaller.


Manfred.

[trout]

Manfred,
Thank you! I have been looking at the Lepton-6 as an alternative, just wanted to see if there was any spare space in the box, there is not.

[MFR1964]

Some more progress on the tubes, i've made the slits with the dremel and cleaned them up, rebuild them into the nose of the 212, tomorrow i want to conduct some tests to see if this solves the bubble issue.



To make sure i will loose every airbubble i made slits at the underside as well, even a slit where the breechblock will settle.



Stuffed one of the tubes with a torpedo to see if this will give any problems, repeated the same with the other launchtube, in both tubes the torpedo can slide out easely.



Rebuilded everything inside the nose of the 212, like Romel and David remarked i've still go to shorten the hoses, tried also the launchmechanic by hand and connected to the servo, everything runs well.
Tomorrow i'll conduct some tests with the long hoses, if everything goes well i'll shorten the hoses, and run another serie of tests, to be continued.

Manfred.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Manfred,

Romel has suggested building the charge fitting right into the ass-end of the breech-block. That would go a long way to limit the amount of liquid propellant behind the weapon and engaged in the discharge pulse at the moment of launch. However, doing so would necessitate a removable launcher in order to access the fitting for weapon charging.

And changing the straight brass tube breech-block nipplecurrently soldered to the breech-block with one that is J-shaped, and you reduce the length of the flexible hose by at least half.

You MONSTER!!!!.... my poor, poor torpedo tubes! No bubbles are going to hide out in that area now, are they?!

Now, as to the use of common Butane liquified gas as the propellant of choice: I think you're on the right track here as straight Butane seems to have less energy per unit weight than that of the propellants I've been using for weapon charging. Going with the Butane should result in less velocity at launch, and a more stable weapon run.

The work you're doing here (and the good advice I've been getting from you, Romel, Tom, and many others) is pushing the state-of-the-art along at a good clip, Manfred. Thank you so much. Once you have this thing working, I'll re-write my Weapon System instructions and make believe I came up with these fixes all by myself.

David

[MFR1964]

Harr Harr, nothing is better than the smell of grinded copper in the morning.

No chance you are going to show off with my feathers, i allready posted it on a other forum, duh.

Manfred.

[MFR1964]

Yesterday i did some trails inside the bath, at first i was a bit optimistic, so i placed the toppart on to the sub to show off how things work, couldn't be more wrong.
It resulted in a hotrun of the right torpedo, left it stuck inside the launchtube, and the left wouldn't even fire, gave myself a smack on my head and tried it again in the way i should have started.
Without the toppart off i could see there was a minor leak at the left one near the fillingnipple, explaining why it didn't fire (the gas had leaked away during the preparation), i can add that one to the buckettlist, just like predicted the longe hoses gave me a nice whoosh, that part has to be changed also, i decided to show the complete video instead of editing it to a smooth operation.
From these failures i learn the most, and it also shows that there is a complete process to get everything running like it should, some people always have the impression that my builds are always a smooth run, believe me, if only everything had worked from the first time it would saved me all those hours inside the shop.
The airbubble problem is solved by the cutted slits, so that is a winner, the gas gets away easely through the deck and the vents of the boat.
Enjoy the vid,

Last thing to do are, fix the leak, shorten the hoses and replace the rod on top of the launchtube by a stainless steel one ( i messed up the copper ones by bending them too much during tinkering), and offcourse again some testingtrails to see if all things are fixed.
I smell victory ahead.


Manfred.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Well done! When Mike gets back we'll try to secure those charge valves from the source of manufacture -- cheaper and easier than cutting theme out of cigarette lighters. Excellent work, Manfred!

David

[vital.spark]

Manfred,

You have changed my opinion on fitting torpedo's on my boats. I'm sure David and Mike appriciate our efforts.

Regards,

Myron

[MFR1964]

David,

I'm struggling along, but slowly i'm getting there, ready to use feednipples are better suited for your customers, Romel and i only gave the push into the right direction.

Myron,

Torpedo's are a bonus, on such small boats like the 212 it is a bit of fiddling to get it right, but if you own a Gato or a type VII you're better off, for me it gives a extra dimension to the boat, it's fun to shoot some torps inside the swimmingpool or open water.
From experience i know that you won't use them often, but you still have the choice of using them, the first objective is and will stay, a proper functioning submarine, if that hurdle is taken you can move to the rest.


Manfred.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Real, honest-to-goodness cooperation, experimentation, analysis, and exchange of proven ideas on display here, Manfred. This is the way the forums are SUPPOSED to work! Thanks to you and the others who add to the knowledge base. Peer review at its finest.


The other forums have such a high noise/signal ratio; so many bull-**** statements and 'thought starters' issued by idiots who have yet to get a single model submarine working properly. Your work, presented at such waste lands, stands out like a brilliant diamond stuck in the middle of a goats ass, Manfred -- you leave most of those guys speechless.

Here, at the Sub-driver forum, we cull out the idiots and foster the true mechanics who practice, successfully, this Craft of ours. It's a pleasure knowing and working with you, sir.

David

[MFR1964]

David,

Like you said, this should be the way like it should work, exchainging the experience, and with that knowlegde other builders can benefit.

I started on other forums and came across subdrivers, i still will post on other forums because i have a open mind in transferring my knowlegde to other builders, doesn't matter at which forum they are active, there are still a few diamonds left, i won't exclude those guys
Yes, there will be always people saying they want to build a submarine and end up with nothing, but who cares?, i'm searching for the raw diamonds, those guys who appear from nothing and leave you stunned by their work, they are still out there.
Wether you are active at SP, RC groups, SC and many more, it doesn't matter, we have one common goal, getting a working rc submarine, and if i can give that push into the right direction to a starter i'm pleased.

Like you, i enjoy knowing and working with you, so that's a ditto, we share the same mechanical minds, that doesn't happen often, but when it does, you can expect fireworks.

Manfred.

[MFR1964]

Spent a few hours more in the shop today, and it paid off, i was eager to fix the leak and shorten the tubes, loaded the tubes and used some gas, i had never expected that it would run so smooth this time, see for yourself and enjoy.

I still have to replace the rods and retrim the boat to get me some submerged shooting.


Manfred.