Trumpeter 1/144 Gato build

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

    Originally posted by crazygary
    Hiya, M!

    I need to ask your opinion on a couple of things!

    The 1/32" brass pushrods that I'm using to control the dive planes and the rudder are pretty flimsy.
    And the fact that they're danged near all of 12" long, and need a bit of a bend in them to reach over the SD
    doesn't help either! I'm considering slipping some 1/16" tubing over them to keep them from gettin' all
    frittered up! I'll leave about 1/4" of the 1/32" sticking out of both ends for connection purposes. Sound pretty o.k.?
    I'm guessing the little bit of extra weight won't be a major concern?

    Also, even though I'm no where near the final painting stages yet, what would be a good choice for a nice looking color combination
    befitting a WWII sub? The kit shows her to be black, with a medium gunship gray deck and con. I've also seen photos of a really
    light gray on top. To me, it looks a little too light, but.... ?

    I'm getting ready to solder the prop guard lower supports and clean up all the joints. Been working for "She Who...well, you know!! Hah!!
    May have photos by the end of the day?

    Thanks, as usual, for your input, Buddy! Much appreciated!

    Gary
    Do this: Go to your hobby shop and score a few lengths of carbon-carbon fiber rod, about 1/16" diameter. Very light-weight and very stiff. Glue your .032" brass rods to that.

    Go with the late-war three-tone topside. More interesting than black.

    M
    Who is John Galt?

    Comment

    • crazygary
      Captain
      • Sep 2012
      • 610

      Thank you, Sir!!

      Never thought about carbon-fiber!! Great stuff!

      Also, can you explain the late-war, three-tone arrangement, por favor??

      CG

      Comment

      • crazygary
        Captain
        • Sep 2012
        • 610

        I stumbled upon these photos on line, on a model builders forum, and are supposed to be
        a late war (1944) paint scheme. MS32/9SS-B, is what it was designated. I kinda like it, a lot!!

        Apparently, shipcamoflage.com says it's correct for 1944.
        Click image for larger version

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        It looks like the light gray on the upper hull goes into a dark blue about even with the aft end of the con, then
        gradually blends to black all the way to the stern??

        Also, the rear of the con, where it radiuses, goes from the light gray to a dark gray?
        Looks like she'd blend in with the ocean, water, and sky pretty well!!

        Gonna go for it!!

        CG

        Comment

        • trout
          Admiral
          • Jul 2011
          • 3545

          Check out this and see if it helps you.


          I do not recall a blue used, but a gray with bluish hints maybe. There are some color photos of these beautiful subs out there including some videos/film. On my Gato build I have put some links of what I found. There was variety in how they were painted depending on the captain. Some went the entire war with the pre/early war all black paint scheme, others used the one gray on horizontal surfaces, to the one mentioned here which is the lighter gray at the forward half to a medium gray to the black/dark gray at the aft scheme which was from 1944 on.
          Last edited by trout; 03-12-2014, 04:46 PM.
          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

          • crazygary
            Captain
            • Sep 2012
            • 610

            Great info here, Tom!!

            Thanks a bunch!!

            Gary

            Comment

            • crazygary
              Captain
              • Sep 2012
              • 610

              Click image for larger version

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              Prop guards are finished and solder joints cleaned up.

              Just noticed that the forward most upper bars of the guards are not quite mated right!
              I'll build up that little mismatch with a couple of dabs of thick bodied CA, and sand them a bit!

              Also did a little rework on my rudder operator. Made the loop a little bigger to give me more
              rudder angle without "pegging" the linear servo! That's a good thing!!
              Click image for larger version

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              Nothing anchored down here, but I just had ta have a "visual"!!
              The deck gun is a White Ensign 3" 50, without all the flimsy, P.I.T.A. photo etched foo-foo!! Hah!!
              Click image for larger version

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              That's it for today, kiddies!
              crazygary, out!

              Comment

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

                Focus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                Who is John Galt?

                Comment

                • crazygary
                  Captain
                  • Sep 2012
                  • 610

                  At 67, that's easier said than done!
                  Thank God for Opti-Visors!! Hah!!

                  CG

                  Comment

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

                    Me too! Can't do any close-in work without 'em. It sucks getting old.

                    M
                    Who is John Galt?

                    Comment

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

                      Me too! Can't do any close-in work without 'em. It sucks getting old.

                      M
                      Who is John Galt?

                      Comment

                      • vital.spark
                        Commander
                        • May 2010
                        • 274

                        Hello Gary,

                        Not trying to throw a spanner in the works but your Gato is the 1941 version with the large con and faired scopes. the Gato at that time was black. I don't think you'll find a picture of her at that time and configuration in any other color scheme.

                        Yes, I'm 69 and have been using opti-visors for 20 years!!

                        Regards,

                        Myron

                        Comment

                        • crazygary
                          Captain
                          • Sep 2012
                          • 610

                          Amen to that!!
                          BUT, it still beats the bejezzus out of the alternative!!
                          By a l-o-n-g shot!!
                          "Dirt nap" my a**!!

                          CG

                          Comment

                          • crazygary
                            Captain
                            • Sep 2012
                            • 610

                            G'Day, Myron!!

                            I have been looking at conversions for either the USS Gurnard (SS-254) or the USS Thresher (SS-200),
                            which will update her to a 1943 sub. Both conversions are pretty nice looking. The Thresher conversion
                            also has added sponsons, for the big 5"/51 deck gun, so as to give the gun crews a bit more room in
                            which to operate the gun without going overboard! Never a good thing!! Hah!!

                            These are available from Nautilus Models. Just need to justify $45US for the update!!

                            The provided con is, currently, just for "show" until I decide which conversion I want to go with!

                            Have a good one and may I say, "Long live the Opti-Visor"!!(LOL)

                            crazygary

                            Comment

                            • crazygary
                              Captain
                              • Sep 2012
                              • 610

                              O.K.!!

                              The "nut job" here is gonna modify his con to look like this one:
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                              Really??? OH, yeah!! Just can't seem to be able to justify spending 45bucks, plus shipping,
                              for a piece of molded resin!!

                              I've got quite an assortment of styrene shapes and I'm pretty confident that I
                              can pull it off!!? (Film at eleven?)

                              It may not turn out to be "dimensionally perfect", but will be pretty darn close, or,
                              as close as this "old fart" can get it, as long as "Murphy" doesn't f*ck with me!! Hah!!

                              Photos later in the day!

                              crazygary, "screwball extraordinaire"!!

                              Comment

                              • crazygary
                                Captain
                                • Sep 2012
                                • 610

                                Just a few progress photos. I decided to go with the USS Thresher conversion.

                                This is the $45.00 conversion from Nautilus Models:
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                                This is my "freebie" conversion, so far:
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                                The forward gun platform is .020" thick styrene, as is the platform access hatch. A little hobby saw work, a little filing
                                and a little sanding and thar she be!! Arrrgh!! Still a little filler work left to do!

                                The forward platform will be fitted with a single 40mm. Bofors, and the rear gun platform will have a single 20mm Oerlikon.
                                The main deck gun will be the 3"/50, probably mounted forward of the con.

                                Masts are on order and are the photo-etched set from White Ensign.

                                Not quite sure just what the heck the other "gizmo" is on the rear platform of the Nautilus conversion?????
                                I know one's a gun (duh!), but the tuther'n....Beer cooler?? Vertical microwave?? Johnson rod support??
                                Any clues would be appreciated!!

                                Stanchions will be made from 1/32" brass rod with .016" diameter railings, so I can tweak a few dozen
                                more brain cells!! Hah!!

                                When all this good stuff gets to me, ah kin git 'er done!!!!

                                That is all..............

                                crazygary, out!

                                Comment

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