Trumpeter 1/144 Gato build

[crazygary]

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

[vital.spark]

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

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

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

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

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

M

[crazygary]

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

CG

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Focus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crazygary]

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!!


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!!


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

[crazygary]

Great info here, Tom!!

Thanks a bunch!!

Gary

[trout]

Check out this and see if it helps you.

http://navsource.org/archives/08/pdf/0849201.pdf

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.

[crazygary]

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.


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

[crazygary]

Thank you, Sir!!

Never thought about carbon-fiber!! Great stuff!

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

CG

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

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

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

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

[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

[crazygary]

I'll dab a little thick-bodied CA where they go into the hull too!
Want some nice fillets there, as well!!

CG