U-87

[red_noir]

Well my Revell VII-C kit arrived in the mail yesterday, and work has begun. I plan on taking pics through the entire process for all to enjoy !

[red_noir]

more hole opening!

[red_noir]

ordered my fittings kit today ! and am waiting on a few other goodies for this model ! So far its been tedious opening up everything but it will be worth it in end I hope !

Chuck

[red_noir]

Ok hull joined today ! the bow was slightly warped and after a bit of fiddling I got it all straight !



Chuck

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Good job grinding out the inside of the skep to make room for the stern plane bell-crank. Keep those pictures coming in.

David,

[red_noir]

more updates from today.

[fwjeff]

U-87

Looking good! Who makes the deck Photoetch?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

more updates from today.

I don't agree with Mike about gluing the forward deck piece in place -- just too much flexing of the hull is required during SubDriver installation/removal to prevent the glue bond between forward deck piece and hull from parting.

I don't think it will work, but I could be wrong.

David,

[red_noir]

Can Mike comment on this? Mike have you found any adverse effects with fixing in place the forward deck?

Also this boat is a learning process for me, I'm already making plans for a second and third boat of the type 7 type to be hopefully fitted with torpedo's when they become available !

[Kazzer]

Can Mike comment on this? Mike have you found any adverse effects with fixing in place the forward deck?

Arghhh! Don't ask me **** like this! I started my boat WAY before Merriman had a Fittings Kit (What takes him so long?) I was 'winging it', doing the best I could, and it seemed a good idea at the time. (Famous last words)

The main thing with me playing model-maker is that if there is something that can go wrong, or get screwed up, then I am the man to find it.

Anyhow, my Fittings Kit arrived and only then I started applying the parts to my model. I had to yank a forward bulkhead out and had a few problems with those damned deck brace thingies, and then------ I bought a new house and decided to move this week. (Note that my dear wife decided to abandon ship and visit her damned sister in the UK for a fortnight) I have no idea where the boat is at the moment, except that its in the garage, and unlikely to surface for some time.

I have a dock to build next week, to get my bass boat in, and after that, I'm building a harbour for my submarines. Shipping in the Erie Canal is going to be attacked daily from my deck!

Eventually, I'll get back to finishing my VII - and my Xcraft, and tweaking the others I have. Until then, can't help ya guys!

[pjdog]

I don't know about that brass decking. For static display yea but me thinks that your boat will be top heavy if shes a working boat. I've always been told that you should keep it light above the water line. Maybe the sub gods will abvise you here but I think the brass is a bad idea for a working boat?

Jack

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Typically .010" thick etched brass or stainless comes in at about the same weight as a .0625" thick polystyrene deck -- the problem is, the brass will displace much less than the thicker styrene, so additional foam has to be placed below the waterline to account for the higher specific gravity of the brass/stainless deck. But, not much.

And (very surprising to me) the pre-formed foam and fixed lead weights for this particular model go a long way in satisfying the total displacement-weight-metacentric height needs of the Revell 1/72 Type-7 model kit converted to r/c. So there is still a lot of room in the hull for additional weight and foam to correct the slight 'top heavy' condition presented by the brass.

Incidentally, the etched brass/stainless deck and detail parts are stunningly beautiful. However, keep in mind that an r/c submarine is subjected to quick temperature changes and that the different thermal expansion rates of polystyrene and metal will exert extreme stress on the union points (glue). Use a flexible type glue to adhere the brass/stainless to the styrene to account for this. And don't use the etched limber hole inserts -- they will evidence the union seam between the etched piece and hull the first time you plop the hot model into the water.

David,

[Rick Teskey]

house

So MIke
Missed you at the reggatta but your highly under payed lackie did make up for your absence LOL!
Nice looking bit of property, when is the first Caswell International sub reggatta? nudge nudge wink wink!!!
Rick Teskey
P.S. I hope this does not get me a life time ban for thoughts of invading your fortress of solitude!!! LMAOROTF