type 214 "ΠΑΠΑΝΙΚΟΛΗΣ"

[bassplayer1]

hallo everybody
New to this forum and new to rc subs! Congrats for the fantastic job you do in here!!! This is my second one all made from scrutch using GRP for deck and hull and polyurethane epoxy for dive planes, rudders, periscopes and e.t.c. producing my own molds. She is 1.35m long at 1/48 scale. I hope you like it as much as I do!

[bassplayer1]

Hallo everybody
Here is a video of static diving trials! Some more triming has to be done!
Regards Yannis

[redboat219]

You mentioned at the start of this thread that this is your second sub, what/where's the first one? For a second build you did very well. As David pointed out some info would be great, can you post what ballast system, drive motor, auxiliary system she has?

[bassplayer1]

Well here is some info! Length 1.35m, Beam 0.13m, all up weight 10kg. For ballast I use a flexible tank with a water pump and a Permax 600 motor with a2.3:1 gearbox for propulsion. I don't use any exotic equipment apart from an APC for obvious reasons! I like to keep things simple and as long as it works it's fine by me! And up to now it works just fine! My first one is a LA class for which I've just opened another thread for you to see.

[bassplayer1]

Hallo again, here are some more photos of the building sequence. The master was made out of blue foam covered with glass and epoxy and then it was filled with bondo and two pack automotive filler sanded between coats. After that I scribed all the details. II

[bassplayer1]

And some more of the interior

[greenman407]

Wow! Thats great.

[redboat219]

Your flexible tank is a urine collection bag. Lol

[bassplayer1]

Your flexible tank is a urine collection bag. Lol

Correct! They are very strong, almost unbrakable and they do the job fantastic!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I must join in here with my applause as to your work: the degree of thought and craft that has gone into your master and tools is way, way above the norm. And your approach to equipment selection and use is straight-forward and practical.

I like you.

I see that you're using a peristaltic pump to get water in and out of what appears to be an IV bag ballast tank. No complaints there -- but your pump controller appears to be a simple mechanical wiper switch and rheostat unit. How do you protect the system from bag over-filling?

Got any video of your 214 underway (or did I miss that in another posting?).

I'm off searching for your LA thread. Great to see such high quality work here.

Well done, sir!

David,

Oh ... I stand corrected: a Urine bag! Wow.

[bassplayer1]

Hallo mr Merriman and thank you very much for your nice comment! I feel obliged to say here that you were the one who taught me into my first steps of submarine modelling through your articles and videos! I owe you!
Now about the pump controller I've got to admit that is quite primitive and I must change it to something more sophisticated and safer! How do I protect it from over-filling? Well, I have trimed the boat so that when the bag is full nearly half of the coning tower is still out of the water and then I use the dive planes for diving! If I want to go to a completely neutral buoyancy I just flick the stick a bit more 'till I achive it! I haven't got a video yet but when I get one I'll post it.
Regards Yannis

[redboat219]

Isn't the slider switch a bit risky? God forbid it should get stuck in the "ON" position. Best be safe and fit a cut off switch.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Hallo mr Merriman and thank you very much for your nice comment! I feel obliged to say here that you were the one who taught me into my first steps of submarine modelling through your articles and videos! I owe you!
Now about the pump controller I've got to admit that is quite primitive and I must change it to something more sophisticated and safer! How do I protect it from over-filling? Well, I have trimed the boat so that when the bag is full nearly half of the coning tower is still out of the water and then I use the dive planes for diving! If I want to go to a completely neutral buoyancy I just flick the stick a bit more 'till I achive it! I haven't got a video yet but when I get one I'll post it.
Regards Yannis

Yannis,

You owe me Nothing! What I write and say on the subject is pretty much the material those who came before passed on to me and others. The videos, articles, books, TV appearances, and public speaking is my making good on my obligation to pass the word on to those who come after me -- just as you have done with your fine presentation of your scratch-built 214; you too are passing the torch, and we all appreciate it, Yannis.

You, me, and the others who serve as the Elite in this game: we all stand tall, and are held in high regard because we stand on the shoulders of the teachers and other elites in the field who came before us and shared their wisdom. All we had to do was LISTEN!

Now, about your ballast system:

Simplicity is good. That peristaltic pump and bag is a great, simple solution to the ballast tank issue. But you have to plan for 'when things go wrong'. And things that can go wrong include: you forget that the pump is on and filling the urine bag; you loose signal and the pump-motor is running and you can't stop it from the transmitter; or the linkage between the servo and switch-rheostat breaks. What you need in there are the following devices to prevent a burst urine bag or hose:

1. Put a paddle on the end of a limit-switch and place the paddle so that when the bag reaches a pre-determined amount of water, the limit-switch will open, breaking the circuit to the pump-motor in the ''fill' direction -- the circuit so configured to permit the pumps motor to run in the 'empty' direction.

2. place a relief-valve across the peristaltic pump ports -- the relief-valve set to shunt water across the pump when the pre-set pressure is reached. This will limit the pressure (hence the amount of water within) presented to the urine bag. The pump will continue to run, but it will be pumping by-pass water through the relief-valve, unloading both pump and bag.

3. And, if you have not done so already, put a fail-safe circuit between the receiver and the servo driving the pump switch-rheostat. On loss of r/c signal at the receiver, the fail-safe will drive the servo to command the pump to empty the urine bag, bringing the boat to the surface, if you loose control of the boat.

You do good work sir!

David,

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Isn't the slider switch a bit risky? God forbbin it should get stuck in the "ON" position. Best be safe and fit a cut off switch.

Just saw Redboat's post. He's right on the money, Yannis.

At the very least, put a limit switch on the bag that will turn the pump off if the bag over-inflates.

Good catch, Redboat.

David,

[Subculture]

Geared water pump, not a peristaltic.