And that's exactly what I did on all 3 Alfa's I built over the years - with the exception that I did this only to the lower rudder and its vertical fixed stabilizer. That, and keeping the weight down to reduce mass momentum and plonking the centre of the ballast tank at the centre of rotation and you will have a great handling boat.
Russian Alfa Class
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Today I am going to install the upper and lower rudders! This is where it gets tight!
I first bored out the holes for the holes for the 1/8" brass sleeves. Then I installed the brass tubing in my drill and installed the sleeve tubing in one piece! Then I will cut out the center section leaving me with the sleeves installed and ready for the 3/32" control rod!
Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"
Last edited by rwtdiver; 09-11-2021, 12:09 PM.Comment
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The Alfa Stern section is DONE!
I have the stern dive planes mounted and functional, and the upper and lower rudder system mounted and functional! I realize to most of you, this is no big deal! I have built 10 submarines in the past 2 years, and they have all been just surface runners (lower rudder and propulsion) This will be my first submarine with full and functional control systems!
With the help of several people on this forum (David M., Tom, Steve, "SUB" Ed, and Bob Martin) just to name a few. I am one step closer to scratch building my first operational diving submarine! I still have a ton of design work and building to do, but I have overcome one obstacle that has been a real challenge for me!
A little coffee break, and then moving on to the next challenges!!
Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"Last edited by rwtdiver; 09-11-2021, 12:09 PM.Comment
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This is my take on the bow plane mod. It's positioned lower, slightly larger, and has an outer lip that corresponds to the hull for streamlining when stowed. The trim tab detail is included.
A couple of other changes visible are the escape pod is angled, hatch detail is added behind the sail. A hatch cover is scribed in the forward / port of the sail, both sail side doors are oval vice rounded rectangles, a mast door is added forward of the escape pod, and some other doors are modified. The bow sonar dome was completely changed, and a torpedo loading door was added between the upper torpedo tube shutter doors.
The lower sections will get a few changes like additional limber holes mid-ships and of course, the two outboard cooling water scoops.
I threw the DF loop in just for fun when I had an hour to kill yesterday. (It may not make it to the final version.) The scribe detail is slightly deeper since I liked how it looked when I rebuilt the bow from scratch, and applied the depth to the rest to make it stand out a little more when painted. Since I'm printing the hull in resin, this gives me a close approximation of the finished result.
Last edited by CC Clarke; 09-06-2021, 08:45 AM.Comment
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This is my take on the bow plane mod. It's positioned lower, slightly larger, and has an outer lip that corresponds to the hull for streamlining when stowed. The trim tab detail is included.
A couple of other changes visible are the escape pod is angled, hatch detail is added behind the sail. A hatch cover is scribed in the forward / port of the sail, both sail side doors are oval vice rounded rectangles, a mast door is added forward of the escape pod, and some other doors are modified. The bow sonar dome was completely changed, and a torpedo loading door was added between the upper torpedo tube shutter doors.
The lower sections will get a few changes like additional limber holes mid-ships and of course, the two outboard cooling water scoops.
I threw the DF loop in just for fun when I had an hour to kill yesterday. (It may not make it to the final version.) The scribe detail is slightly deeper since I liked how it looked when I rebuilt the bow from scratch, and applied the depth to the rest to make it stand out a little more when painted. Since I'm printing the hull in resin, this gives me a close approximation of the finished result.
Excellent file photos! I really like the location, size, and the detail work of the bow dive planes! I am going to change my existing planes and do a re-print. Your hull detail work is much more detailed than the files that I printed from! Nice work sir, and I thank you for sharing your work here! The possibilities are truly end less!
Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"Last edited by rwtdiver; 09-11-2021, 12:11 PM.Comment
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I do have a general building question which I would like input from those of you that like building! I am at a stage on the Alfa's where the hulls are printed and glued up! Would this be the point where you would do some fill work and primer the boat (inside and out) then set it aside and start on the WTC? Or would you leave the hull totally unfinished and just go to work on the WTC? Stupid question I know!! Would just like to know what your views are!
I think I would somewhat like to prep the hull a little and primer it, and then move on to the WTC!
Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"Last edited by rwtdiver; 09-11-2021, 12:11 PM.Comment
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Many thanks Rob. I've included a shot of the DF loop that didn't take long to model. The antenna head lends itself to resin printing to mount on a metal rod. It's a shame we don't have a repository of (sharable) masts and antenna STL files here that could be scaled up or down for whatever size boat someone is building. Maybe a Dive Tribe exclusive or something like that.
I keep a Frankenstein-esque repository in my 3D library of hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc. I recycle these objects for characters to speed up work. It would be just as useful for submarine masts and antennas; especially in the larger scales where the detail shows. FDM printing is not optimized for small parts compared to resin printing. Each has their strengths.
As I mentioned before, a completely separate sub-forum for 3D printing-related topics would be a nice way to keep detailed threads organized and easy to locate, rather than in a General Forum topics section. That's a change only an admin can make if it's decided to be a worthwhile thing to do.
Last edited by CC Clarke; 09-06-2021, 04:01 PM.Comment
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Many thanks Rob. I've included a shot of the DF loop that didn't take long to model. The antenna head lends itself to resin printing to mount on a metal rod. It's a shame we don't have a repository of (sharable) masts and antenna STL files here that could be scaled up or down for whatever size boat someone is building. Maybe a Dive Tribe exclusive or something like that.
I keep a Frankenstein-esque repository in my 3D library of hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc. I recycle these objects for characters to speed up work. It would be just as useful for submarine masts and antennas; especially in the larger scales where the detail shows. FDM printing is not optimized for small parts compared to resin printing. Each has their strengths.
As I mentioned before, a completely separate sub-forum for 3D printing-related topics would be a nice way to keep detailed threads organized and easy to locate, rather than in a General Forum topics section. That's a change only an admin can make if it's decided to be a worthwhile thing to do.
A Sub-forum for 3D printing-related topics would be a great idea! If Bob Martin see this, he might chime in on it! Why don't you just start your own blog under general topics on this forum! It would be under your name (CC Clarke) and with your own title!?
I think there would be a lot of interest in seeing what you are doing!
Rob
I did get a little more work completed on my 1:72 Alfa today!
I glassed the top and bottom hull joint with glass and Z-Poxy finishing resin just to strengthen all the joints a little!
Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"Last edited by rwtdiver; 09-11-2021, 12:12 PM.Comment
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