Building the french suffren sna

[Albacore 569]

Assembling fitting hull sections printed today. Starting to look more like a very cool looking French Submarine now. lol.








Making modifications again to the pump jet propulsor. I have a 15-blade version and having a 11-blade version (prime number) designed for comparative testing. Both modified to a special coupling design I made adapting existing off the shelf parts for easy change and replacement of parts in the confined space an still allow easy access such as thrust bearings, thrust block, prop shaft. Sounds like I am threading the needle to fine. But wishing this done in timely fashion before file sharing program free trial ends.

Messy shop just like Merriman's! I am not worthy!

[Albacore 569]

All the bottom sections printed sanded primed and the tongue and grove interlocking system by Randy Sanders works excellent. A little snug (perfect) and gently hammered with a hammer and wood block into place. Last two top sections printing now. Each section on average took almost 75% of a bottle of resin (Any Cubic resin gray 1kg bottle each) (ABS) .

Thrust bearings arrived today. trial fit of pump et working well, turns smooth and easy. Created a few special tools for easy assembly and disassembly of all the washers' spacers thrust bearings propulsor and clearances.

Long day in the shop. Tired. Printer down in garage working through the night. I think an ice-cold beer would be nice and a long nap. More tomorrow.

broadside phot shows bottom sections test fitted together. 1/4-inch diameter epoxy 4-foot-long stringers will slide through aligned hles and stiffen the whole hull up well. very strong already.








Printed dive module frames

[Akula54]

Hi,

She's a beauty !!!
Great job !

Francois

[Albacore 569]

Thank you, Merci Francois,.

Adding more hull sections like a pile of cards at present. I have come long way since with a lot of help from Jeff Apts and Randy Sanders - the sub guy printer community.

In parallel, working on the Suffern pump jet. the swivel pivot part works perfectly. But I am having some issues with propulsor vibration and doing a bit of re-design so the pump jet's shaft is solid on both ends of the shaft working smoothly, working to get the propulsor as balanced and centered in the shroud with as little blade tip clearance as
possible. Using a modified Raboesch prop shaft and seal with its bearings.

Redesigning the propulsor itself, from 17 blades, down to 15, and now in final iteration reducing in latest design to 11 blades.

The issue is making sure the shaft is solid to the rotating pivoting shroud, The Raboesch shaft should do it I hope. tinkering with it now. have stuff gathered over the years and bashing something clean sold and simple, I hope. If nothing else its fun figuring out a problem sweltering in a hot garage..lol.

I have fans going, but they are to maintain a moderate temperature for the printer. so, it prints well and I don't waste resin. Like the air-conditioning on WW2 era Fleet boats, was really to keep the subs electronics happy dry and cool from humidly, but the crew loved it too, even if they were secondary consideration by the boat's designers. Same in my garage...lol.

The model in 1/64 scale is roughly a little under 62 inches long overall. It looks big now on the bench, but it's dismaying how small it gets once it is in the pond. That old sailor's song, the sea is so vast, and my boat is so small..lol "The sea is the last free place on Earth". E. Hemingway...

[Albacore 569]

New redesigned Suffern model propulsor. Nothing wrong with previous 15 blader, but refinements for ease of building having worked with parts in the shop. This is a model interpretation, so expect Real Life is a lot different. If I knew what the real one looked like I would not share it here anyway for the sake of our French allies.

I am sure the real one is a million times more sophisticated, but my little one here should push the water well enough at the pond. Bob Martin hinted from his experience, the fewer number of blades to a certain extent the better model wise for thrust.. Also reduced overall diameter by 1 mm, and 11 blades now (a primary number)

[Subculture]

Will definitely move water. An ogival blade shape on the outer blade edges together with some cupping may also improve performance. Pumpjets also often have raked blades like a truncated scimitar prop, a,though I believe that is more related to stealth than efficiency.

[Albacore 569]

Will definitely move water. An ogival blade shape on the outer blade edges together with some cupping may also improve performance. Pumpjets also often have raked blades like a truncated scimitar prop, a,though I believe that is more related to stealth than efficiency.

Agree Subcluture. Focusing now on making the prop shaft in the Pump Jet shroud ridged and smooth turning. It will work once a few parts from McMaster-Carr arrive Monday.

I am beginning to hate these huge hardware stores like Home Depot, Lowes. Ace too. They either don't have it or have something that's the wrong size. THEY ARE USELESS! I wish I had just a 1/2 diameter aluminum rod stock. that's all. Just 3 inches length. It someone does have it; you have to buy 20 feet! **** that.

Not asking for much, nothing exotic. I feel more like the professor on Gilligan's Island making batteries for the short-wave radio out of coconuts.

Printed parts done. Assembling. Printer getting a deserved rest. That was some learning curve, at least for me.

I'll get it.

Still the Printer once it was learned is rather a minor miracle. But they need a far better way, the you tube videos are dangerous and hurt as much as help.... they speed past mission critical details. " oh, its easy!" ***** slapping these dungeons and dragons play piece makers geeks! Get a life, build RC subs!

But the sub is printed with a lot of good help. Thanks so much. you know who you are.

I came, I printed, I conquered!

[Subculture]

Ali express is good for most bits and bobs for hobbyists also eBay , e.g. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...JGo0OCRsMCRoMA..

[Albacore 569]

Final modification evolution of Pump jet 'rudder / prop shaft stocks'.

[Albacore 569]

Pronouncing French Names.

'Suffren' is pronounced "Zous-friend" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-aV8ybD3W0
'Tourville' is pronounced "Tour-Veale" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6-NqZVhgiw
'Duguay-Trouin' is pronounced "Doo-gay-Troo-en" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV2OrXIizqE
'De Grasse' is pronounced "Da-Grass-aaa" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06MYwuJyY3s
'Rubis' is Pronounced "Ru-beee" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJw6KFN53A
'Casabianca' is pronounced "Caza-blank-ca" (sounding same as 1943 movie) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inL0EaNt7Wo


'Sous Marin' (Submarine) is pronounced "Zoo-mah-haa" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykBDvsUQPPk




Humor with apologies to our French friends