Simon's magic was in his linkage, particularly the Tube Door Pull Post and Brass Tube Door Pulls with flattened and drilled ends. When I get a chance, I could scan the torpedo system schematics.. I say I could, because they are copyrighted by 32nd Parallel. And I wouldn't have Simon's permission to post them publicly.. His plans look like they were drawn by German engineers during the war. Advanced stuff, ahead of its time, especially for RC submarine models.. Only if David approves of reproducing and posting this fine example of Simon's mastery of engineering on a public forum, will I do it..
Here you guys are toying around with tube door actuation, and Mr. Smith solved the problem over two decades ago. This vacuform submarine kit is now 29 years old.. The torpedo launchers used by it, came from the 32P VII kit, which is now 32 years old.. Back then, in the raw and with total disregard for the environment, those eels were designed to use liquid Freon-12 gas (the heavy duty stuff capable of up to 70psi of skimmer smashing pressure) to propel them through the water at breathtaking speeds. I also couldn't help but notice that Simon used "SS" runic bolts when he initialed his XXIII weapon system plans.. Plus a replica resin Uboat badge, that is NOT de-Nazified, was included with each kit. Walk around with that bit of RC sub history hanging around in your noggin.
To answer my own previous pondering.. Now that I think about it, Mike Dory may have successfully extracted every bit of the ole 32P pressure box from his XXIII. He probably had to get it all out to fit that 3.25 WTC in it. He did tell me he VERY carefully, went at it, with a dremel / flex shaft combo (one tool set I do have). Trout can confirm if he removed 100% of the box, since he now owns it.
-
Warpatroller I'm intrigued how the torpedo doors operate without springs or magnets, can you post photos of the mechanisms?Leave a comment:
-
32P initially used a tube door linkage system with springs, instead of magnets, to keep the doors in the closed position. This torpedo door mechanism for the XXIII was designed by Simon Smith in 1987. He later revised the design, eliminating the springs altogether, on January 17, 1992. Some customers were having problems getting the tube doors to fully open using the 1987 mechanism. The revised system without springs (or magnets) proved to be more reliable in fully opening the tube doors.
The stock 32P XXIII torpedo launchers were designed to be fired together, in unison. Both doors would simultaneously open, the door slip plates (attached to the doors) would move away from the heads of the torpedoes allowing them both to be released under the pressure of the gas charged within them. The entire system was triggered by a single two-position switch on the TX and used a single servo mounted inside the bow end of the pressure box. I know all this because I have the kit and Simon's torpedo system schematics.
In the stock 32P system, it was not possible to fire only one torpedo at a time, or open only one tube door at a time. The 32P tubes were spaced further apart from each other than the Bronco tubes. I believe that Bob's tubes are also spaced further apart. Matter of fact, his tubes are the 32P tubes, with modifications made to them.
You can see that the sides of the stock pressure box, along with their hold down screws, remain inside of Bob's hull. He did not fully remove the stock box.. I wonder if anyone has ever removed it entirely, without damaging the hull..Leave a comment:
-
Just saw Bob Martin's reworked 32nd Parallel Type XXIII sporting a 2.5" SD
Lots of cool things we can pick up for the Bronco kit.
Hope he can enlighten us how he made his torpedo shutters operational.Leave a comment:
-
Back on topic:
This weeks work was spent making the first set of rubber tools, and off those I cast the production or 'copy' masters. Off the copy masters I form the production rubber molds (tools) needed to make kit parts in mass. Time is money in this game.
With the Caswell-Merriman fittings kits the most labor intensive activity is preparing, pouring, de-molding, and repeating the casting cycle -- it's vital to cram as much activity into the time taken as possible to reduce part costs. So, for efficiencies sake, I employ at least three identical productions tools when working up fittings kits. The copy masters permit creation of these production tools quickly and with great accuracy. An expensive operation: the tool making rubber and copy master resin isn't cheap.
Leave a comment:
-
-
I've seen Iron Sky! That was a wild, but predictable movie.
I looked up both Wade Williams and W.A. Harbinson.. The Projekt Saucer books look interesting..
I would also consider using the real life character, SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Hans Kammler, as the commander in charge of the "Shock Wave" Uboat Projekt. He was in charge of the V-2 and jet aircraft programs from August 1944 till the end of the war. He also was in charge of all flak, rockets and rocket propelled aircraft (including the vertical take-off, Natter, rocket interceptor plane). He is linked to the fantasy weapon, Die Glocke (The Bell). He was involved with the death camps and the slave labor, Mittelwerk facility (where V-2s were assembled). His death and whereabouts after the war remain a mystery to this day.. The SS could have had control over the "Shock Wave" Projekt, with the cooperation of Donitz.
The Shock Wave boats with their special crews would be released into the English Channel, North, Black and Mediterranean Seas. A movie script in the making about a secret and horrific Uboat Projekt gone terribly wrong.. Maybe make these particular boats, specially modified for Walter Hydrogen Peroxide power, for very fast burst attack speeds..Leave a comment:
-
Probably... But it does get the creative juices flowing on how I would / could assemble and model it...The TitanicLeave a comment:
-
I don't know if Wade Williams is even alive, but he would be the guy to pitch this remake idea to. Throw in some Flesh Eaters and Projeck Saucer elements and we got a screen-play! Structure the Shock Wave project commander along the lines of W.A. Harbinson's 'John Wilson' charactor and you have something.
Now a sculpt of the Nazi school-teacher from Iron Sky, I would love to do that!
This thread has gone terribly wrong!Leave a comment:
-
Iron Sky was blast. Hands down one of the best low budget sci-fi films I've seen in a while. Cool idea warpatroller. The opening shot shows allied special forces in a dark office with beams of dull yellow light illuminating the dusty air. The camera pans in from above through a slow decreasing circle stopping over an officer's shoulder to zoom in on a table strew with charts & clutter to a page of an open faded journal. There it focuses on the first paragragh as the officers voice over translates... Project Frankenstein...by order of bla-bla till he reveals the name and class of the experimental U-Boat... XXIII 666 the Flying Dutchman... The picture dissolves to show a German medical laboratory with 14 morgue trolleys with the shapes of men under draped white blood & chemical stained sheets....Leave a comment:
-
I Love Shock-Wave! Great 'unknown' flick. How the **** did they get Peter Cushing to do that?! A surprisingly good flick. Did you catch Iron Sky yet -- a real hoot.Leave a comment:
-
Somehow, I just don't think Mike appreciates your efforts David.. Mike, HWSNBN is a Submarine Master Modeller (indisputable), not Michelangelo..
The figures are an extra feature of the kit. I might make goggles for mine and turn them into Nazi Zombies, like in "Shock Waves". I love that movie!
Speaking of Shock Waves, they should have used a XXIII model in that movie! Would have been much better than the so called skimmer wreck that the zombies emerged from. A Uboat crew that could survive in water. The boat would never need to surface, like Peter Cushing spoke about in the film. XXIII had a crew of approximately 14, was designed for continuous submerged operation.. Donitz, in desperation, authorizes experiments on the bodies of dead Nazi sailors for reanimation.. See where I am going here..
David could do model work for the film, instead of the typical CGI ****.. An improved remake of Shock Waves. If I had the funds I'd back the movie project. I'd hire David to make a 14 foot long "practical" XXIII model and a 1:1 full size tower for close up shots! That would be awesome! And hire some of the makeup guys who work on Walking Dead, to do the Nazi Zombie crew..
Regarding the fittings kit.. If the propeller is anything but perfect, there will definitely be a problem.. I'll have to think twice about getting the fittings kit in that case ;-)Leave a comment:
-
Leave a comment: