Bronco Type XXIII in 1/35th scale

[daveg]

Yes I had to take out the pressure hull which I did slowly and carefully. I also replaced the conning tower with one from Accurate Armour in the UK. it was solid resin but I hollowed it out with a dremel tool. It had better detail. I think there may be some pictures over at subcommittee under the name David Goddard. My Robbe Type 7 ( since sold) also is there. Looking forward to this kit.
Dave

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Yep, it's me, David. Looking forward to seeing what can be done with this styrene model. Sounds like it will be next year sometime before it's available...

Hey, Sam!

I don't know what kind of glue those two used to attach the vacuformed WTC to the vacuformed hull, but it's powerful Ju-Ju! The bond between the two is strong, the only way to get them appart is with a grinder!

A well engineered kit, all considering.

Yeah, I'm holding fire till the Bronko kit is done -- you found some test shot photos of it, didn't you? That will be as popular as the 1/72 GATO and SKIPJACK once we formulate a fittings kit for it.

Mike has already been in contact with the manufacturer to get more definitive dope on product details and expected delivery date. I think it's too late into the process for us to 'suggest' design features that would make the kit more r/c conversion friendly.

David

[Tugfan]

Hey, Sam!

I don't know what kind of glue those two used to attach the vacuformed WTC to the vacuformed hull, but it's powerful Ju-Ju! The bond between the two is strong, the only way to get them appart is with a grinder!

A well engineered kit, all considering.

Yeah, I'm holding fire till the Bronko kit is done -- you found some test shot photos of it, didn't you? That will be as popular as the 1/72 GATO and SKIPJACK once we formulate a fittings kit for it.

Mike has already been in contact with the manufacturer to get more definitive dope on product details and expected delivery date. I think it's too late into the process for us to 'suggest' design features that would make the kit more r/c conversion friendly.

David

I don't think Broncos is a stranger to RC. Maybe they made it a horizontal two piece hull.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

That would make life a whole lot easier!

[herrmill]

I don't think Broncos is a stranger to RC. Maybe they made it a horizontal two piece hull.

From my understanding they've never done anything related to R/C. A 1:16 Panther static kit was rumored a few years ago that got a few of us AFV fans excited but nothing came out of that nor anything else remotely connected to R/C.

That said, if they were smart a 2-pc waterline hull would be sweet but probably not in their cards.

[Tugfan]

Oh well. Since you may be able to come up with one you can give us a review and then we can see if it can be done.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Oh well. Since you may be able to come up with one you can give us a review and then we can see if it can be done.

I can do anything (another crash of thunder sound-effect).

Trouble is getting the rest of you Slacker's to catch up with me!

David

[MFR1964]

Piece of cake (bowshot, and snapshot to be sure)

Manfred.

[Tugfan]

When I retire next year I'll have plenty of time to play.

[Tugfan]

I can do anything (another crash of thunder sound-effect).

Trouble is getting the rest of you Slacker's to catch up with me!

David

Dave walks to town because his ego won't fit in the car. :pop

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Dave walks to town because his ego won't fit in the car. :pop

Touche, sir.

[Tugfan]

Touche, sir.

My pleasure.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

.... we now resume sheduled programming

[Warpatroller]

the 32nd Parallel was the first mass-produced r/c submarine kit that was a success -- commercially and as a product. A bold, important step by Simon and Sheila Smith that advanced the craft light-years ahead of where it was before that kits introduction.

32nd Parallel is long gone, but Simon's work stands as a corner-stone of the state-of-the-art as we know it today. That kit got many into the game and fostered further developments.

David

The 32nd Parallel XXIII got me into the game as well. I just haven't really started playing the game yet.. Haven't decided what I am going to do with my XXIII, and have been in no hurry to do so. I'm in my 1933 to 1939 planning stage and waiting to see if a more modern and better detailed XXIII, that doesn't take a GRP wizard to build and detail, might materialize. The ultimate XXIII model for me, would be a 1:16 scale version, about 7 feet long. It would have a massive tower and just be bad ass looking in the water! Two 6-inch WTC units, twin ballast tanks + trim tanks, with gel-cel batteries, retractible snorkel and persiscope. And of course, 1:16 electric torpedos.. With GPS navigation system inside the WTC, programmable remotely from an iPhone. And have it sail across the Atlantic autonomously. Launched from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard area, near where I went to school at ODU. Ok, enough dreaming and back to reality..

Four years ago, I bought an original XXIII Deluxe Kit (gas ballast, static diver) with the gas Torpedo Launcher and 7 torpedoes. All unassembled, in the original box, from the original owner.. It has two sets of torpedo tubes, as the first set had solder clogging the air passage in one tube, rendering it unusable. Being a 1995 produced copy, this one has a better detailed, cast resin, snorkel head with the twin shafts, as compared to the single shaft snorkel rig that the 80's version of the kit came with. All the original instructions (and instruction addendums), invoice and construction plans drawn up by Simon Smith. I even have the original 1800mAh Nicad Battery sticks that came with the kit, along with the legendary Pittman 40mm drive motor. It is such a complete example of 32nd Parallel RC Submarine history, that I have been reluctant to cut out the stock pressure box to replace it with a modern WTC.. I kind of look at it as taking a classic car and removing its original engine, substituting it with a modern engine (butchering it in the process).

The engineering that went into this kit was extensive. The Pittman motor even uses a vibration dampening rubber mounting assembly. Who thinks of vibration and noise reduction in an RC Submarine, Simon Smith did back in 1984 when this kit debuted. It is not the best kit when it comes to accurate scale details, but it's still a nice kit.

I just heard about the Bronco kit today, and it has perked my interest. If it is anything like their 1:35 Seehund kit, the detail should be pretty good and fairly accurate. I thought, this would be perfect for a fittings kit engineered by The Wizard (who's posts I first started reading on the net about 7 years ago). A fittings kit that incorporates an internal rudder mechanism (something the 32nd P. lacks) and a more scale accurate screw. The 32nd P. screw does not look correct and is too small in diameter at 44mm (was probably done to accommodate the 40mm Pittman in direct drive configuration, as the early kits had a 40mm screw). I think it should be closer to 56mm for 1:32 (should be about 51mm for 1:35). The kit's big twin shaft snorkel, could perhaps be replaced with a functional unit for the SAS sub-driver system..Would have external functional snorkel, instead of hiding it inside the tower.

I have some drawings and photos that could be made available to help The Wizard engineer his fittings for the Bronco XXIII. I am kind of a Type XXIII geek, so I've spend a lot of time examining XXIII related stuff.. It would be cool to see this turn into the WWII U-Boat equivalent of the recent Moebius Skipjack conversion. Both models are similar in overall length, single screw, with large towers. The Skipjack only being a couple inches longer. 1:35 G7e torpedoes could come from the Bronco Seehund kit.. Speaking of the Seehund, how about a fittings kit for the Bronco Seehund? If you did that 1:230 Skipjack, the Seehund should be possible, it is about 12 inches long but a narrower hull..

Steve

[herrmill]

Howdy Steve & glad to see your post!

Having known you always as a Type 23 fan, I am certain Mr. David will be more than happy to have any research material come his way towards building something nice for Bronco's upcoming new release.