Would anyone want a British K Class submarine hull in 1/72?

[Weissman]

Hi all,
forgive me if this has already been covered elsewhere (I couldn't find anything).
I have a long-term plan (about 12 months away??) to get a 1/72 hull built for me for the British K Class Fleet submarine. It is a big hull, about 56" long, and would need at least a Gato Sub Driver or maybe whatever is going to go in the new Revel Type IX U-Boat.

My question is, if I can talk the man in question into doing me a hull, is there anyone out there who might want to order one too once he has done the first one? I'm not asking for firm orders here, just a show of hands of anyone who might be interested.

Personally I think the K Class would make a great model - there is a big superstructure with folding funnels, telescoping radio masts, lots of complexity, and up to three deck guns to add interest.

To my knowledge there is no-one offering a 1/72 scale hull for this submarine (there is a semi-scale one offered by a UK company but it is NOT 1/72, more like 1/80).

The hull could also be used, with suitable superstructure, for any of the M-Class boats too.
Let me know what you think.
Kim in Australia

[vital.spark]

Hello Kim,

If the price was within my budget, I could be interested in one. Besides 4 R/C Subs, I've built 2 full size steam launches. One 18' and the other 21'.

Regards,

Myron

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I might be game. If it's a quality product. A historically important design.

M

[Kazzer]

Deans Marine offer a K Class Hull = http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/shop/pr...oducts_id/2251 At approx $160 + shipping No planes, rudder conning tower etc.

Length 53" Beam 4.25"

Original = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_K-class_submarine

Length:	339 ft (103 m)
Beam:	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)

scale @ 1:72 =56.5" length 4.41" beam

I have an M1 mold which I shall shortly start producing a vacu-formed hull. I haven't had time to get the former running due to outdoor jobs around the home and looking after my wife after her surgery.

The model is 50" long with a beam of 4.1"

The M1 specs are =http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_M1

Length:	295 ft 9 in (90.14 m)
Beam:	24 ft 8 in (7.52 m scale 49.1" long 4.1" beam

Frankly, I don't think the model is worth fiddling with to achieve perfect scale, it's so close. I also have the mold for the M1 superstructure, conning tower, rudder and dive planes. And lets not forget the gun.

I posted some pics of my almost finished M1 on the forum, can't remember where.
I hope to get it in the water shortly. I made the keel too heavy and and now trying to remove some material to lighten it up.

I left off this project back in April with the intent that as soon as the bad weather set in, I'd finish it. If those interested in this would hold off for a month, it won't take me too long to churn out some hulls on my former.

[Kazzer]

Didn't someone like Special Navy produce an insert to make a VII into a minelayer? It went in between the two Revell hull halves to extend it a few inches?

[Weissman]

Frankly, I don't think the model is worth fiddling with to achieve perfect scale, it's so close.

I disagree. :)
That is a variance of about 6% or more. I am in a club which only sails 1/72 at our regattas, that difference would rule out the Deans Marine hull. If you're going to do a scale model it needs to be scale - near enough is not good enough.

[Kazzer]

I might be game. If it's a quality product. A historically important design.

M

Oh! He who lost the molds for my M1 eh? :-)

Haven't you got an M1 hull already? What about a modification to that hull? Is it feasible?

[Kazzer]

Plans etc

http://support.caswellplating.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/275/40/british-k-class-plans--photos--1

http://support.caswellplating.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/274/40/british-k-class-plans--photos--2

[Kazzer]

Here's my M1 alongside a Revell VII

[Kazzer]

Here is The M1 Fittings Kit



Priced at $70

Now online at http://www.sub-driver.com/fittings-k...tings-kit.html

[Slats]

Hi Kim
I can see your enthusiasm for this has not yet waned. Good for you.
That said, if the 1/72 scale issue is purely driven by TF72 - I would suggest that you have a serious rethink about what is currently on offer.

Having been a member now since 1995 (the year it all began), I have lost count at the variation I have seen in "1/72" scale at TF72. What I mean by that is, by and large, the availability of targets specifically built in exactly 1/72 is beyond question, but thankfully the club hasn't yet put a rivet counting Nazi with a tape measure in charge of enforcing precise 1/72 scale. If they did, you'd find many ships (mainly those from overseas kit suppliers) to the surprise of their owners being under and over scale. Yes TF72 is a nice concept and constant scale is encouraged but precise scale is not the be all and end all. Quite a lot tolerance over the years has been accepted.

Eg. A key example of good acceptance of deviation in scale is David Batagol's superb Collins class. Only after I embarked on building mine, did we realise that his boat was closer to 1/79 scale. The mould that boat came from shrunk a full inch! You'd only noticed the difference in his if we parked right next to each other on the bench. Given that his boat and mine, and the differences in scale between the two were documented in the club magazine, - it was public knowledge. David's boat was not then banned from TF72 regattas. Both boats were indeed "scale" models - just different scales, and David's boat closer enough to 1/72 that sensibly no one from TF72 cared.

How many other K class subs would you expect to see gracing the water's of TF72 events where your's could be easily compared? I can answer that now -zero -there would be only yours.

Back to your issue Kim. Getting a sub kit manufacturer interested in building a sub kit can be a big deal. You can wait years, and from my experience cash is king in trying (but not guaranteeing) to get things moving. I have shelled out some four figure sums Kim in getting kits I want, and that still involves waiting. All that said - in my experience it's easier to convince someone to do a kit if there is no other kit available in your scale or close to it and the kit is popular. To me the K class in 72 scale has a couple of things against it. First is - it may be historical but it doesn't seem to be popular, the second thing is there is a kit, and its close to 1/72.

The Dean's kit may be basic but to an accomplished target builder like yourself Kim, you shouldn't have too much trouble licking it into shape. The Deans kit works out to be around 1/76 - you are still building a scale model Kim, in 1/76 scale. There are many other vessels in TF72 that are more like 1/80 and some I know are 1/64!

Best

John

[Kazzer]

Frankly, I don't think the model is worth fiddling with to achieve perfect scale, it's so close. I also have the mold for the M1 superstructure, conning tower, rudder and dive planes. And lets not forget the gun.

Who said that?

[Weissman]

Hi John,
Yes, still hankering for that K Boat. Interesting comments you make about near-scale models, I had not realised! I suppose I could get the Deans one and add a few inches to it. It does not have the swan bows though. I will ponder on this, still have to build Invincible first.
cheers
Kim

[Slats]

Who said that?

A wise man named Captain obvious

[Slats]

Hi John,
Yes, still hankering for that K Boat. Interesting comments you make about near-scale models, I had not realised! I suppose I could get the Deans one and add a few inches to it. It does not have the swan bows though. I will ponder on this, still have to build Invincible first.
cheers
Kim

Go for Kim - Dean's will give you the certainty that you don't have now and might not ever have - i.e. a kit available close to your spec vs a kit a tad bigger that could never eventuate. Then there's the cost considerations too. Dean's kit appears cheap. Looks like Mike can sell you other bits that might be compatible too Kim.

J