You can't do too much research

[SSBN659]

A couple weeks ago Mark posted this picture of the launch of USS Mariano G. Vallejo SSBN658 on 23 October 1965 at Mare Island.


USS Will Rogers was launched at Groton on 21 July 1966. After several years of research, my model of USS Will Rogers SSBN659 was finished 2010. Until I saw Mark's post I thought I had done a fairly thorough research. Can you spot the problem?


SSBN659

[trout]

The vertical stabilizers on the dive planes?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

made the later SSBN's a bit easier to drive -- more dynamically stable about the yaw axis.

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

made the later SSBN's a bit easier to drive -- more dynamically stable about the yaw axis.

M

[SSBN659]

Trout, you are correct. When I researched Will Rogers I found this quote, “Later in their service careers some 640 Class were modified with twin vertical end plate stabilizers replacing the single tall vertical fin/rudder.” Unfortunately I did not find a picture of the stabilizers so I built assuming an "as built" without them. When I saw Mark's picture of Mariano G. Vallejo, SSBN658 it hit me. Even though they were built in different yards, both 658 and 659 were launched within months of each other. So, I went back to pictures I had and found this one of 659 on dock in Rota, Spain.

The first one was dark so I lightened the second one around the stern and look what I found. Then another search on-line and a very close look proved my mistake. You have to look closely at the very left side of the picture to see the vertical end plate stabilizer.



Now the question is, "Did I get the upper rudder wrong? Is it too tall?"

At this point I sure don't feel like going back and messing with my Will Rogers model.

SSBN659

[SSBN659]

I've given this one heck of a lot of thought. On one hand, everyone who has seen my model in person has been impressed. On the other hand, none of them were submariners nor model makers. I'm not a former submariner but I wanted this model to be as accurate as possible and the evidence has shown that it is not. I finally decided to bite bullet knowing full well I could really screw it up I were not careful. So, here we go. What you see is the model as I began the correction. I built a new work cradle out of scrap wood and covered model with a dry cleaner bag and micro cloth rag to ready the sub for surgery.


"Will" Rogers
SSBN659

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

going for the vertical stabilizers?

M

[SSBN659]

David, you are right on. There were several things that had to be thought out before I started on this. The dimensions of the entire stabilizer at this scale are 30 mm high and 16 mm wide at the top and bottom. My first thought was to make a master of the top half and cast four identical pieces. I gave up on that idea fast because the master would have been so small and I didn't have any mold making nor casting material. So rather than going out and buying more I cut and shaped two pieces as close to identical as possible using 1/8" thick acrylic.

The next problem was how to duplicate the original colors since I didn't have any of the original paint left. Using tongue depressors and numbering a few jars of paint I did have, I started blending marking which jar of paint I was using for the blend. Each time I did a blend I let it dry and checked it against the model. It took several tries but the final colors came out very close.

I had to protect the model from dust, dirt, paint from the work area so I used a dry cleaner bag.


Unfortunately as careful as I tried to be I broke off a piece of the SPM on the underside of the hull placing the boat on the work cradle. Fortunately the repair was easy and I saved that till last.

Next problem was how to cut into the stern planes without doing a lot more damage. I'll talk about that in my next post.

"Will" Rogers
SSBN659

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Cover the areas to bet cut with masking tape, do the layout work in pen over the masking tape, then make your cuts -- the masking tape will reduce splitting and splintering of the wooden parts to a high degree. Remove the tape, refine the cut-outs with files and/or sand-paper, install new pieces, and paint.

M

[SSBN659]

Good idea, why didn't I think of that?

I did lay out in pencil the area to cut, roughly 3 mm wide by 20 mm. Then things got a bit messy because the planes were cast resin. After the rough cut with the Dremel I used a hacksaw blade (32T) for a finish cut. With the stabilizer in place and aligned with a toothpick wedge I hit it with CA. The gaps around the stabilizer I filled with a polyester body filler.


"Will" Rogers
SSBN659

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Resin ... right, those pieces were resin. Sorry.

Nice job.

M

[SSBN659]

The cut on the starboard plane was much better than the port side. We always get better with practice, don't we? With the stbd stabilizer in place and filled in I sanded with 220, 320 grit followed by wet sanding with 400 grit. I used a brush to paint the new work and the planes. I wasn't sure I could mask and airbrush without creating an obvious demarcation line. Then I removed the rest of the SPM that broke earlier and made a repair. A bit of touch up paint on the SPM and it was ready to reinstall. The job is now complete and the "Last of the Forty-One for Freedom" is back in the display case. Funny how I spent much more time worrying about how to do this work than it took to do the work.



"Will" Rogers
SSBN659

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Nice neat job, sir. Well done!

M

[Peter W]

You have a beautiful model there and the vertical stabilizers really add to it. As I said in another thread you learn from others here.

Well done, stunning,

Peter

[SSBN659]

Thanks guys, now that the work is finished I feel much better than I did when I started.

"Will" Rogers
SSBN659