Built a Dave Welch WTC Trumpeter Seawolf back in 2006. Just got it out after long storage and it works great. Now want to try another sub, but self-built - just want to experiment.
Would like to do either the Moebius Skipjack or Revell Gato. I have 2.75" OD tube and end caps from long ago. Understand that the 'jack uses 3.5" OD x 21" tube. After looking at the ballast system proposed below, could I get away with using the 2.75" components? (Just as a matter of convenience...)
Here's the system I propose. I know there's much more sophisticated stuff out there, and many tried-and-true approaches. As I said, just want to try something here...
The proposed system uses a small PD gear pump to add/remove ballast water from a tube(s) made from a narrow bike tire. I used the bike tires in the Welch WTC rather than the BP cuff air bag, etc. The tubes are stiff enough to hold repeatably controlled geometry on air inflation/deflation. That simple Seawolf conversion holds dead level at surface and below, and can be easily held at periscope depth with the bike tire airbag system. Given that, I want to try the bike tires with water.
Here's a pic of the current Seawolf bags and a sketch of the proposed water system for the new sub. In the sketch, I show two "bag compression" trim plates - one at each end of the water tubes. But really only one-ended compression is needed if the static trim is set light at the non-compression servo end.
I do plan to get any available mechanical conversion kit and control electronics. The pitch control will, in addition to manual control, activate the bag compression servo. I may build a test WTC with the waterbag compression system even before getting the model, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, comments appreciated.
Thanks.
BTW - what's teh D of the Gato WTC?
Would like to do either the Moebius Skipjack or Revell Gato. I have 2.75" OD tube and end caps from long ago. Understand that the 'jack uses 3.5" OD x 21" tube. After looking at the ballast system proposed below, could I get away with using the 2.75" components? (Just as a matter of convenience...)
Here's the system I propose. I know there's much more sophisticated stuff out there, and many tried-and-true approaches. As I said, just want to try something here...
The proposed system uses a small PD gear pump to add/remove ballast water from a tube(s) made from a narrow bike tire. I used the bike tires in the Welch WTC rather than the BP cuff air bag, etc. The tubes are stiff enough to hold repeatably controlled geometry on air inflation/deflation. That simple Seawolf conversion holds dead level at surface and below, and can be easily held at periscope depth with the bike tire airbag system. Given that, I want to try the bike tires with water.
Here's a pic of the current Seawolf bags and a sketch of the proposed water system for the new sub. In the sketch, I show two "bag compression" trim plates - one at each end of the water tubes. But really only one-ended compression is needed if the static trim is set light at the non-compression servo end.
I do plan to get any available mechanical conversion kit and control electronics. The pitch control will, in addition to manual control, activate the bag compression servo. I may build a test WTC with the waterbag compression system even before getting the model, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, comments appreciated.
Thanks.
BTW - what's teh D of the Gato WTC?
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