Revell Gato (modified)

[RonP-UK]

I guess I have a bit of a cheek putting an incomplete model on here and it is only a standard kit but mucked about with anyway here goes:-
Its a Revell Gato but hacked around and fitted with folding vanes, opening torpedo tube doors and after a lot of messing about, a couple of working torpedos (see video attached) but here is the problem,
its too small for my own piston ballast tanks so I have a choice, muck about making a small diving module or just buy one of David Merrimans but I am not sure of what the gas will do to the plastic, has anyone else fitted one?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

There's no long-term ill effects to the styrene from the brief plume of gas escaping from the launched torpedo I have observed, Ron. Nice work (of course). Good to see your work again. Love the shutter-doors.

David,

[Kazzer]

its too small for my own piston ballast tanks so I have a choice, muck about making a small diving module or just buy one of David Merriman's but I am not sure of what the gas will do to the plastic, has anyone else fitted one?

If you're running it in places where you can wade in and get it, then why bother with gas? Fit a Snort system!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I've been operating styrene plastic kits with and without the Methane-Butane liquefied gas ballast sub-system aboard. No ill effects observed, Ron.

David,

[Outrider]

I'm somewhat biased, but I'd order up a Caswell/Merriman SubDriver and be done with it. There's one worked out for the U.S. Revell 1:72 Gato, as well as a fittings kit of resin replacement parts. (Revell of Germany's Gato likely uses the same basic molds, but that's an uneducated guess.)

Before ordering, I'd check the length before selecting a specific SubDriver as you'll want to ensure nothing interferes with the work you've done in the bow. For example, the Type VII SubDriver is listed as 17.5" long and 2" nominal diameter, while the Gato WTC is 30" long and 2.5" in diameter. That said, the Gato is a much larger and more massive vessel than a Type VII, but both WTCs drive two shafts, so the Type VII may be an option if a 30" WTC is too long.

http://www.caswellplating.com/models/sub-drivers.html

http://www.caswellplating.com/models/gato.html

Bow plane mechanisms on this Gato look as if they're "full function" (extend, operate, retract), which adds a lot to the sub's appeal. Any comment on how you pulled that off?

[RonP-UK]

That was the worse part of the whole plot, I am very impressionable and listen to other people way too much so when a friend said "It would be nice if you could get the bow planes working" I took it as a challenge
I had to make two very small ball sockets to snap a brass ball into and then solder the pull rod onto the ring around it this then when up into the hull to connect to the gearbox that you can see in the pics and that in turn is operated from a spring load bell crank that runs to a push rod. The idea at that stage was to use my piston ballast tanks so the when the piston comes out (surface) the vanes fold away.
I used the same idea on the typhoon and if you look at the pics of the bow section you can see the vane rods set into the tanks. All a bit of a pain in the arse (or should I say ass).
Some years ago I built a brass 5" gun for my 32nd scale Gato (pics on subcommittee site) and some arsehole (*******) said "Oh-- you haven't rifled the barrel" I then spent 3 weeks making a 5/32" tool to
draw through the barrel to give the correct rifle pattern. I am my own worst enemy!
Regards
RonP

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

AMS sufferer, Ron

Advanced Modeler's Syndrome