More Production Photos from The Cave

[Slats]

Who says who's playing with pussy?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26297[/ATTACH]

Not sure Ellie would want her to be fed his nuts

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Apart from playing with Pussy, where are you up to with the Type 9 conversion kit, oh and that bloody GRP Albacore David?

My parts David have just turned up (thanks again). I' don't mind paying customers clearance - helps my country function, but gwad almighty did they ever **** about with clearing the shipment - dealing with people over here that no doubt require assistance to chew their food.

Best J

The tooling and first batch of resin and metal parts for the Type-9 fittings kit are in hand. Got a problem with the propellers though, they are distorting in the tool during rotation, so I have to redesign the process. Other than that I have stuff to sell but no supporting documentation -- need to find the time.

For the first time in three years I've caught up with the purchase orders so I can now attend to that and other tasks ... the ALBACORE kit you mentioned is one of 'em.

Sorry it took so long to get that stuff to you, I know you were looking forward to a regatta. How's that panning out, John?

David

[crazygary]

Ahhh! A bit of the , "Bond! James Bond"!!
Pussy Galore, indeed!
Well done, Hermill!!
Hey!! Didn't J.B. have a neat little one-man sub??? Hmmm!!

[Slats]

The tooling and first batch of resin and metal parts for the Type-9 fittings kit are in hand. Got a problem with the propellers though, they are distorting in the tool during rotation, so I have to redesign the process. Other than that I have stuff to sell but no supporting documentation -- need to find the time.

For the first time in three years I've caught up with the purchase orders so I can now attend to that and other tasks ... the ALBACORE kit you mentioned is one of 'em.

Sorry it took so long to get that stuff to you, I know you were looking forward to a regatta. How's that panning out, John?

David

All good here David.

Your Type 9 gear should be a seller - be interesting to do a head count at the Regatta here as to people who have bought them already and those who are wanting to buy them.

I'll be taking the USS Plunger with me to the Regatta. I'm going to have the new 3.5" SD that I bought set up so that a separate channel pinches off the snorkel head line due to the very limited space in the Permit Class sail.

I'll be also taking the new torpedoes down to the Regatta and doing some test firing of these versus the older type. I'll hand fire the tubes (not from a sub). The torpedo tubes I'm planning on installing in the Astute. On the subject of torpedoes - a consumable that I need to buy if its available are some springs that push the breach out of the way. Firstly these do wear out, and second I have found that for servo activation often its better if the spring is under a bit more tension via putting a small piece of plastic tubing around the shaft that the spring pushes against.

I think I might mothball the plastic Albacore I have as the GRP boat you have in the pipeline is too tempting not to buy. Looks like there's ample room in the sail of that boat for a float head valve for the SAS.

Had the Astute 72nd plans out on the weekend. That beast sits very high out of the water - could pale a Soviet boat for the ballast tank size it may need.

Best J

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

All good here David.

Your Type 9 gear should be a seller - be interesting to do a head count at the Regatta here as to people who have bought them already and those who are wanting to buy them.

I'll be taking the USS Plunger with me to the Regatta. I'm going to have the new 3.5" SD that I bought set up so that a separate channel pinches off the snorkel head line due to the very limited space in the Permit Class sail.

I'll be also taking the new torpedoes down to the Regatta and doing some test firing of these versus the older type. I'll hand fire the tubes (not from a sub). The torpedo tubes I'm planning on installing in the Astute. On the subject of torpedoes - a consumable that I need to buy if its available are some springs that push the breach out of the way. Firstly these do wear out, and second I have found that for servo activation often its better if the spring is under a bit more tension via putting a small piece of plastic tubing around the shaft that the spring pushes against.

I think I might mothball the plastic Albacore I have as the GRP boat you have in the pipeline is too tempting not to buy. Looks like there's ample room in the sail of that boat for a float head valve for the SAS.

Had the Astute 72nd plans out on the weekend. That beast sits very high out of the water - could pale a Soviet boat for the ballast tank size it may need.

Best J

John,

Don't know about the interest out there with the Type-9 fittings kit and SD. Since I wrote up that work I have not one single note from Caswell of anyone expressing an interest. Surprising to say the least. Anyway -- work on bringing that to market is on the back-burner till I hear otherwise from the Boss.

At the very least put a float actuated snorkel induction valve in the annular space between the top of the SD and hull!

Just cast up a new 1/72 torpedo -- a substantially thin wall. The idea is to make them super-buoyant so they will immediately come to the surface upon launch, where there are surface captured and make the rest of the run that way. The problem with the current weapons, as you all too well know, is if the weapon is underwater long enough it will gain a speed that, once the weapon does head to the surface as its weight drops, it broaches into the air and sails off to parts unknown. I'll report on the tests later in the week.

Speaking of ALBACORE. I'm working to paint the plastic one I slapped together last year -- the thing can be beat into a credible scale model if you tighten up the seams and open up all those limber holes and scribe the deck properly. Pictures later. I've already operated this thing at the local dive-traning pool -- with working dorsal rudder -- and this rocket corners tight and with no noticeable inboard roll. Wow!



Joel produces an average GRP wall thickness of about 3/32". Go over you plans and calculate total above waterline displacement for me and (if need be) I'll put together a 'standard' single-motor SAS SD with a ballast tank that has that volume plus 10%.

M

[Albion]

Registration of interest for the Type 9, I'm sure there are plenty of others out there as well.

[Slats]

John,

Don't know about the interest out there with the Type-9 fittings kit and SD. Since I wrote up that work I have not one single note from Caswell of anyone expressing an interest. Surprising to say the least. Anyway -- work on bringing that to market is on the back-burner till I hear otherwise from the Boss.

At the very least put a float actuated snorkel induction valve in the annular space between the top of the SD and hull!

Just cast up a new 1/72 torpedo -- a substantially thin wall. The idea is to make them super-buoyant so they will immediately come to the surface upon launch, where there are surface captured and make the rest of the run that way. The problem with the current weapons, as you all too well know, is if the weapon is underwater long enough it will gain a speed that, once the weapon does head to the surface as its weight drops, it broaches into the air and sails off to parts unknown. I'll report on the tests later in the week.

Speaking of ALBACORE. I'm working to paint the plastic one I slapped together last year -- the thing can be beat into a credible scale model if you tighten up the seams and open up all those limber holes and scribe the deck properly. Pictures later. I've already operated this thing at the local dive-traning pool -- with working dorsal rudder -- and this rocket corners tight and with no noticeable inboard roll. Wow!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26300[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26301[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26302[/ATTACH]

Joel produces an average GRP wall thickness of about 3/32". Go over you plans and calculate total above waterline displacement for me and (if need be) I'll put together a 'standard' single-motor SAS SD with a ballast tank that has that volume plus 10%.

M

Wow David - disappointing on the Type 9. It hasn't hit the shops with great aplomb down here. Most guys over here would be buying via German or US websites.

I've never had a torpedo broach unless I put the sub on a stupid angle. Happy to test fire a few shots down here at any stage.

Don't doubt the plastic Albacore - that photo of Skip had of your boat promoting the kit is still the best RC sub I have ever seen. I think the GRP version will suit me better longer term, and its something well worth the wait (like Joel's Astute- takes time but the end point is excellent).

I think we are quite a way off Ballast tank size yet for the Astute. The best way to estimate the tank size, I find is to build the sub. I then get it floating at the waterline with some stability weight, and I usually use a cut down pool noodle inside the sub for floatation held in the WTC saddles with velcro. I then add weight at the COG / mid point for the ballast tank. I then measure how much weight was needed to submerge the sub to get her sail just submerged. This weight = the ballast required to support in surfaced trim the mass of the submarine above the water line. This is much more accurate than measuring the weight of the surface area of the sub above the water line. That said Astute will need a big tank, that massive sail I can get a mini camera inside, then there is the massive reactor hump, and all that is siting on dry hull that in itself is high. Then there is the size of the bow planes (massive) which sit above the surfaced water line, and then there is the rudders on this beast too. Each rudder (upper and lower) are twice the size of the area of that on my same scale Permit class. I'll make a guess now and 7" BT. Be interesting to see how wrong I am!

Chin up David - you sound a bit flat.

Best

John

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

John,

Did not mean to sound flat. I'm my usual cheerful, bubbly, care-free, nice guy.... and what the hell do you mean I sound Frig'n FLAT!!!!!!!!

(clearing head, sitting back down, taking a breath, checking my med schedule)

Glad you are having good experiences with your weapons. About every eighth shot I get a broacher. Working to fix that. So far I've produced the same weapon but with a wall thickness half that of the current production units. None of them have exploded after charging -- good step forward. Later this week I'll run e'm at the local dive-training pool. That will tell the tale.

I'll have some more pictures of the styrene ALBACORE assembly later in the day. One last scribing task -- the longitudinal breaks either side of the hull. Should start the painting tomorrow.

Man! Joel's going like a house-a-fire on his ASTUTE. What an ugly, ugly boat. So ugly it makes the LA's look good. So ugly only a Britt' could love it. So ugly that if you put it in the water the ducks wouldn't even crap on it...

(working a trade with Joel for one, by the way)

Love your method of establishing the displacement of the above waterline portions of your model. Can't argue with that at all. Keep me informed.

M

[trout]

John,
Once you have the weight needed, do you then subtract the weight of the WTC from your total weight needed?
Peace,
Tom

[ManOwaR]

Fish scale. Find an accurate, high resolution fish scale. Attach fish line to the front and back of the model then suspend fully fitted out model in submerged condition by the fish scale and record the mass. Lift the model to surfaced waterline using only the scale and record the mass. The difference in mass between submerged and surface weights will be the amount of mass in water that your ballast tank will need to displace. So because 1 gram of water has a volume of 1cc, then you can now calculate required ballast volume. Oh yes, add 10 or 20% for reserve buoyancy. Because. the wtc should be submerged in both submerged and surfaced condition its value will cancel out and therefore won't be needed to be installed. I use hockey pucks inside the model just to add weight and keep tension on my lines though.

Joel

[Slats]

John,
Once you have the weight needed, do you then subtract the weight of the WTC from your total weight needed?
Peace,
Tom

Hi Tom

Nope don't need do that Tom.
The sole purpose of the ballast tank, is when empty, to support the weight of the sub above the surfaced water line. That is the weight you are supporting with the empty tank equals the weight in water inside the tank to make all the above WL material submerge.

You should add a fudge factor of at least 10%.

The weight of your WTC is irrelevant to Ballast tank size. If you're sitting at the WL (regardless of internal weight), you're sitting at the WL. Your ballast tank needs to overcome the WL position by by offsetting the weight sitting above the WL.

J

[Slats]

John,

Did not mean to sound flat. I'm my usual cheerful, bubbly, care-free, nice guy.... and what the hell do you mean I sound Frig'n FLAT!!!!!!!!

(clearing head, sitting back down, taking a breath, checking my med schedule)


Glad you are having good experiences with your weapons. About every eighth shot I get a broacher. Working to fix that. So far I've produced the same weapon but with a wall thickness half that of the current production units. None of them have exploded after charging -- good step forward. Later this week I'll run e'm at the local dive-training pool. That will tell the tale.

I'll have some more pictures of the styrene ALBACORE assembly later in the day. One last scribing task -- the longitudinal breaks either side of the hull. Should start the painting tomorrow.

Man! Joel's going like a house-a-fire on his ASTUTE. What an ugly, ugly boat. So ugly it makes the LA's look good. So ugly only a Britt' could love it. So ugly that if you put it in the water the ducks wouldn't even crap on it...

(working a trade with Joel for one, by the way)

Love your method of establishing the displacement of the above waterline portions of your model. Can't argue with that at all. Keep me informed.

M

David
- good to see you bite at a curve ball.

- torpedoes - what I'd like is a longer running weapon. More fuel and a straighter run. Would the thinner wall units do this?

-Albacore -to me it's the silk purse from a pigs ear vs silk purse. I'll wait for the GRP kit, which I think will be very special. This will be your first GRP kit in how many years?

-Astute - kind of grows on you. If the Incredible Hulk was a submarine, it would be the Astute. I'm keen to see how a boat with such massive control surfaces manoeuvres. Everything on her is massive. Yes Joel is cranking on with it - great to see.
Glad your getting one. Will you be doing the PJ for it?

Cheers

J

[Slats]

Fish scale. Find an accurate, high resolution fish scale. Attach fish line to the front and back of the model then suspend fully fitted out model in submerged condition by the fish scale and record the mass. Lift the model to surfaced waterline using only the scale and record the mass. The difference in mass between submerged and surface weights will be the amount of mass in water that your ballast tank will need to displace. So because 1 gram of water has a volume of 1cc, then you can now calculate required ballast volume. Oh yes, add 10 or 20% for reserve buoyancy. Because. the wtc should be submerged in both submerged and surfaced condition its value will cancel out and therefore won't be needed to be installed. I use hockey pucks inside the model just to add weight and keep tension on my lines though.

Joel

Another great idea - like it Joel.
J

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

David
- good to see you bite at a curve ball.

- torpedoes - what I'd like is a longer running weapon. More fuel and a straighter run. Would the thinner wall units do this?

-Albacore -to me it's the silk purse from a pigs ear vs silk purse. I'll wait for the GRP kit, which I think will be very special. This will be your first GRP kit in how many years?

-Astute - kind of grows on you. If the Incredible Hulk was a submarine, it would be the Astute. I'm keen to see how a boat with such massive control surfaces manoeuvres. Everything on her is massive. Yes Joel is cranking on with it - great to see.
Glad your getting one. Will you be doing the PJ for it?

Cheers

J

I'm easy. Takes next to nothing to get me into 'rant mode' these days. You should be ashamed of yourself, sir!

Yeah, more room in the new weapon for gas, so expect a longer run, yes.

More work on the styrene ALBACORE to tease you with, John:



God, the ASTUTE is butt ugly! However, as with the ****ed-off Alligator looking VANGUARD, the attack boat is growing on me. Yuck! Go get 'em, Joel!

Joel's winging the PJ on his own. I'm waiting in the wings to throw rocks at him should I see any wrong moves.

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]