R/C'ing the Revell 1/72 GATO Class Static Submarine Kit, Part-15

A Report to the Cabal:

I got Adam Carlson coming in tomorrow for a weeks abuse -- we'll be working on (hopefully finishing) his big Type-A project. So, I'll have my hands full with that and some turn key work that I simply have to get out of here before those clients sick the Fed's on me. This (and maybe one more) Cabal Report will be the last on the GATO project for a week, but don't fret ... this will give Crazy Ivan and Big Dave a chance to catch up with me.

And while I'm in gloat mode: Last night I took the GATO up to the bathroom tub and trimmed the boat out -- only took two trips between shop and bath to work it out, sports fans! My estimates as to foam amount and location as well as fixed ballast weight and location were pretty damn close to the mark. And to my joy I find that the floodable volume of the WTC-2.5/GATO's ballast tank is a tad over what is needed to float the boat to the designed surface trim water line. And the boats very stabile in roll, both in submerged and surface trim. Now I can build production cylinders!

Damn ... I'm good

I built a practical prototype bow plane retract mechanism and fitted it in the kit -- no problems worth writing about at all; things worked from the get-go. Guess there is something to 'careful planning' and mocking up things off-model. Only surgery (wich proved unessissary) was to increase the height of the limber holes through which the bow plane struts pass through the superstructure, unfortunately at the time I was not in the mood to fuck around and took a knife to the holes. However, now that the placement and strut travel are known quantities, I'll have to go back now and tighten those holes back up to scale size with a bit of CA, baking soda, tape and a little elbow grease.

Stupido!

And I started in on some torpedo launcher design work for the 1/72 Revell GATO. More on that work later, as Regatta time creeps up opon us.

Here's the practical, installed bow plane retract mechanism. Note that I've trial fit the bow plane pushrod and aluminum tube torque rod. Rotation of the torque rod is transmitted through an (as yet un-built) clutch to the port gear. The torque rod is made to rotate through an (as yet un-built) thingamabob at the rear of the WTC.

The bow plane retract mechanism mounts within the hull with two 2-56 machine screws that fit a transverse foundation, cut from a piece of .040" styrene glued to the inside walls of the hull. The triangular piece of plastic is a temporary shim used while I investigated the optimum height of the gears to the centerline of the bow plane operating shaft. Now you can appreciate why I did not glue the forward section of the deck to the bow -- it's all about the access, baby!

I have to work out the linkage breaks between the bow plane retract mechanism torque rod and the bow plane operating shaft pushrod yet. But, for the moment, straight runs of these actuating rods suit as I check for operation of the mechanisms and clearance with adjacent structures.

The bow planes in the 'rigged in' position. Hey, Mom ... it works! As you can see the bow plane operating shaft bell crank is nothing more than a piece of brass sheet soldered atop a 3/16" Du-Bro wheel-collar.

A good look at the bow plane operating shaft bell crank and how tight it is packaged in there. See how thin they make the superstructure where the limber holes are? This does so, so much to enhance the scale look of the subject. And this 'thinning' of the superstructure where there are penetrations is carried on throughout the model. Well done, Revell!

(I am all powerful! I have the ability to interrupt SF Geekazoid threads without even making an entry ... behold! The Power of Merriman! Check this shit out: http://www. starshipmodeler.net/cgi-bin/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?

t=44686&start=60&sid=e391f3341b32beca654aa70c3bbd3511 go down sixteen posts, that's where the shit hits the fan. Imagine the fun if I posted over there. Hurry ... before some fool locks it down!)

Note that I've used the kit provided plastic bow plane operating shaft. As you can see, there is nothing down below that would get in the way of the eventual torpedo tube installation.

This is pretty much how I remember things looking under the deck plates of the TRUTTA. damn! ... I love this kit!

Full rise on the bow planes. This and the next shot clearly shows the need for the sloppy 'wobble' between bow plane strut 'doughnut' and pin -- without that clearance you won't get the pitch motion needed to make these a practical set of control surfaces.

Full dive on the bow planes. During initial placement of the bow plane retract mechanism I was getting some contact between the strut and the limber hole it passes through, so I hacked it open to the point you see here. But, once I had worked out the correct height of the retract mechanism within the bow I found that the small original limber hole was just fine for passing the strut. So, I have to repair this and the other limber hole to get things back to an 'as built' condition.

All that room in the lower hull just begging to be crammed full of launching gear. Those six shutter doors will have to go. I'm not going to kill myself and try to make the shutter doors practical ... screw that! I'll just open up the areas were the shutters are and place the muzzles of the tubes even with the back vertical edge of each opening -- good enough.

Though a ways off, I did a quick sketch for an improved launcher mechanism I plan to adapt for use aboard the Revell 1/72 GATO kit. There's room in the hull for ten tubes and weapons (sorry, no reloads yet, I'm just not that smart ... yet).

I've been working on these things -- weapons and launchers -- with varying degree of success for some fifteen years now. My most recent development of the launcher makes use of a dual-action system: when the tube is in the 'launch' condition the weapons nozzle is freed and at the same time a 'stop-bolt' is removed to permit launch of the weapon.

The weapon itself I'm happy with: a hollow cast resin torpedo that holds a charge of Propel liquid that expands out the nozzle as a gas, pushing it along for distances of up to sixty feet! These things are much easier to build and operate in the larger scales, 1/72 is ideal.

More launcher information as I get a working mockup up and running.

'Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!'