G.L.

10. Bottom boards
I start with gluing the stringer at the starboard side. At port side (the open side) the bottom boards will not be placed.

Starting to puzzle the bottom boards. The boards are still all loose, I use a weight to keep them in place during the measurement.

While making the bottom boards I glued the thwart risings already into place at both sides.

The boards are complete. The only have to be glued and the back still has to be cut straight.
 
Thank you very much for reading this log, for your likes and for all your encouraging reactions.
 
Till next week!

9. Centerboard Case and Centerboard
The centerboard case is built on two beams with a recess for side boards at each side.

When the side boards are glued, it can be fitted in the hull.

Now the case fits, the cover plate can be glued.

At this stage I don't glue the centerboard case into place yet.
The center board is sawn from an 1.5 mm aluminum plate.

 

Fitting the board and checking if it can be lowered and hauled smoothly.

 

The centerboard is painted in black. I use a cardboard box as a spray booth (the centerboard is hanging in it on a metal wire. A bit hard to see on the photo).

 
 

10. Bottom boards
I start with gluing the stringer at the starboard side. At port side (the open side) the bottom boards will not be placed.

Starting to puzzle the bottom boards. The boards are still all loose, I use a weight to keep them in place during the measurement.

While making the bottom boards I glued the thwart risings already into place at both sides.

The boards are complete. The only have to be glued and the back still has to be cut straight.
 
Thank you very much for reading this log, for your likes and for all your encouraging reactions.
 
Till next week!

9. Centerboard Case and Centerboard
The centerboard case is built on two beams with a recess for side boards at each side.

When the side boards are glued, it can be fitted in the hull.

Now the case fits, the cover plate can be glued.

At this stage I don't glue the centerboard case into place yet.
The center board is sawn from an 1.5 mm aluminum plate.

 

Fitting the board and checking if it can be lowered and hauled smoothly.

 

The centerboard is painted in black. I use a cardboard box as a spray booth (the centerboard is hanging in it on a metal wire. A bit hard to see on the photo).

 
 

To Egkb and Bob, thanks for the tips. I am still trying to figure out about adding the the eye rings to the hold hatch covers. 
 
This is the engine exhaust

 
And this is the fabricated stack for the boiler and stove in the forward cabin. 
 

Again 6 months went by, this time with significant work done. 
 
The waterproof LEDs were mounted as floodlights over the hull portholes, with waterproof connections through the hull and controlled by an Arduino nano.
 
the boat was ballasted with nearly 3 kg of lead - decided over the keel, and deep in the hull in-between the ribs.
 
the hull was painted again and the sail mounted, complete with windows and decals.
 
then the boat was launched in my test tank, needed about 600 grams of extra ballast, moving ballast around a bit, and resolving some leaks through the propshaft, bowden cables etc. The epoxied hull itself was water- and airtight.
 
first test in the tank meant filling the 750 ml divetank - thus creating overpressure in the hull (and now the leaks seem resolved - for now). The boat went up and down perfectly level, so very happy withete first tests! Still a lot to be done, especially on the rudder/prop shroud which has too much play, but I’m getting there!

Dinner is Ready !! You have been served a new part.... Duration 20 hours and 21 minutes of non-stop (thanks God) printing.
 

 

 
Details of the anchor chain wells.
 
Hull_2 section is just starting..... expected duration 56 hours... It will be less once it gets going.
 

 
Yves

Yves, you made me curious. I join the line of followers

I agree with all the above comments. A really realistic model. Congratulations!

Yves, you made me curious. I join the line of followers

MCB, I just discovered your log and read it diagonally. What an interesting project! Tonight I will read your full story again, but this time carefully. I should have discovered this earlier. Congratulations on this beautiful work.

Yves, you made me curious. I join the line of followers

Yves, you made me curious. I join the line of followers

Yves, you made me curious. I join the line of followers

Time to put on the two side planks! These are made from 1/16" 3ply birch plywood, from Boulter Plywood in  Boston. It's an amazing material – stiff and very light – and the surface is very clean. Here's my first try at wrapping the ply around the hull: 
 

 
I epoxied the side onto the framework, holding it on with as many clamps as I own. I guess you can never have too many clamps! 
 

 
I pinned the planks to the chine using toothpicks to prevent any shifting as the glue dried. The epoxy has no holding power when it is wet ....
 

 
Finally, I made a tiny transom to cover the blocks at the stern (and bow). Eventually the bow will have a rounded "bumper" in case there are any collisions.
 

 
Next step is to put on the bottom. Back to you all soon!

Well, after the long and very involved U-552 Trumpeter Submarine kit in 1/48th scale, it was time to think about another crazy project. The Flower Class Corvette seems to be the perfect candidate for this new insanity, as it represents the nemesis of the U-boots.
 
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/20268-u-552-type-viic-submersible-by-yvesvidal-finished-trumpeter-148-plastic/?tab=comments#comment-617816
 
This model is dear to my heart for reasons which will be explained later, but is not available as a kit in the scale of 1/48th. A couple of GRP hulls exist (mostly on the British market) but nothing else readily available. Until recently....
 
Fortunately, in the Spring of 2019, Bensworx came up with a "Virtual Kit" of the Flower Class Corvette. I debated for a long time, whether this Build Log should be posted under the Kits section or under the Scratch Build section. I finally decided to present it here in the Kits section as it is truly a kit, although "virtual". By virtual, I simply mean that you purchase a large bunch of files, a 70 pages PDF documentation and you are on your own !!! The set is sold for $50 under the CGTrader web site. Most parts are available but the Virtual Kit leaves plenty of room for details and modifications.
 

 
As you may have easily guessed, the large number of files are the description (.stl) model file of all the parts needed to assemble a generic Flower Class Corvette in the scale of 1/48th. This crazy project was also for me an "excuse" to start exploring 3D printing as it is now becoming very widespread and very affordable. 
 
Disclaimer: I do not intend to finish this project or more precisely, it may take a long time. At the very least, I want to complete the hull and decks and test the feasibility of such kits and models. Who knows, maybe the energy and time to complete the model will come to me....
 
In the Spring of 1980, while being a student in the city of Toulouse (South of France), I was visiting my favorite Hobby Shop and was struck by a new kit from Matchbox: 
 

 
The Artwork, the massive size of the model and the fame of the Flower Class Corvette were all contributing to make this kit a "must-have". I gathered all my savings (the kit was 650 Francs in 1980, about $115) and travelled back home the following weekend, riding a train with that enormous box under my arm and two quarters left in my pocket. I still remember the incredible excitement and pleasure to put together such a kit, a passion that was soothing and healing a recent heartbreak. Nothing better than assembling a kit when you are depressed or heart broken. Of course, the Matchbox kit was far from being perfect, no PEs were available, no wooden decks, no metal guns and my ability to build a model was not what it is now. Therefore, I promised myself that I would build another kit of that legendary vessel in 1/72th scale (Revell) or bigger... or maybe both.
 
Some of you may be well versed in 3D printing but I am a complete newbie. When it was time to choose a printer, I was totally overwhelmed by the amount of choices, types, jargons and technologies. The only thing I knew was that I needed a printing bed of at least 210 mm x 180 X  160 mm to print the nine segments of the hull. I first looked into the Bibo 2 printer, used by the designer of the kit but its price and availability were more than what I wanted to invest. I then ordered a QIDI ImateS capable of printing PLA and ABS but that model worked for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stopped spooling the filament and never allowed me to print anything else. It was quickly returned and I am awaiting for my refund. I finally decided to go with what is now a legendary machine, embraced by thousands of people around the world: the CREALITY Ender-3 Version2.
 

 
This machine is amazing, comes as a kit (which is a good thing to learn about 3D printer) and can be purchased for $270. It is no wonder it has become today the absolute reference for amateurs printing. In addition, numerous add-ons kits and upgrades can be easily found on the Internet. I assembled that printer in one evening and the following night was spent printing (with success) hull sections of the Flower Class Corvette. And no, I did not print a Benchy (even though it is a boat) or the "X-Y-Z" cube and jumped directly into the parts of my virtual kit.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 

I agree with all the above comments. A really realistic model. Congratulations!

I agree with all the above comments. A really realistic model. Congratulations!

I agree with all the above comments. A really realistic model. Congratulations!

I agree with all the above comments. A really realistic model. Congratulations!

Next to do : Making the yards
 
So, what is the correct length??
Many drawings, many paintings. And they all have one thing in common : the lengths of the yards are almost all different in proportion to the masts.

There is a description of the "correct length" of masts and yards. According to this, the yard of the main sail would be about the same length as the main sail
The yard of the mizzen sail is even a little longer.

If you then look at the drawing of the same ship, the ratio mainmast to main yard is not about 1/1 but about 5/8.

So, it's going to be "trail and error" again...
Calculate the lengths according to the table (old) With a very long main and mizzen yard.

Then see if all these dimensions are believable. With a simple presentation of bamboo sticks, paper sails and tape (please don't laugh 😉)
We immediately see that the yard of the mizzen mast is too long. the rest seem to be good at first sight
to be continued.
Thanks for following

Base plate finished.
 
All wooden parts ready

Name painted 

Wood collored and all parts assembled.

 

Thank you all! She is finally ready! I managed to find a small enough chain in a jewelry shop, and with small additions she is finished. The final gallery: 

Aaaand finished. 
Compared to a WW1 German torpedo boat 
 
and beside a big brother from
ww2 
 
and parked in the digital graveyard 

Rigging the top sail.

Attachment of the topsail to the gaff.

The topsail is held against the topgallant and mast by a rope that is attached to a traveler which can travel over the topgallant and that is going down through two rings at the forward leach of the top sail.

The top sail is hoisted.
 
Thank you for reading this log, for your likes and for your constructive comments.
 
Till next week!