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yvesvidal
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Everything posted by yvesvidal
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Some progress: 1) installation of magnets to hold the starboard half hull to the deck and port hull. It is working very well and give me a sturdy and full hull to work with. This is very important to position perfectly the PE on the deck. In the end, I may glue the other half, but there is no certainty. It could stay like that and be fine. I may still add a couple of magnets towards the bow, below the torpedo doors. The half hulls are so big and long, there is a slight warping that irritates me. 2) There is the whole enchilada, holding with just the magnets: Now is time for the exciting part: THE PEs !!!! A novelty for me. For the time being, they are just resting on the plastic deck. Maybe tomorrow, I will start gluing them, starting from the bow. Yves
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Yeah. This is going to be exciting. You are going to have an indigestion of PE, for sure. Yves
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- graf zeppelin
- trumpeter
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The Haynes manual on the Type VIIc seems to go along with your understanding, Imagna. So, I also have access to the original German Manual for the Type VIIc, translated in English. Below are a few schematics showing the intricacies and complexity of the fuel system and the respective positions of the various fuel tanks: I did not study them in details, but it is a good starting point to figure out how it works. Knowledge of the language of Goethe may help too. Yves
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Imagna, Thank you for these explanations. It is somewhat difficult to understand exactly how these Type VIIc submersibles were used and operated. Yes, apparently the RFO (Reserve Fuel Oil) tanks were located with the main ballasts, on each side of the hull. I found that picture (not very good) of a slice of the U-534 (Type IXc) which was rescued recently and is being restored by a wealthy and "crazy" organization. It is still quite close to the Type VIIc, just bigger: Nice view of the two Turbos above. Yves
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I have seen this appearance on some pictures of units in dry-docks. The effect may be over-exaggerated on my model but will be more subtle once I sand them a little bit and after the painting. I also do not like the sleek and smooth side provided by the kit. The crater like effect is due to multiple reasons: - Foundry was not always perfect. - Occasionally these submersibles landed on on the bottom of shallow waters. - Barnacles and shells hanging there... - Dry-dock maintenance between two missions. - Possible explosions and shrapnels being received. The ballast (above) did not have these appearances, although they were bumped at port and at sea (during re-fueling/replenishing), quite frequently. The typical oil canning was found on the ballasts, being made of a softer material. Below are a couple of picture of the U-995 that survived the war and did not see too much action: Yves
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The half hull (Port side is pretty much completed: All holes (with the exception of the rectangular openings above the main ballasts) have been drilled and filed. A few details: My camera really sucks in Macro mode....☹️ I just have to finalize the gluing of the magnets to secure the two halves together. Then, the main deck can be assembled. Yves
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Coming along nicely and steadily. Yves
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Guys, You may not know it, but Greg will be attempting a SS GATO class submarine in 1/350, with all the internal piping 😉 Yves
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Beautiful model. This is a jewel of precision and beauty. Yves
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- sultana
- model shipways
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Thank you. Yes, of course, I do have the so called Type VIIc Manual by Haynes. Very interesting book. Yves
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We are at a welcome point, where the "butchering" of the main deck has been completed: Not much of the deck is left overall. The hatches have to be also reworked as the PE set offers a nicer alternative than the gross molding of the Trumpeter. The Hatch mechanisms have to be installed before gluing the PE decks. It was not easy to remove the molded hinges without damaging the spherical shapes. At this stage, I need to finish the work on the port hull, with a few more openings: I still have a few elongated vents to open towards the stern and work on the openings that you can see on the picture. I am NOT touching the square/rectangular vents above the two main ballast tanks. These are too tedious and would weaken the structure in a very negative way. I will simply paint them black to simulate holes. Finally, I started installing some small but very powerful magnets to hold both half hulls together. I think I will be using that approach all around to obtain a solid assembly that can be opened if need be. This picture found on the WEB is very interesting and revealing of the details underneath the deck. These submarines are very similar to the one I am modeling. One can see that the cuts I did on the deck, may resemble what was done on the real submersible. Yves
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It does. The difference between the original Trumpeter plastic deck and this one, is like night and day. Yves
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I do not know about you guys, but I had the urge to see what all this PE would give. So I put the two halves together and added the tail: Yes, almost 5 feet of PE deck. A pure marvel, if you ask me (okay, I am biased). Impressive beast to say the least. Yves
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I decided to build some re-enforcement, inside the hull to support the delicate lace: It is not visible from outside, but it gives me a piece of mind and should strengthen the deck significantly, until the PE deck is glued (and even after). I am getting ready to cut the final openings for this section of the hull: After this, we are moving to the clear section of the stern. I am not looking forward to that part (same with the starboard side of the hull) as it is very brittle as all clear plastic are. I have ordered special cutting bits for my Dremel and I hope they will be efficient at biting into the clear polystyrene. Yves
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C'est tres beau Cri-cri. Superbe travail. Yves
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- confederacy
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Very true, but I am getting to the end of that structure. A few more cuts and it will be finished. I can then move back to the hull and complete the installation of the PE parts. Gluing the PE deck parts will be done last. I am also thinking about how to secure the other half of the hull, while allowing the opening of it, for access to the modules or for maintenance if something gets broken. I think miniature screws (near the keel) and micro magnets (under the deck) may be the way to go.... To do that, I need to have access inside the hull, through all the openings I created. Yves
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That is a good question.... I do not know yet....☹️ I found that interesting picture, showing the pressure hull and the base of the main gun on top of it. The kiosk and periscope framing is also clearly seen. The rear is more difficult to examine for details. In a way, I am glad that the U-552 did not have a snorkel as it adds a definitive level of complexity. The Revell kit representing a different submersible has the snorkel installed on the Port side. Yves
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Another section of the deck has been completed. Now, we are approaching an extremely fine "lace" and this is becoming critically fragile: Not cutting the bottom openings first (away from the hull) will definitely collapse the entire deck. A methodical approach is required. The result is worth all the efforts and risks taken: Yves
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Little more progress on the hull. I finished drilling the 100 some holes to open up the vents: Each opening requires 4 holes (#53), a careful couple of cuts and some sanding with a flat file. Edges are finished with a round micro file. Back is sanded and then brushed to get rid of as much dust and plastic barbs as possible. Moving along towards the stern. Preparing more cuts behind the kiosk: When it is over, it will be all "lace". Yves
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After producing about 2 pounds of dust, I just completed the lace cuttings around the Gun. There are five little spots that I decided to not cut, as I think it may turn into a disaster and weaken the deck too much. Let's not forget that the deck also holds the starboard side of the hull. You can see the five spots easily. They will be painted the color of the pressure hull before gluing the PE deck, and will then later on be blended with the deck painting. The final result is very nice and you can clearly see through in most places: It definitely brings a different flair than the original Trumpeter deck. I wish The Trumpeter would have done this when designing that kit. It would have saved a ton of time and efforts in making this model the most realistic possible. As far as gluing these large pieces of PE, I do not think I will be using CA glue. I need time to adjust precisely and also need a strong and somewhat flexible bond. I am leaning towards the two components Epoxy glue with 12 hours curing time. Most of the gluing will also be re-enforced from below. The brass pieces are large and thick. They will contribute to the rigidity of the deck. What are the experts thinking about this solution? Yves
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