Auguste Piccard by FreekS - FINISHED - 1:25 - RADIO - Swiss passenger mesoscaphe built for 1964 World Fair

[mtaylor]

I'd love to see a video of the torpedoes and the sub itself.   Same for the flying underwater Avenger.

[FreekS]

Hi Mark, here’s the latest generation of the torpedo - in “my neighbors” pond

 

 

This second video is from 2015 and shows the boat firing torpedos. Note, these were not electric - but rubber-motor powered. 
 

 

 

 

freek

 

[mtaylor]

That is impressive.  I also like the "neighbor's" pond.  

[yvesvidal]

Fantastic videos. A nice display of multiple technologies, from the camera all the way to the submarine and torpedoes.

Yeap, your neighbor has a very nice pond.... among other things.

 

Yves

[FreekS]

Well, I’m building again! My other projects are finished and as there is little model ship sailing going on I don’t need much time for repairs! Been working on the deck section of the Mesocaph, which will fit on top of the cylindrical pressure hull. 

[FreekS]

Finally starting to look recognizable. The woodwork is slow, mainly because the drawings I constructed from photos are not always accurate. But I’m not unhappy with the rough shape. It will be tricky to align the front and rear sides, which are separated by a bayonet. But at least I’m in my basement while it’s 32C outside!

 

 

[FreekS]

Woodwork on the hull nearly finished - next is impregnating with thin epoxy resin, then applying thick epoxy and sanding. Oh well, only in year 5 or so. Freek

[FreekS]

Hi all, first layer of epoxy-putty is on, and I’ve laid out the equipment I’m going to have to install, and roughly where in the boat it will come. 
 

note the picture is a bit „wavy“ due to panorama mode....!

 

from left to right

battery pack placeholder,

LED Controller for the strip of LEDs that will come above the windows,

Engel Ballast Tank (basically large electric syringe to take water in and pump it out)

40 MHz receiver and electronic leveler

three servos for rudder and front and rear diveplanes

Ballast tank controller

motor speed controller and magnetic on/off switch

brushless motor with coupler to shaft

Messing cast prop.

[FreekS]

Started now on the more technical parts - from the stern forward. I decided to print the shroud/rudder combination, and it will be quite a challenge to mount and ensure the propellor aligns perfectly with it. I am waiting for parts of the drivetrain, so focused on making the supports for the shroud, and the stern dive planes which will be controlled via a Bowden cable visible. The second Bowden controlling the rudder will run through the lower wooden support part. Above the model a couple of fotos of the original at launch in early 1960s and and pre restoration around 2010.....

 

 

[lmagna]

Nice work FreekS.

It is possibly too late to aid you in your propeller/nozzle alignment but what I used to do back in my RC days was to cut two disks that were the same size as the inside of the nozzle and mount them on the prop shaft instead of the propeller. that would hold the nozzle aligned while I mounted it in place. When finished  just remove the disks and place the prop and everything always worked perfectly.

[FreekS]

That’s a great idea, everything is still loose and I’ll think how I can do that. I’m waiting for the prop shaft to arrive ..... Thanks!

[FreekS]

I've made quite a bit of progress since September - thanks to lockdown but unthanks to recent cold in the basement!

The "Techrack" is fully built - with batteries, Engel "Kolbentank", Arduino controller for the tank built by a friend, brushless motor and controller, magnetic on/off switch, Corona (!) 40 MHz 8-channel receiver and three news servos. I'll do a video of it somewhat later the picture shows the incividual components. The propeller and shroud, diveplanes fore and aft and the tank all work well off my Futuba Mx-16 transmitter. Now working on the waterproof LED strip that will provide lights over the passenger windows. I've given up making drawings, it quicker to do the work twice!

 

 

The shape is mainly there - though there is still an extensive keel section to be built. Windows in the 3D printed "sail" will also be a challenge! 

 

Just to prove the techrack is actually inside a short video. The joy one can have in simple things.....

[FreekS]

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!

[FreekS]

Video of first test dive

 

 

[mtaylor]

Congratulations on solving the engineering issues and still having it look great.     I do have a question... I"m assuming that tanks are being flooded to sink?  What is used to bring the ship up.... compressed air supply?

[FreekS]

thanks for the compliment!

It’s an Engel pistontank - a 750ml piston driven by an electric motor. The piston draws water from outside, compressing the displaced air volume in the boat (which has to be airtight). Because of this overpressure in the boat one can rise by reversing the piston.  Its often used in europe - though it’s the first time I use this - in my prior boat I used a two way peristaltic pump but that’s much slower and risks overfilling the tank if the sensor fails.https://engel-modellbau.eu/shop/en/Sub-Components/Piston-Tanks/

 

[FreekS]

Today the model made its first foreign visit, to the “verkehrshaus der Schweiz”, the transport Museum of Switserland in Luzern. There the museum allowed me to photograph the boat with its namesake and even sail and dive in their boat basin. Very nice - the boat is not yet fully finished, name and others decals I made are not mounted yet (I need to find a clear coat that does not yellow when over solvent based paint). More importantly, while the boat runs and turns very well on the surface, trimming underwater still needs some iterations of moving ballast. But today was a very nice day!

 

[yvesvidal]

Great pictures and we are all sharing your happiness and elation for taking pictures with the real thing. Not so many models can be placed next to their big brothers or sisters, and you model is a very faithful representation of the prototype.

 

Yves

[Roger Pellett]

An amazing example of miniaturizing the real thing.  Well done!

 

Roger 

[mtaylor]

That is one stunning model and matches the real thing.   Very impressive work.

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[lmagna]

Even though you say that you are not completely finished yet it is clear you have created a fine model of the hardest RC ship classification, the submarine.

 

I recently became re-involved with my old local RC boat club and at the last fun float another old member who has not been all that active for years showed up with two subs that he was trying out for the first time. By the time we left he was saying that he should have added wheels to the bottom of the boats as our local pond is so shallow he spent much of the time skidding along under the water!😭 Hopefully you have deeper water to run in and will have no need for wheels! 

[FreekS]

On 9/17/2021 at 3:15 AM, lmagna said:

Even though you say that you are not completely finished yet it is clear you have created a fine model of the hardest RC ship classification, the submarine.

 

I recently became re-involved with my old local RC boat club and at the last fun float another old member who has not been all that active for years showed up with two subs that he was trying out for the first time. By the time we left he was saying that he should have added wheels to the bottom of the boats as our local pond is so shallow he spent much of the time skidding along under the water!😭 Hopefully you have deeper water to run in and will have no need for wheels! 

yes my testing also was in a shallow lake, and while submerged - a large “smoke-trail” was following the model as it scraped through the mud. Not good for the nerves! Here’s the boat in that same lake at dusk - good to see the effect of the LED strips I spent so much time waterproofing and building an arduino controller for!

 

thanks for all the likes!

[yvesvidal]

Spectacular picture !!!

 

Yves

[FreekS]

Finally the chance for some serious testing, spent a few hours in a pool in Lichtenstein. Found a quiet spot to practice dives….. I think I need to move about 10 gram ballast from aft to bow (Kind off one passenger walking inside..). More testing tomorrow, followed by a 10 hour drive home….  Edited September 17, 2022 by FreekS

[yvesvidal]

Very nicely done and filmed. Yes, perhaps a tiny amount of weight on the bow and it will be perfect. 

I love the sounds of the machinery from underwater....very realistic.

 

Yves