Hr. Ms. O 19 1938 by Piet - FINISHED - scale 1:50 - submarine of the Royal Navy Netherlands in service 1939 - 1945

[Kevin]

of course the actual dimensions of the real thing could be slightly out as well, the structure would have possibly been altered on the real thing to give any clearances, lol they wouldn't have taken of the pressure hull to fit it

[Piet]

Hi Kevin,  in actuality the trim planes did fit nicely inside the deck structure and above the pressure hull.  Only a small portion remained outside.  See pic below.

Some time ago Gino den Ridder send me a whole bunch of photos and there are few that show them retracted.  Now that I have made both vanes and inserted them they would not go in as far as the pic show.  They but against each other in the center so I figured that they must overlap each other by rotating each one slightly in the opposite direction.  I am carefully carving some space inside the deck area for that purpose. 

Gino send me another pic yesterday, which is much clearer then the one I had before.  He also send me a pic of a drawing he is working on that shows the vanes retracted.  Sometimes it helps when one has an engineering mind 

That drawing is a redraw of the deck layout with some added details because the original from the navy archive is not very clear.

 

 

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

Hello all y'all,

 

Yesterday I took the bull by the horns and removed 2 mm from the top edge of the deck torpedo door opening, starting on the port side.  I also had to shave 1 mm from the underside of the deck beams.

It is now also the size it should have been and checked it against the model drawings of the O 21, the boat build right after the O 19.  This should also answer the question Borus had.

 

I need to figure out how to make a "doorstop" at the top of the door.  I had to remove material from the top frames and lost whatever i had that acted as a stop.  But never fear, I'll figure out a way to do that.

 

I also completed both trim vanes and found out that they would not go inside the space provided as shown on the original photographs.  I now need to very carefully carve some wood away in the deck frame bulkhead.  The vane will also be tapered a little towards the trailing edge, which will help a lot.

 

Oh boy, what a tangled web we weave 

 

deck torpedo opening at 14 mm high.  The bottom edge is .5 mm below the launcher turntable, just right.

 

This is a close-up of the opening and you can see the launcher turntable

 

Both trim vanes temporarily installed.  More work needed to make them look like the photos.

 

Cheers,

 

 

[Jim Lad]

That's a great adventure in model making you've embarked on with the vanes, Piet!

 

John

[Piet]

Thanks John, yes, and challenging   .  But in the end I hope it's all worth it.  

 

After some yard work this morning I ventured back in the dockyard (garage) after lunch and modeled the vanes some and also carved some more wood away in the deck frames.  Lo and behold, the vanes now overlap each other in the center 

Everything is still rough and in need of some more shaping and trimming but I'm quite happy with the result.  The pic below shows the vanes just loosely stuck in and not in their actual location.  

I'm now also working on the retract and "swivel mechanism."  

 

Last week, while waiting for my bandsaw drive belt I cut out the rudder hinge frame and keel extension on my Proxxon scroll saw.  This too is still in the rough stage and needs shaping yet.  Below are the pics showing it temporarily stuck under the aft hull.

 

Well, at least there is some progress towards the positive side, building up instead of tearing down 

 

Trim vanes temporarily stuck in before extra rework on the deck bulkheads and vanes .

 

Trim vanes temporarily stuck in after rework to the deck bulkheads and tapering the vanes towards the trailing edge.  They can now go all the way in but this photo shows them close to where they belong.  Yeah, they can still go a little further according to the photo.

 

the rough cut rudder hinge frame / keel frame loosely stuck under the hull.  There will be a cable / net cutter at the leading edge.  

 

This is a forward looking shot of the rudder hinge / keel frame.  It still needs some modeling work and metal work before I can fasten it to the hull.

 

Cheers, 

[Jim Lad]

Building up is always a good thing, Piet!

 

John

[Piet]

Hey John, my, you are quick !  Yes, for sure but it's these little things that take so much time.  Oh well, at least it keeps me out of the bar    not that I frequent such facilities.

Wait till I get to the con - - - they had two retractable A A guns!  Should I - - - hmmmm.

 

Cheers, 

[mtaylor]

Uh-oh...  probably you should, Piet.   You're like the rest of us: get an idea and we run with it.   :D  

[Piet]

Hi Mark, well, here I go thinking again  - - - 

Actually, right after I mentioned it I started to "engineer" a way to do just that.  I have to model the guns anyway and mount them so it's just one more step to fold them and push 'm down.  My biggest problem is some good photos or drawings of the guns.  Hmmm, I have the make and then there is google - - - 

 

Today was spend doing grocery shopping and prepping a few dishes for the admiral when she comes back home again.  She drove up to Pittsburgh, PA to assist our daughter with the move of the grandson to college (900 miles in 13 hours, in one day).  Wow, how time flies.  I have seen the little bugger being born and now he's off to college.

 

So, I'll have to spend some time cooking, mostly Indonesian and Indian stuff.  She loves my cooking, mainly because she doesn't have to    No, really, she likes Far Eastern food but not too spicy.

 

Cheers, 

 

 

[Piet]

First of all, thanks fellows for your likes, appreciate it.

 

With the admiral temporarily in another harbor, the daughter's place near Pittsburgh, PA ,  there are a few domestic chores I need to do now.  I had some time this p.m. to go to the shipyard (garage) and do some more work on the trim vanes.  I completed the moving mechanism and temporarily installed them for workability and fit.

 

Nothing was cemented yet but they seem to work as advertised !  My biggest concern is the main swivel pin.  I cannot CA glue them before putting the main swivel piece on them, they have to be installed together, it's a space problem.  Sooooo,what to do and not glue the swivel to the hull frame.  A head scratcher for sure.  I'll have to sleep on it and hopefully Mrs Sandman will give me a dream with a solution.

Ooooh wait, I have some plastic sheet that any glue wont stick to, I'll slip a strip of that stuff under the swivel piece, worth a shot.

 

Well, I really can't install the vanes yet, they need to be covered first with paper to simulate steel and then the net / cable cutter on the leading edge.  Hmmm, another interesting project and will make it out of some brass sheet stock.

 

It looks like that before I can even permanently install them with the protective triangular thingies on the sides ( ) I must first cement the fake steel plating to the bow end of the boat to at least behind the trim vanes.

 

Okay, here are a few pics of the last two day's work.

 

These are all the parts to install the trim vanes except for the main swivel pin.  The copper tube in the lower vane is actually just shoved onto a 1.5 mm brass pin that I CA'd into the vane.  That copper tube will be CA's into the main swivel allowing the vane to rotate.  The top vane assy shows it as extended and the lower one as retracted.

 

Here I have temporarily installed both trim vanes.  I had to cut slots in the upper "longerons" to gain access for a drill.  Unfortunately the drill bit was just a little short so I completed the hole depth by clamping the drill bit in a small vice-grip plier and by rotating this I got a good 7 to 8 mm hole for the pin.

 

Even though this pic is a little out of focus but the aim was to show the main swivel and the swivel pin.

 

This shows the trim vanes extended.   I am aware that the main swivel on the port side needs to be sanded down some to bring the vane closer to the hull.  Actually, there are several things that still need attention.

 

This is the starboard vane retracted.  The port vane is also retracted but can't be see, you'll have to take my word for it.     Yeah, there is some damage to the side plates.  That's due to having to cut a slot into the deck support frame located behind the pencil line.  However, it'll be covered with the paper fake steel plates.  At least it begins to kinda look like the actual photo.

 

Cheers 

[Adrieke]

wonderful work you are doing there Piet

[Piet]

Well hello Adriaan, how's thing going with you?  Still locked out of the shipyard?

Thanks for dropping in and your kind comment.  Yes, she's slowly taking shape.  It would have been easier if I had done this before the deck framing went up, this was a challenge alright.  But it is working and that's main thing.

Hope to see you back soon at your model and in the meantime take care.

 

Cheers,

[Jim Lad]

Coming along very nicely, Piet!

 

John

[Adrieke]

Well hello Adriaan, how's thing going with you?  Still locked out of the shipyard?

Thanks for dropping in and your kind comment.  Yes, she's slowly taking shape.  It would have been easier if I had done this before the deck framing went up, this was a challenge alright.  But it is working and that's main thing.

Hope to see you back soon at your model and in the meantime take care.

 

Cheers,

yes no building yet for a week or two but the end of my problems are in sight so i am happy

 

and looking in on your builds and others and seeing the progress has kept me sane

[Piet]

First of all, thank all y'uns for the likes !

 

Thank you John, yes, she is coming along okay but slow.  With the admiral gone for two weeks the domestic chores bite into building time.

 

Adriaan, so good to hear that you coming along re your physical problem and I'm happy to oblige in keeping you sane 

 

I have been upgraded to 6 months checks inside the bladder instead of the three.  Sure glad about that, it's a pain in the ahum, well you know - - - uh, I call it Sir Peter 

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

This morning I ventured into the shipyard (garage) and tackled the net cutters on the trim vanes.  I also cemented the paper covering on the vanes.

I used "Liquitex" glazing medium for the glue and semi finish.  This stuff is used by artists when painting pictures with acrylic paint.  I don't use the stuff for my paintings, I like the good old oil paints or watercolors.  Although acrylic paints have their place in the art world.

 

In any case, when fully set I can lightly sand it to smooth out the brush marks and dull it some.  In this case it really doesn't matter because the boat will be painted anyway in the colors when placed into service by the K M (Koninklijke Marine, Royal Navy) in 1939.

 

The one vane actuator on the port side needs a "repair,"  the hinge pin hole is a tad too large.  I need to plug the hole and re-drill it.  No biggie.  I'm glad it works and looking okay

 

So, now the boat has some teeth 

 

As you can see I used brass shim to make the teeth.  It's made in two parts, one strip with the width of the vane and curved to match.  The teeth part is also made from the same shim stock with a "foot" bend at 90 degrees and the teeth cut into the other part.  It was then soldered to the base strip and final fit to the leading edge of the vane.

The teeth assy was glued to the vane with CA glue.

 

Cheers,

[FreekS]

Very nicely made functional front dive planes!

 

She really is the older brother of my KXVIII, which had fixed front dive planes!

You've even pointed out a build error I made, I swivel my deck torpedo doors upwards and you wrote they actually open downwards. That's pretty impressive research you've done!

 

With all the functional features you consider, retractable dive planes, torpedo doors that open and the 40 mm coming out of their waterproof buns, are you going to make those function electrically with a few servos? Or manually with a fingernail?

 

Fantastic to see such a nice build of a Dutch sub happening overseas!

 

Freek

Edited August 17, 2013 by FreekS

[Sjors]

Hi Piet,

 

I know that I have not left any comment lately but still enjoy what you are doing.

To be honest, I don't know a thing about submarines, only that they are black and the are under water….

The submarines I ever see where at the RDM on the Heyplaat…and that was under the docks.

So I can not tell you if you are right or wrong with a lot of things.

But I still follow you !

 

[PacificCrossRoads]

Hi Piet. The main question! You're doing a boat for 1941 or 1945?? Best wishes. Boris. 

[Piet]

Wow, thank you all for the like votes, appreciate it very much.

 

Hoi Freek, good to hear from you!  Older brother?  Hmmm, perhaps so plan wise but the O 19 was laid down and completed after the K XVIII, that should make her the younger brother    Actually, the original plans for that sub were drawn up in 1934 as the O 17 but many changes and other innovations were incorporated making her the most advanced submarine in the world at that time.  According to the records she was also the first boat with "getrimmed Diesel Siesteem," or snorkel system.  She was launched and commissioned in 1939.

 

The reason for bottom hinged deck torpedo doors is that the lower door sills are below the level of the pressure hull where the launch assembly sits on top.  There is enough room for the doors to fold down where otherwise on the top that would not be possible unless a hump is made in the deck.

 

The two 40 mm AA guns will be retractable via the "armstrong" method, i.e. by hand    Next you or someone else may ask if all the guns can fire live ammo and launch torpedoes 

BTW, how did you manage to launch the deck torps on your K XVIII?

 

Hoi Sjors, nice of you to drop in, welcome.  How are you managing with the griep / flu?  Subs , hmmm, yeah, they are a different breed alright.  I know some but am learning though.  Actually, they spend most their life on the surface and before WW II the Dutch subs were painted in colors other then black or grey.  

Steel ships I know a little more about, especially the propulsion systems, steam or diesel.  Hey, I'm an airplane guy, that's been my life since 1952.  Subs are kinda like airplanes though when submerged.  But that's another story.

Take care my friend and keep stopping buy.

 

Hello Boris, a pleasure hearing from you.  Well, the plan is to make the model like she was at the time my father served on her from 1939 till the end of 1940.  So, she will be as originally commissioned in 1939.  This makes it a little more difficult to trace some of the details.  All the best my friend.

 

Cheers to all 

 

 

 

[FreekS]

Best Piet,

 

I built the rotation torpedo tubes from Aluminium tubing.

 

- two servos operate Bowden cables which rotated the doors open (sigh) and then rotate the mount

- A spring loaded pin perpendicular to the tubes locks the torpedo in place, and when the mount rotates 90 degrees it hits a stopper which withdraws the pin and unlocks the torpedo. The torpedo itself has a rubber motor and its prop is blocked by a small pin in the rear of the tube.

- the torpedo is then ejected through a small elastic band in the slot on top of the tube

- the ejection process then results in unblocking the torpedo and the rubber motor starts

 

I've gotten the rubber motor to drive the torpedo (at scale 1:50) about 2 meters, at good speed.

 

 

Crude, and I'm still optimizing!

 

Freek

[Sjors]

Hi Piet,

 

You know more then me about subs and planes…..

I only knows a little about a bus !

I have no flu but an pneumonia…..

No building these days ,only reading and writing a little and then I'm to tired to do something else…..

But now and then I will stop by.

 

[PacificCrossRoads]

Hi Piet. Very pleased about the fact that the boat will be at the beginning of WW II. Since I'm going to build the same version. Thank you again! Best wishes. Boris.

[Piet]

Thanks to all who voted like, much appreciated.

 

Hoi Freek, very ingenious!  Great stuff!  Did you also add the launching of the torps on video?  Love to see it.  2 meters is quite a distance.  

 

Hoi Sjors, pneumonia eh. Nasty stuff.  Just follow doctor's orders, take a few cold beers and call me in the morning.      Yes, I am also a doctor, airplane doctor 

You only know a little about a bus?  I didn't know that, do you drive a bus or sleutel on them???            Oooh man, I crack me up   

Airplanes are easy, especially flying them.   Besides all the television screens there are three buttons in the cockpit, oh sorry, it's flight deck now, since we have women pilots.  Okay, one button says start, the middle one is go and the last one is stop.  The hard part is knowing which button to push at the right time.  

Pull control yoke back, houses get smaller, push yoke forward, housed get bigger. 

Don't tell anybody because if people know how easy it is to fly then everybody will be pilots, so we keep it a secret. 

 

Hi Boris, glad you agree with keeping the O 19 pre WW II.  

[Paul Salomone]

Hello Piet,  

 

Good work indeed,

 

This is the first time that I am seeing teeth mounted on diving flaps. Were they mounted to cut through underwater protection steel nets or to cut off cable laid sea mines?

[Blueskippy]

Hi Piet have been quietly watching and am seriously in awe of your sub.

 

Skippy

Ps. Your flying technique sounds eerily familiar to a recent holiday flight I was on. Lol

Edited August 19, 2013 by Skippy

[Sjors]

Hi Piet,

 

My doctor is a little different.

He changed my antibiotics because the other one don't work.

If I have still fever on wednesday, he will send me to the hospital, to a specialist.

The only thing I know about my bus is that it has wheels, steering wheel and I have to work with it….

And that is enough for me !

 

[Piet]

Hello Paul and thanks for dropping in.  According to the drawings I have these trim planes have the net cutters but the guard above it has them as well.  I think they are not much good for cutting steel cables or chains though.  Thin stuff perhaps and definitely rope netting.

Yeah, it does seem strange to put them on something more delicate then fixed steel things.

 

Hello Skippy, thank you too for dropping in and you don't have to be silent you know, Sjors certainly isn't 

Yes, I'm having a ball with this model and let my VOC ship gather dust, shame on me.

Yeah, sometimes pilots want to hand fly the airplane themselves instead of letting the autopilot do the job.  That's when things get hairy       

Their excuse is then the weather, much turbulence   

 

Hey Sjors, I sincerely hope the medical professionals will fix you up.  I'll be rooting for you.  Re your bus, similar with pilots, all they know about their airplane is it got wings, a tail, engines and landing gear   

I have always wondered why they call it a landing gear and not a take-off gear   

Please get well my friend!

 

Cheers    

[Piet]

Today I moved to the stern area and started to make the propeller shaft bearing housing and the prop shafts.  Next will be the dive-plane support.  That'll be attached to the prop shaft bearing housing, which in turn is supported by two struts to the hull.

 

Before I can start with the dive planes, rudder and propellers I'll need to take some time off the builds to  clean the house a little, do some laundry and cook a few dishes my wife likes.  She is driving back from Pittsburgh, PA this coming Thursday.  900 miles in 13 hours.  72 years young!      There is a problem though, there is rain expected on most of the route and she dreads rain when driving.  Wish her well.

 

This shows both the port and starboard side prop shaft assemblies.  I used oak dowel and turned it down to the scale size of 10 mm diameter.  The same for the propeller blade hub.  The total length of the housing and hub 38 mm.  I used my Unimat DB 200 lathe to turn them and drill the holes.   I used copper tubing for the shaft housing and for the shaft itself, which is inside the housing tube.  Sorry, for got making pics of the turning process and also the part layout.  I placed the assembly on a paper cut-out for the dive plane support.

 

I also glued and pinned the rudder hinge and keel assembly, so I can now also make the rudder.

 

Cheers,

[Jim Lad]

Scrub that house, man!   You don't want to get caught by the Admiral!!

 

The prop shafts look good, by the way!

 

John