Flankerman Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Ever since making the Royal Navy covert ops submarine HMS Spartan - I'm really getting into these shadowy subs from the Cold War. My next conversion is the USS Seawolf SSN-575 - the second nuclear boat based on the USS Nautilus design. After serving for a few years, she was stretched by 52 feet for 'Special Projects' work - with side thrusters for delicate maneouvering. I'm using TWO Mikro-Mir Nautilus kits to stretch the hull - using these artists impressions I found on the internet.... Here, I've cut the two starboard hull halves into front and rear sections ready for joining. I've also moved the anchor recess further forward and drilled the holes for the side thrusters.... It isn't really banana shaped - it isn't glued yet and the camera lens distorts it a bit. I've also been researching (trawling the internet, saving photos) the USS Parche - a Sturgeon Class boat stretched by 100 ft for naughty work. Should be easy enough to model using two Mikro-Mir Sturgeons. Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Lovely project Ken, re the Parche you might find this link useful http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08683.htm Used this for my 1/700 build of the Parche. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 A bit more progress..... The blunt bow sonar on Seawolf is mounted on a raised bow, on Nautilus it is at the bottom of the bow. I have cut off the upper, sharp, section of the Seawolf bow - and have cut off the fatter sonar dome from the lower bow of the 'spare' Nautilus kit.... The two parts don't exactly match - but it gives the basic shape.... the lower bow has to be sanded to a thinner, sharper profile. The white plastic card is the sloping section on the Seawolf bow... I'll have to fit a triangular section of plastic card to make the flare between the two parts - therebye covering up the thruster holes ! I'll have to cut new holes in the flared section - and use lots of filler. I'm making it up as I go............. but it's fun!!!! Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 A bit more......... Flare section added to bow - and all the free-flood holes filled..... Close-up of the new bow - more filling and sanding needed yet.... I've also made a start on scratch-building the 'stepped' conning tower.... the core is easily carved and sanded from balsa..... .... then skinned with thin plastic card..... More work still needs to be done - but the basic shapes are coming along. Ken 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TristanR Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 Interesting project, it's a good looking submarine, even better with a stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 30, 2016 Author Share Posted April 30, 2016 I'm wasn't happy with the shape of the bow sonar...... The sides should be vertical, not sloping towards the top - so plastic card to the rescue...... Top view - much better now..... Working on the conning tower whilst waiting for the filler to set.... the top is cut down from the Nautilus kit. More later.... Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 The things giving me the biggest problem are the side thrusters - trying to model the slats. In the end I have used bits of etched grilles glued inside pieces of plastic card - which are then glued in place (I should have thought about this at the start - but that's not the way I work - (Bodgeit and Scarper is my motto) It does mean that the plastic card has to be faired in again - but they look OK to me.... The conning tower is just sitting on the deck - to see what it looks like.... Making the 'gondola' for the diver saturation lock out using L-shaped plastic...... I have no details of this - just guesswork.... The flat bottom is added from plastic card - with bits of etched brass and a hatch to add 'detail' I have no idea what the real thing looks like - so if you know - get in touch.... (I'll probably be getting a visit from the Men in Black) The finished gondola from the side.... Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Etched brass decking, landing 'skegs', various 'bumps', conning tower, rear diving planes etc all fitted. Underside view...... Almost all ready for painting - it still needs the DSRV mounts adding to the rear deck. Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CovertShores Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) Fantastic work. The artist's impressions you used are by me, glad they were helpful Regarding the underside, I won't pretend I know the details yet. But I think that the fairing is only for the skegs once you get behind the special missions compartment. So the only openings will be under the special missions section. No idea exact what they looked like but logically there'd be at least two holes, one for divers and one for Taps (bugs) and ROVs. Sonar fish and beacons also possibly although the torpedo tubes might be used for those. The larger hole for ROVs might be termed an aquarium as that is what it was called on Halibut. Both holes would have circular hatches as they are pressure vessels, but there might be some sort of outer door beneath them. A minor detail but the ballast tanks in the double hull of the special mission section start nearly halfway up the hull (based on the line of flood holes) so the lower half is likely wet space that free-floods. My guess would be that the fairing under the special mission section (inserted in front of the sail) would just be a large open area exposing the smaller pressure hull in this section. The two hatches would be visible looking up through this gaping hole. There might be hydraulic pincers and lights in there too, and possibly finds boxes and externally carried taps in the wet space. Good luck! H ISutton www.hisutton.com Edited June 29, 2016 by CovertShores 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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