USS Portsmouth SSN 707

[Ernie]

So, this is another different one. The USS Portsmouth was a Los Angeles class sub which were designed and built to not only fire torpedoes but also tube launched Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and Harpoon Anti Ship Missiles. She was a Flight One boat, so everything was squirted out her torpedo tubes.   Flight Two boats had vertical launch tubes for the Tomahawks and Harpoons.   Later class 688I subs had the vertical launch tubes as well as improved systems capabilities.

 

The Hobby Boss 1/350 scale kit

 

 

 

I am also planning to add a 3D printed prop, but have not ordered that as yet.

The USS Portsmouth was named for Portsmouth, New Hampshire and was commissioned at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Her other namesake city was Portsmouth, Virginia.

[Col.]

Excellent choice Ernie. I was hoping we'd get an ICBM-carrying sub in our GB but had completely forgotten about these  

[desert falcon]

Nice with something Naval !!

[Ernie]

I've begun the Portsmouth by getting the hull together and got the top of the sail onto the sail proper. While the fit was better than the Franklin, the hull halves still were not a really a great fit. More putty and sanding ahead 

 

[Ernie]

I finally got the hull seams sanded out and hopefully the seams will disappear under a layer of primer. The vertical fins have been added, the sail is assembled and sanded, though it is not glued in place as it will be easier to add it after painting. And I marked out and drilled the bottom of the hull for the mounting pins that will attach to the final display base.

 

 

The printed prop I ordered has arrived as well, it comes with the choice of early plain hub, or the vortex diffuser hub, which very likely was added to the Portsmouth during her service career.

 

 

The horizontals were assembled, and the ends were sanded round for the tubes where the towed arrays are released. The TB-16 "fat line" on the port side and the TB-23 "thin line" on the starboard stabilizer. The one on the left has been sanded, the one on the right is the original profile, these will be drilled out before adding to the hull. While not a perfect fix, it is an easy and acceptable improvement to the kit.

The TB-16 array was the original fit to the 688 class, the TB-23 came later, and were retrofitted to most all the boats by the 1990's. Prior to that there was not a tube on the starboard stablizer.

 

 

Hopefull it will not be long before this goes into the paint shed.

[Col.]

Good progress Ernie and the finesse of detail on that vortex diffuser is stunning  

[Bertie McBoatface]

These are the ultimate in mud-moving machines. I think they are evil looking things and will make very impressive models.