Oct 24th - I am going to run 1 of my boats.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

This was a double post.

[sam reichart]

My 1/72 Alfa had a terrible turning circle on the surface. Underwater though, that boat could fly. I have seen people do rudder mods for Type XXIs as well due to the poor turning performance.
I’ll have to go look for your build thread. Thanks Ralph.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

The rudder modification starts on February 7th, near the bottom of the Akula II build.
Right above the post of this past weekend.

I tend to post everything I do to help others.
Even post mistakes so others can avoid them.

Here is the mod.

[ccontrol]

I see a tugboat in your future. Lots-o-fun. Maybe start with a cheap fishing rod and practice casting a small lead weight over top of your model and reeling it in. Salvage by tug is more fun though. You can tow some apparatus behind you that will snag the lower rudder or prop and make towing home a breeze.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I was thinking a square pusher tug. (filled with foam so it can not sink)
Or a motorized barge.
Make some sort of wire devise on the front that could be raised and lowered to craddle the subs of different sizes.

Thinking Glomar Explorer but on the front.
Like a hay lift on a tractor.

So many posibilities.

[greg w]

I have a motorized barge that works very well and has many rescues to it's credit. I even added some servo retractable landing gear from an airplane as deployable push bars
. They extend well down below the surface and can cradle the side of a sub. The drive is a steerable 380 motor pod that can turn about 100 degrees to either side. I will posts some pictures soon

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

That would be great!

[greg w]

So this is my rescue barge. It is built on an custom polycarbonate electrical box cover. The cover is about 1/8" thick and crystal clear. The motor is a 380 type direct drive in a pod made from pvc plumbing fittings. Originally I built this with 2 small drives from one of the cheap yellow subs with rudder servos directly on top of each drive and controlled separately. there is a rudder servo under the throne room (outhouse) using a cable drive pulley that was salvaged from an old glider. It also has a servo extender to increase the throw of the steering to about 100 degrees left or right.. The cover has a built in lip that I used to glued and screwed some scrap wood all the way around and then I attached a simple plywood deck. There have been several mods over the last 5 or 6 years including a fpv camera that currently looks down thru a clear area of the hull for search and rescue. Greg

[greg w]

this barge has pushed in many boats. On it's first outing alone I performed 5 rescues. It always goes to the pond with me . It has even gone to Carmel . But on a good day it never gets run and I'm fine with that.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I like it.
It is basic and has the needed items to make a rescue.

I was thnk a barage shape like an old cement mixing trough box.
Don't think it even needs the ends tapered up.
Just plow through the water.

I would not have thought of a motor pod.
No rudder required.
No propeller shaft or stuffing tube.

Good push bars up front (pads) and something to let down or up to capiture the sub or other stranded ship/boat.

And in this situation, "No" is a good thing.

Some where I have a photo of a river motor barge.
It has a steering stand at the rear having just railing around it. (now cabin structure)
It might have been and empty car ferry barge, come to think of it.

Thanks, Greg.
Gives me something to think about.

[greg w]

Ralph I sent you a pm

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Message received.
Meassage sent back.

Thanks,

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Greg, a question.
What is the propeller diameter?
I have a couple to choose from but I think they are too big.
Trying to scale your pod to the hull gives me a diamter of about 1" or maybeeven 3/4".

This is a rescue barge so speed is not a issue but push power might be.

I am thinking a 4 blade propeller but that may be more than needed.

[greg w]

I used a prop that vac u tug sells for their tugboat. http://www.vac-u-boat.com/KitsParts.htm I think its a 1.75" three blade. It only has a 380 motor inside. Originally I ran the prop exposed but later used a pvc fitting as a nozzle. If I remember correctly the pod started as a 1" pvc tee with a 1/2" branch. I then used reducing fittings and a cap and sanded to a rough shape. The whole thing started as a tinkering project to see if I could do it and was just to push my camera system around.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Thanks, Greg.
I see several things I could use from that site.
Propeller, dog bones complete with stainless screws and other suff.
I am going to have to look over those pages slowly and make up an order.

I have several brushless motors that will do nicely.
About the same diameter as the 380 motors but much shorter in over all length.
And no RF noise.
More torque so less energy to run.

While in the shop today, I realized I have a lot of down time waiting for the glue to cure on the parts I make out pf plastic sheet.
I looked in my parts box and found some motors.
Then I thought if I got more parts, I could build this rescue barge during the down time.

So it will start soon.