Scratchbuilding a hull without decent plans - looking for guidance from the experts

[ninjrk]

I'm hoping that some of the experts on the board can give me some guidance. I've finally amassed about all of the reference on the Japanese Sen-Taka class subs as I'm likely to get and want to start planiing to build one. However, there are really no decent cross-sections out there that accurately capture the shape of the boat. I'm going to need to basically free sculpt the hull until it looks right. I have never scratchbuilt a hull before where I didn't have adequate plans, so I'm a little lost here. The closest I've come involved a rather cumbersome process where I sculpted a half-fuselage, then cut it into sections to use the sections as templates to make cross-sections. I then used those to build a typical frame and skinned it. There must be a better way to do this and I'm hoping that someone can tell me what it is.

I need to have a I201 sailing with a Type XXI, I just need it!

Thanks for any and all help,
Matt

[boatbuilder1]

I am going thru the

I am going thru the same issue with the halibut but I went another route I drew up the cross sections using photos and other resources I drew up the plan view of thed eck and that at least gave me the top width of the cross sections
now I plan to cut the stations( bulkheads) out of foam with ot wire cutting and epoxy them together and sand to shape then have a professional grp mold made

hope this helps
ca

[david h]

G'day,

I have done the same

G'day,

I have done the same thing with my chinese Navy Type 092 "Xia" class Ballistic missile boat.

There are only about 12 photo's of this boat released in the west. I could only work off these pictures.

I had to draw up drawings that i made from these pictures and speculate below the waterline.

I tried to gauge sizes from the Sailors on the deck and estimate how bit i thought the sial in particular would be from this.

regards,

David h.