few questions about LA and Permit detailling...

[Antoine]

Hi Folks

I would need few precisions about these 2 boats.

[u]About the [b]<span style='font-size]</span> ]

- Where is located the Secondary Propulsion Motor (SPM) ?
- What is the exact color of the bow area ?
- How to get an accurate black seen on this boat from the water line to the top ? It doesnt look black but more a very dark gray/blue.
- about the anhedral fins : are they only countermeasure pods ?
- what are these things seen on the deck of the Charlotte ?

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>Things link...</span>]Permit</span> ]

- What is the usual paint scheme of this class (is the bow area with a different color?). I know the Thresher was overall black. Steve Reichmuth, I saw your beautiful static model on one of my SCR, have you got color pictures of it ?

Thanks !

[jim kerswell]

Antoine,

Most discussions that I've followed

Antoine,

Most discussions that I've followed concerning the coloring of modern US Navy subs seem to agree that while the original color may start out being black, weathering from sea, sun, and marine growth will convert it to shades of gray. I would suggest getting a can or bottle of flat black and experiment a little with increasing addition of white until you get a range of gray that looks right to you for your model scale. There are recommendations to use Floquil Grimy Black and Engine Black, but you can obviously mix up your own shades.

As far a the bow color is concerned, whatever color you choose should probably have a different reflectance from the adjacent structure, as the actual material is a smooth composite as compared with a steel or anechoic-tile covered surface. As you will probably spray the rest of the surface with a clear flat, I would try spraying the surfaces of the sonar domes with a satin finish.

Those thing on the deck of the USS Charlotte are covers over the hatch and attachment points for the Advanced SEAL Delivery System minisub.

[anonymous]

Hi Antoine,

I would need few

Hi Antoine,

I would need few precisions about these 2 boats.

About the Los Angeles flt III ] when at surface trim). Now paint the existing 'Grimy Black' hull, sail, upper rudder, everything above the water line with a coat of 'Floquil clear flat'. The clear flat will give the Grimy Black above the waterline a deeper translucence shade of the same flat Grimy black below the waterline but with a dull satin sheen. Be sure to include the part of the bow dome that sits above the surface waterline the same grimy black/clear flat treatment.

Now mask and paint the non-skid portions of the upper hull Floquil 'Engine black'. Avoid painting the escape hatch and weapons loading hatch areas, and any ASDS landing pads with the 'Engine Black'. Keep these areas the existing Grimy Black/clear flat shade.

Now apply your dry transfers (draft markings and such).

Then apply another very light coat all over to the entire hull (and to seal the dry transfers) with another very light coat of Floquil clear flat. This floquil clear flat is actually more a matt satin Finnish. Paint prop a flat dull brass bronze. If adding hull zincs around the stern areas, apply before all painting with plain white sheet styrene. After all painting is done, but before the final clear coat, lightly mask off and sand the paint off the zinc 'bricks' to their natural color. Oxidized zincs take on this dull white color shade. If Floquil Railroad colors are not available in France, I can send you paint tabs painted in the above colors for you to match. Navy and shipyard personnel are amazed at the color accuracy of my models painted as such.

- about the anhedral fins : are they only countermeasure pods ?

Yes. Or, rather the adhedral fins are mountings for the countermeasure pods.



- what are these things seen on the deck of the Charlotte ?

These are soft landing attachments for the ASDS (the new Advanced Seal Delivery System) mini-submarine. Both the USS Charlotte and the USS Greeneville are so equipped presently. The ASDS is now operational.

Things link...

About the Permit :

- What is the usual paint scheme of this class (is the bow area with a different color?). I know the Thresher was overall black. Steve Reichmuth, I saw your beautiful static model on one of my SCR, have you got color pictures of it ?

It is not known at this time (though someone out there must) the exact color scheme of Thresher at time of her loss. Could be an all black hull, or the standard all black upper half and red lower half. GRP (Glass reinforced plastic) sonar bow domes did not appear on SSN's till the mid to late -1970's. Before this, they would have been steel bow domes and painted the same upper black/ lower red hull colors. On my Permit static model early GRP domes over time would become sun faded (caused by the resins in the GRP). Hence why my upper dome appears a dark medium gray. Later GRP domes (example - as on Flight 3 688's) had resin pigments that have a much greater resistance to sun fading. Notice in photos in books like Kaufman's 'Silent Chase' (see Page 68, photo of USS La Jolla dock side). Some Flt. 1 688's are docked in San Diego with ordinary lawn sprinklers spraying the part of the bow dome above the water line, to keep the GRP dome wet and reducing any sun fading.

Yes, I might have some disks with color Permit model images somewhere.

BTW, your Morillot conning tower is beginning to shaping up nicely!

Steve Reichmuth

[Antoine]

Thank you Jim and Steve

Thank you Jim and Steve for your precious help !

Antoine.

[anonymous]

Antoine,

Two images that might assist

Antoine,

Two images that might assist you more. USS Columbus surfacing the fast way, and USS Greeneville with a ASDS piggyback.

Steve

[adriaticsea]

Hi Steve,

compliments for the photos!!!

Hi Steve,

compliments for the photos!!! They're absolutely amazing, mainly the "emergency surface" one!
BEST REGARDS MAURO