New Guy Checking In

[ssn705]

Just wanted to introduce myself as I just joined again for the second time

I have a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering where I studied submarine design and a Master's in Military History where my thesis discussed the IJN submarine force in WWII. So, I am a submarine nut. My greatest interest lies in post WWII US fleetboat conversions/upgrades (GUPPy, Flt Snorkel, SSK, APSS, MIGRAINE, etc) in both the areas of engineering/technical advancement and operational/tactical innovation.

I build static, no time, money or inclination to go the R/C route.

Happy to try to answer questions by making use of a fairly extensive submarine book library.

Cheers,

Dave

[jefftytoo]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Dave,

Not sure why you ever left us, but we're sure glad you're back. We need more guys like you -- welcome home... or rather, welcome back aboard! Sounds like you might be able to give our fave historian/static builder Tom Dougherty a run for his money!

Best,
JeffP

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Not trying to give anyone a run for their money, just want to add to the community hopefully. Glad to be back...

Cheers,

Dave

[JWLaRue]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Hi Dave,

Welcome!

As JeffP noted, we'd love to have you submit some articles for the SCR! Based on your background, I think you would add a unique perspective to our favorite subject. If this is interesting to you, please give me a shout and I'll be glad to explain the (simple) details.

-tnx,

Jeff

[tom dougherty]

Re: New Guy Checking In

So, I am a submarine nut. My greatest interest lies in post WWII US fleetboat conversions/upgrades (GUPPy, Flt Snorkel, SSK, APSS, MIGRAINE, etc) in both the areas of engineering/technical advancement and operational/tactical innovation.

I build static, no time, money or inclination to go the R/C route.

Happy to try to answer questions by making use of a fairly extensive submarine book library.

Man, welcome aboard!! The postwar period held some of my favorite boats as well, as the Navy's submarine force struggled in the 1950's with roles. "I build static, no time, money or inclination to go the R/C route", Hey, I resemble that remark! Just went in and counted my submarine library][/url]
Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Where do you live?

[thor]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Dave,

Welcome back!!! It is very good to have you with us once again. The SC is experiencing very good growth right now and it is a very good thing to get some of our seasoned veterans back on board!

How about writing an article for the SCR on the post war mods to the US Submarine Fleet???

Best,
Matt

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

[quote]

Man, welcome aboard!! The postwar period held some of my favorite boats as well, as the Navy's submarine force struggled in the 1950's with roles. "I build static, no time, money or inclination to go the R/C route", Hey, I resemble that remark! Just went in and counted my submarine library]

I have no idea of my total number, but I think you have me beat. I have a pile of other stuff as well. But it was 14 total book boxes for my section of the family library during the move I just completed. With that was 23 boxes of model kits, 8 boxes of supplies and 14 boxes of completed or in-progress kits (not all submarines, mainly aircraft, but I am selling a bunch of them off).

Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Where do you live?

Agreed. I live in Groton, CT.

Cheers,

Dave

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

I'd be happy to write some stuff, but starting on Monday I am gonna be extremely busy for a few months. I'll see what I can do, but you may have to wait a little while

Cheers,

Dave

[tom dougherty]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Agreed. I live in Groton, CT.

Ahh, I used to live in Oakdale, CT. when I worked at Pfizer! I am now outside Boston, not all that far away. I initially worked for AstraZeneca when we moved here, and I am now starting on Tuesday to direct a funded program at Harvard Medical School in antibiotic drug discovery.

Photos of my work area (note Guppies in progress) and my "slush pile" (90% submarines). There are a few more large kits (1/144 and 1/72 submarines) that don't fit into the closet!





Here's a close up of Guppy construction underway][/url]

And some of the completed models][/url]

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Excellent. I'll have to see what I have for pics of my subs at the moment. Finished kits are only partially unpacked. Love the series of US SSNs and that Halibut is sweet. Somebody needs to give us an operational VIRGINIA kit as opposed to the MIP-less one from HobbyBoss. I have tinkered with the idea of MIP-ing her up though with some pieces left off to show some of the typical delamination that occurs. What Guppies are you doing? Whose kits?

I have used the Revell Lionfish for the basis of all my kits up to this point, but I have my first Trump 1/144 kit that I am gonna try to bash into USS TIRU the odd-ball GUPPY III that was also the last Fleet Boat in service. If all goes well with her I will probably use the Trump kit as a basis and make Croaker or some other SSK if I can ever find a good set of drawings of one (I did Croaker as an SSK on a Revell Lionfish Kit, using measurements off of pictures and off of a model in Keyport, WA).

Cheers,

Dave

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Scrounged one pic...

Top to bottom...

Torsk as Fleet Snorkel
Wahoo for her first war patrol
Croaker as SSK
Barb for her return to US after WWII
Stingray prior to her first overhaul in WWII

(and yes in this picture Stingray has no screws or guns... added later...)



I'm sure I have other pictures somewhere of my Akula II/Hull 2 and my Kilo.

I also have in progress (for an extended time) Baya as a Sonar test platform and Perch as an APSS...

Cheers,

Dave

[jefftytoo]

Re: New Guy Checking In

See? A run for Tom's money... ;^D

GREAT seeing both of you guys' work! And Tom, we ALL just got to know you a little better by seeing your Closet o' Kits! Gee, a mere mortal with more stuff than you can possibly work on...just like the rest of us!

Hearty thanks to you both...and my best modeling wishes,
JeffP

[tom dougherty]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Nice work with the Lionfish kits! Did you use aftermarket (e.g. Nautilus Models) sails for your Torsk, Croaker postwar conversions and your earlier Wahoo and Stingray, or did you scratch build them? I have a partially complete Lionfish kit Guppy, using the IronBottom Sound Models http://ibs.eastcoastarmory.com/Csets.htm sail and bow conversions. Hacking the bow and blending it in with the new curved bow section is a lot of cutting and putty work.

The kits I am using for Guppies are resin in 1/350 scale; a combination of the old Yankee Modelworks hulls and the Tom's Models sails (which are better detailed than the YKM versions). The Halibut is an old Pitroad Combat Subs kit. I have built three of these; the one I have, and two for the Halibut Crew 2002 reunion (photo below). One was the SSGN version, the other the later Special Ops version. I have one more Halibut kit for myself, which I will also do as the Special Ops version for my collection.

[ssn705]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Excellent Halibuts. I have some Nautilus conning towers, but I have only ever used one of them. The rest are sitting; waiting. I have scratch-built all of my sails and other bits (with the one sail exception). Mike Keating gave me his drawings way back when I was a member before and I used them for a basis of a lot of things and then I started making up some of my own for use. Unfortunately I have no idea where my drawings have made off to at the moment so I may have to start over with Mike's as the basis again. I have so much more fun scratchbuilding. I just finished a 1/48 MiG-25 FOXBAT-B that I worked on for over six years because the kit was such a dog. I ended up making over 35-40% of it from scratch and making molds of all my work so I could cast copies to build more. Of course as soon as I was finishing the build a few months ago, a kit maker announced a new-tool kit of the plane... but for submarines I just do everything scratch...certainly not a knock on Nautilus or IBS, just not very interested in spending the money and the biggest part of the fun for me is doing the scratch work. I actually get a little depressed when it comes time to paint anything that I did all the scratch on cause then you won't see the part I enjoyed the most (that and my downfall on most everything is painting anyway).

Cheers,

Dave

[tom dougherty]

Re: New Guy Checking In

Great! Do you scratch a frame and then sheet over with plastic card? Are you using Plastruct beams, etc. for a skeleton and frames or are you carving the parts? I have done some scratch building, but I have so little time, I think I would get a model done every three years if I did scratch building on a regular basis. As you can see, I already have a backlog of kits! Saving them largely for retirement.

For Jeff P.

Sounds like you might be able to give our fave historian/static builder Tom Dougherty a run for his money!

Ain't sure how much longer this run is going to go anyhow. I've been at it pretty steady for 51 issues of the SCR (since #43), missing but a handful without some article or review. Having said that, I do have a few more Static columns (and would like to see if I can recruit Dave to showcase some of his above work). And I have one heck of a multi-parter article in mind: The Ultimate Summation of as many aspects as possible of Project Azorian, the recovery of a Golf II submarine by the CIA. Sure to mean close NSA monitoring for not only me, but Larue, Thor and maybe even you (unindicted co-conspirator!).