1/144 1944 Trump Gato conversion with SL guts

[reckless]

okay... I finally get to start this Sub I've been yacking about

got my Storm launcher guts the other day... so yesterday I stopped at the LHS picked up a Trumpeter 1/144 Gato 1944 version

some warship gray and sea blue spray paint, adhesives, thin clear plastic and some brass rod and tubing

I'll still have to pick up some material to make the lil water tight box for the electrics, but now it can finally begin!


okay so the start of the build. found out I'm gonna have to go buy a few more things but I got it started

Hey... thats not Sub parts!


AHA! theres the sub! .. don't mind the tiger stripes.. that's tape holding the 2 hull halves together!


hmmmm now that first picture makes sense... a size comparison before the hull is cut and the fitting can begin! hmmmmm I think it's gonna be just a hair overpowered motor wise... I doubt this thing will ever get over 1/4 throttle!


I really like the "stock" split of the top deck .. I need to get a couple mics bits for my dremel including the discs to cut the top off the hull.. once that is marked and cut.. I'll paint and detail the top deck while the hull is getting all the surgery ... weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[reckless]

okay... the kit props are

okay... the kit props are insanely fragile

they are 3/4 inch (or 20 mm) I found some .6 x .75 (dia and pitch) 4 blade bronze props and some .7 x 1.0 4 blade bronze props....

the .6 dia prop runs on a 1/16 shaft (no threads)
the .7 dia prop runs on a 2/56 thread

I bought 1/16 stock for shafts as they were the best fit to the kits parts.. so I need an opinion... I will be epoxying the props on... the slightly smaller props are a perfect fit to my shafts... the 'scale' size props I will have to hope to get epoxied within the threads and sitting perfect

which would you guys suggest?.. the motors going into the kit are being rewired to both run same direction.. so I'll be running both left hand props instead of counter rotating. but the motors going into the kit will be very very over powered (if it gets over 1/4 throttle for even 'fast' over scale speed I'll be astonished LOL ) .. so running a HAIR smaller prop shouldn't make a difference. should it?

[sj301]

Where did you get the

Where did you get the props?

[reckless]

these are the props I

these are the props I found that go that small and go 4 blade

http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/main ... opshop.htm

[Rogue Sub]

Figure out how you are

Figure out how you are going to seal it yet?

[reckless]

I'm not going too http://www.subcommittee.com/forum/icon_wink.gif

I'm not going too

wet hull just a lil sealed box for the electronics... even the motors will be sitting in water, not sealing the driveshafts or the drive plane shafts.

the motors are getting "dipped" ofcourse.. but yeah it'll be a flooded hull... this will be a very basic wet hull dynamic diver ... basically a working sub in the water for no more then $150

I'm hoping I can get it neutrally boyant or as close too as possible with the decks just above water. hopefully that under power it'll stay at the depth I set it at with little input and if it goes dead stick it'll end up back on the surface eventually .

and this way... I'm not worried about leaks! with the exception of a small box with some cheap elecs that I have another set of replacement for

[Rogue Sub]

I wont lie here. I

I wont lie here. I have a storm launcher as well so I think I have a pretty good idea what you are planning, but let me clarify.

You plan on steering using the proportional mixer built into the Sl. If that is the case you might find yourself highly dissapointed. Once the boat gets a good head speed you might find that it is not going to want to turn very well. In my experience with tugs that have twin throttles, they fight turning at speed only using thrust. I think this is going to be important in a dynamic diving boat because if you try to turn while submered your boat will have to slow down enough to get a good turn. That may also cause your boat to come right back up to the surface. You could try to compensate by making it even heavier but, that may just bring the tower awash and the additional weight will also give it more resistance to turn. Just a thought.

Also I have not torn my SL apart far enough to see what type of device it uses for up and down. How are you plannign to seal this function aswell.

Another note. The motors that come with the SL are very powerfull and are going to make that boat of yours scream through the water with the right prop. I used 2 similar motors in one of my surface craft once and it would fly like it was on a rail. That being said that system is set up for pushing wind. In other words that built in esc is desinged to handle its scurrent amp draw. If you switch to water which will have more resistance with to large a prop you may over amp the little esc and melt the board.

Another thing is that with the increased amp draw you may face, the little SL lipo may not last very long at all. Another thing to keep in mind while choosing your props.

I dont want to sound like a downer. I just want to offer some what ifs. Either way if you have the stuff laying around do it and learn from it!

Kevin

[reckless]

I really don't plan on

I really don't plan on getting above 1/4 throttle ... for the reasons you listed already ... and also theres no reverse... I really don't need to be screwing around and smash it into something.. especially another modellers boat! and I'll get longer run times out of it... for clarification.. the STock SL board can take around 4.5 amps of current before it blows smoke

I'll be using .6 inch props

the elevator control is a servo ... the servo, battery, computer board will go in a lil sealed box... with a sealed bellow on the elevator shaft to the front dive planes.

as for a rudder... I am planning on using a aircraft type hinge (clear lexan) to hold the rudder .. this will also give it some return springyness ... and I'll be using a little more of that clear lexan in the prop wash on either side... under the rear dive plane. this should give me some more control at "speed" (again no where near as fast as these motors will push the thing!)

[Rogue Sub]

so no dive planes?

so no dive planes?

[reckless]

yes the front dive planes

yes the front dive planes will be functional.. from the SL elevator servo... the servo will be in the sealed electronic box... the pushrod from it too the dive planes will be sealed with a bellow.

the dive plane shafts themselves aren't being sealed

the dive planes area itself will be enlarged a little with use of the clear lexan

hopefully the elevator servo is strong enough (it should be)

what also should be fun... is occasionally doing an "emergency" surface and use the available power of the SL's motors... it might just completely clear the water!

with the way it's being setup.. if the SL's electronics aren't up to the task then switching over to hobby grade parts will be pretty easy...

the progess is a bit stalled right now as I need to pick up some new bits for my dremel and ofcourse the whole easter family weekend thing

[ricknelson]

Why aren't you going with

Why aren't you going with opposite-rotating props? You may have too much torque driving both props in the same direction.

TIA

[reckless]

I had originally not wanted

I had originally not wanted to do counter rotating props mainly cause it seems the SL's motors are wearing out quicker on the side that's been "reversed" wired for it's counter rotating props (I have 2 broken SL gear sets... both have weak right side motors.. hense why they are broken .. aka crashed cause of unstability)

but it seems my experiment to strengthen the Kits stock props has worked! so I'm going to try them.. which means when I put the 2 weaker motors from my collection into the sub I'll wire it "properly" and run counter rotating

so we'll see... I got the top deck peice assembled and first color of paint hopefully I'll have the drive shafts, front planes, motor mounts, and beginings of my electrics box done next week so the box sealing and painting can be done... I SHOULD be able to have it doing it's maiden by the end of next month at the latest.. although I am AIMING for 2 weeks

[Rogue Sub]

You need to hurry up

You need to hurry up and put this thing together. I am curious what your doing with this thing.

[reckless]

okay .... did some more

okay .... did some more work today


shafts in, motors in, and I did some positioning with the electronics and its casing .. switched the servo arm to a different side so it all will sit where I want it.

anyways.. heres some update pics

the top deck assembled and first color .. I'll be doing sea blue too .. similar fashion to the box colors .. just sea blue instead of black and warship gray instead of the lighter gray



another view.. can kinda make out the shafts .. and the uglyness of my install they aren't perfectly level (moved!) ... and I misjudged the first slot so I had to open it up more... it's all epoxied up now



whadda mean the motors are too big! we need to outrun torpedo boats and destroyers people!!!



I dunno when the next update will be ... I found a new job and start monday ... I'll try and pick away each night ... if nothing screws up real bad.. I SHOULD be able to do a water trial in a couple weeks.