Modified Robbe U-32/31

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Guest

    #1

    Modified Robbe U-32/31

    Hello here is my latest creation.

    When I recieved this model from Austria and saw that it had a huge pressure hull and was intended for dynamic diving or buy the 300.00$ or so Engle pump I thought wow thats going to take alot of lead ,and as stated still wont dive staticly!

    So I desighned a pump system that did not build up pressure,nor shift its cg as do the Engle pumps.
    A single windshield gear pump with no valves directly connected to the PVC baffled tank takes care of the water coming in and out.

    The difference is in the ventting,a pipe cut with several slits along the entire lenght of the tank is placed at the highest point in the tank.This pipe then exits the sub with a one way valve,and in my case it is vented at the sail since no bubbles are escaping the closed stern.
    Also connected with a T fitting is the vacume line with a small solinoid the yellow one in the picture,this is to vent the pressure hull and any water that might enter the WTC,so every time it surfaces a vacume is produced in the pressure hull and the water /vacume is vented through the ballast tank.
    Then there is another vent and solinoid to vent the presurre hull in case of the above should fail and is on a seperate channel.

    This system cost me about 70.00$ ,from servos and microswitches to the 2 solinoids and 25.00 pump.The pump is the star of the hole thing it prodoces enogh volume and pressure to flood the large tank in just a few secounds not very fast but nice and scale like,same for serfaceing.

    The best thing about this system is that its able to preciesly control the depth of the sub to a hover or all the way down or full empty with plenty of freeboard .The pump is a gear type and is well radio surpressed from the factory ,can run dry and will self prime for quite a distance.
    I have tried 30 some pumps and this one beats them all,in cool running,efeciency and cost.

    The ballast tank is an integral part of the frame and has 12 baffles that are not glued in,thats right the construction process I will post later and I wish I had done it this way before.

    Also useing the same but another pump a levelling system is installed with syringes,they make great mini trim tanks!.Just by reversing the pump the same way as the ballast pump the sub is trimed via remote control.Water is used to go from stern to bow and at half point the sub is trimed level if neede,works very well.

    Please guys I am not trying to sell you on this system as some of you have infered, but it just works and is very inexpensive and easy build and use. For those future Captains new to the hobby this is a safe ,green way to have a dynamic diving sub.

    Robbe is currently going to review this system and get back with me.

    Same as the drive very expensive and runs hot I bet.
    What I did was to employ a Dewalt corddless drill motor and planetary geardrive that has built in thrust bearrings and clutch and cost about 60.00$ new then water cooled and hooked it up to 16 amp hours worth of power! 2 8.0 12 volt sealed lead acid batterries.
    She runs for about 2.5 hours with the huge 5.5 inch prop.She displaces some thirty five pounds that alot less that the sub would have been if constructed from the manual.Also the pressure hull was shortened some 8 inches! Much too big originaly.The WTC can be removed easily to add on more stuff.She also has retractable cleats a nice scale touch,done by again another pump in the wet free flood area in the bow.

    Yes I use Legos lovethem to death so easy to build what you want even the masts retract.

    2 servos for the V tail not 4 as in the manual,and this sub gives great access to the stern planes area as the hole cone seperates with 3 screws,realy nice incase of maitenace.

    If anyone has any questions on how I modified this great model get with me.
    Hanles like a dream and the prop is a stainless steel unit from Andreas of Germany,very well made prop.

    I highly recomend this kit but stay away from the acessoreis there is a cheaper better way to go.I scribbed the hull the best I could do and it came out prity nice for only the vent holes and sail mast openings are machined to perfection.I like this system so much that the Robbe XXI now on the ways will be done the same way,another great huge highly detailed kit.












    More videos and pics on SCR Deep South ,Devils Den Fun Run 5
    Ill post more on the cleats ect.
    Dave Amor Ship Yard

    Sorry for the spelling guys,hay it works.
  • greenman407
    Junior Member
    • Sep 2007
    • 1186

    #2
    Hey Dave, dont worry too

    Hey Dave, dont worry too much about the spelling. Those who know you ,know that you are multilingual and that the ability to speak more than one language gives you the excuse to misspell a word here and there! As far as your recent addition to your submarine fleet I can only say as one who has seen it up close that your engineering skills have very few peers. All of that and completed in an insanely short period of time it makes those that have seen it, drool. Keep up the fantastic work. By the way , we could all benefit from it if you would agree to do a builders thread on your next project.

    Comment

    • Guest

      #3
      Thank you Mark for your

      Thank you Mark for your great apreciation and those great videos and pictures.
      Its always an honor to here from fellow Captains such high praise,and such a shame to here the silence of those that are droolling or jellose of ones efforts.

      Just because I made it work a certain way does not mean that everyone should be right there copying me,on the contrary I want more compitition in the engineering end of RC subs and thats only going to come from fellow Captains with a passion to make a difference in this hobby and put that good old American Know How to work instead of just buying it,sure its the easy way out but most of the challange and fun is in building these magnifisint machines that cruise the depths.Just imagine what fun those researchers have in building the real thing!

      I am not one of these gurrus that have put so many newbies down and then charge them out rageuse prices for stuff that is potentialy dangerouse and polutes the inviroment as in greenhose gases.
      But to each there own and dont think for a moment Im imposing or selling my ideas,I might come across that way but its only my passion talking.

      My old saying is" It just works" Oh and I forgot for less.

      I have always been open to crittism as everyone should be its how ideas are worked out.But to caracter assinate in trivial ways as in spelling is not a good thing in this fine hobby,I thought most of these guys where above that.

      My wife sorry to say will no longer attend the fun runs she most enjoyed becuase of the bad bullshit that several members have said about me,all of which is not true and is frankly nobodies buissness.I make money to support my hobby from Ebay,being a good hanyman and auto mechanic and there is always money for the family,hell she makes 4 grand a month ,so there you have it,do we need to get more personal?

      This forrum is about SUBS and how they work and the ideas to make them affordable to more people in this bad economy lets try to keep it that way.
      Mark you are the best amigo!
      Dave Amur Ship Yard

      Comment

      • Wheelerdealer
        Junior Member
        • Jun 2006
        • 315

        #4
        Hi Dave, sounds like a

        Hi Dave, sounds like a neat dive system. I read the describtion a couple of times but I still can visualize. Is the ballast tank vented both into the WTC and the surface through the sail. When you dive, air is expelled throught the sail, and when you surface, a vaccum is created in the WTC, then you vent the WTC to return it to normal pressure? A diagram whould be great!

        Comment

        • Rogue Sub
          Junior Member
          • Jul 2006
          • 1724

          #5
          David's systems are crazy to

          David's systems are crazy to say the least. He pushes his compartments to the max with equipment for his subs and I have only seen a couple that come close to his complexity. You should take these things to Carmel David and show people how things can be achieved a different way. It is hard to show your design with pictures and in person my Dad and I still needed explanation

          Comment

          • Guest

            #6
            -
            Yes the above system works

            -
            Yes the above system works as you said,except the venting of the WTC just vents at stern of the WTC.
            Every time the sub serfaces the WTC is vented,very easy system to use.
            And the ballast tank is vented all the time,iether by water from the pump or from the air.

            I would love to go to Carmel but with these gas prices no can do.
            Ill get a diagram posted.

            Dave Amur Ship Yard

            Comment

            • Guest

              #7
              diagram
              http://www.postimage.org/aVXW9NS.jpg

              diagram

              Comment

              • Guest

                #8
                My subs look complex but

                My subs look complex but thats because they do alot in acessories but in reality the ballast system is very simple in all aspects.


                Dave

                Comment

                • scott t
                  Member
                  • Feb 2003
                  • 880

                  #9
                  I like the sound of

                  I like the sound of your system very much.
                  What do you think of this variation of your system?
                  1) remove vent solenoid from wtc
                  2) remove one way valve from wtc to vent tube
                  3) run vent tube from wtc to blader in wtc

                  Now when you blow ballast the same vacuum is
                  pulled on the wtc and inflates the bladder giving
                  bouyancy.When boat surfaces vacuum in wtc is
                  released by bladder returning air into wtc caused
                  by surface air pressure.

                  This gets rid of one solenoid and avoids flooding
                  from a possible leak in the one way valve in the
                  wtc vent.

                  Comment

                  • Guest

                    #10
                    That vertion is good as

                    That vertion is good as long as the bladder does not burst or crack or get pierced,that is why I make my own ballast tanks from PVC pipe with baffles,I wont have to worry about it at all.
                    I just like a solid container to hold water and pressure from depth away when inside a WTC.
                    In the Type XXI by Robbe that I am completing now, the same system is used except I no longer use the ballast tank solinoid.
                    The vent solinoid is very important to keep the pressure vacume from building up,and is connected to a line to the sail or highest interior point,just be sure to close it before you dive.
                    Only 2 check valves ,very small and sensative to close and impossible to open in reverse,the pipe burst first.

                    Try my system you will like its simplicity and operation.





                    http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... eck+valves


                    This is one of the check valves I use,a fuel check valve.

                    This one is a smoke fluid valve ,larger but works well also.
                    Be sure to use the same pump as above ,15.00$ or so on Ebay and is the best pump after reaserching and testing 10 or so different gear pumps. Volvlo windshield pum search.It can also run in the wet.

                    Dave Amur Ship Yard

                    Comment

                    Working...