My 32 Parallel VIIC

[steveneill]

I've always wanted, ever since I got into this hobby, a large brute of a VIIC. And thanks to Matt Thor, who stumbled over an old eye sore in someone's rafters, I finally have that boat.

Matt sent me this boat back in May of 09. It had been party built and was a bit of a hack job never finished. The top had been cut off and the water tight boxes installed. A few limber holes on one side and that's about it. Lots of ugly bondo and misalignments. I decided to go with the water tight boxes over a WTC this time.

The boat is an old 32 Parallel and she's 83 inches long at 1/32 scale.

I worked on it weekends and evenings for awhile now. BigDave was kind enough to design a ballast system that is a hybrid using RCABS-R and a low pressure pump. He did an excellent job and borrowed from a concept Skip came up with years ago that would allow me to use a single channel to operate the 2 pumps and twp valves. SCHBS. Single Channel Hybrid Ballast System. A BigDave's design concept. And it's nearly finished and it works. And BTW all the parts to build the ballast system came from BD in record time.

To build the hull I had to do a lot of hole drilling and filling. Brass rails. Slot the old original deck and make a lot of missing parts. For the CT, Lyle Price who was restoring and 32 Parallel, was kind enough to send me the old CT because he was using a new OTW CT. It saved me a lot of time over building one from scratch. Although I had to scratch the railings and small parts, scope base and much more. See the before and after pictures.

I'm finishing up the ballast system now. I should finish tomorrow and star trimming the boat next week as soon as I can get some one other here to help me lift it in and out of the pool for trimming.

I want to thank Matt again for sending me this monster, and BD and Lyle for there help!

More on her later,

Steve







Here's what she looked like when I first got her.



The CT as it looked before.

[steveneill]

And here she is after.

I

And here she is after.

I still have more weathering and painting to do but she's close for now. After all these boats never are truly finished. Right Jeff?
LOL!

Steve

[steveneill]

Here's some CUs of the

Here's some CUs of the CT.

[JWLaRue]

And here she is after.

I

And here she is after.

I still have more weathering and painting to do but she's close for now. After all these boats never are truly finished. Right Jeff?
LOL!

Steve

....finish a boat?!?! Where would we be if we actually finished a boat?

Steve, very nicely executed. She will be a joy to run.

btw: the hybrid dive system that you describe sounds like the same thing I've been working on figuring out. Looks like I need to call BD as it sounds like he's (way) ahead of me.....

-Jeff

[steveneill]

Thanks Jeff. Well I just

Thanks Jeff. Well I just spent the day wiring and plumbing the system up. It's simplistic but looks like rocket science 101. Theres more servos, switches, vent valves, solenoids, connectors, pumps and plumbing than I've ever done before. It's simple really. But it takes awhile to hook it all up.

Pictures soon.

Now go finish your 1/32 VIIC. Well...sort of.

Steve

[scott t]

Nice build.

Scott

Nice build.

Scott

[steveneill]

Thanks Scott.

Steve

Thanks Scott.

Steve

[steveneill]

They are out there. Start

They are out there. Start asking around. I bet many ended up in the rafters. Not as nice as the OTW but with a little work they turn out rather well.

Thanks,

Steve

[steveneill]

John that's a bit tough

John that's a bit tough as it's all in two WT boxes and hard to photograph. But I'll see what I can do.

Here's a few for now in it's early stages. Hard to tell what you looking at. It's just two boxes with all the gear in them like a WTC. Top of the boxes gets sealed with silicone. Simple stuff.

Steve

[steveneill]

Haven't seen them before no.

Haven't seen them before no. I using two pumps from BigDave. One a high pressure pump the other a low pressure pump. As for the motors I'm using two 550s with a 3:1 belt drives. Simple stuff.

Here's a diagram of the ballast system I'm using designed by BigDave.

Steve

[steveneill]

She's all finished for now.

She's all finished for now. I've gone as far as I can go. I will be getting my 2 Lead acid batteries Friday so I can test the electronics and run the motors a bit more before I seal up the boxes and get her to trim.

I've run here on a gel cell battery for awhile amd all the electronics , motors and pumps are working as planned. Very pleased with that!

I also have to wait on help to lift her in and out of the pool during trimming as she is going to weigh in at 80 pounds or so with water in the hull. Not many submariners in LA that can help, so this may be a problenm. I hope not.

As soon as I'm done with the trim and trials I'll write an article for SCR Rather than post much more here. I will however post some video and some in the wet pictures when I can.

Steve

[steveneill]

Update

I did a presure check on the water tight boxes and the entire system and found no leaks at all. She's solid. Next is to trim the boat.

Steve

[ojm]

Re: Motors?

What type and size motors are you using and ballast system?
Lots of room!
Have you seen this squeeze pump? Acts as a bi-directional , positive valve-off and positive head flow pump.

I belive that this is a PERISTALTIC PUMP, Subculture (Andy) is a great advocate of this system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump

[Guest]

For a trim system or

For a trim system or a small main ballast tank. You would need a large pump for something like a Type VII with it's high freeboard and quick dive times.

[steveneill]

And that's what I have.

And that's what I have.

Really simple is best. And if she doesn't sit up so high that the prop tips are exposed. I'm not bothered as long as she runs well and is simple to operate. Engineering is grand but sometimes it's taken so far the fun eludes one.

Steve