AKULA II WEATHERED

[u552]

She's almost ended. Only work on aerials and crow's nest left. Next will be sea trials. Hope you like it. Suggestions welcomed also.

[u552]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Evidently I made something wrong and the pictures are not uploaded. I'll try again latter.

[greenman407]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Please do, I definitely would like to see them. Dern computers.

[greyakula52]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Pictures Please..
I'd Like To See What You Have Done.

Andre

[u552]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Well, let's try again with the pictures.
Please, be indulgent beacuse it's my first weathered sub and I think that, altough tried to follow the rule "less is more", at last "my hand went too far".
Finally, seems to be too much rust, because it looks like there's few when you star, and when dry it's so much. About "bleeching" effect under the waterline, there's a report from Mr. Merriman. I made a little mistake in using the tooth paste (spreaded it instead of stippling), but the result in quite good for my first attemp.
Really looks like ready for drydocking, Don't you think so?
Anyway, the effect of the flash really enhance some of the patterns, cause in normal daylight, rust and other effects are not so conspicuous and she looks really good.
Next will be sea trials..
Stay tuned for more R&R.
Regards from Madrid.

[greenman407]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

To me it looks about right. Keep in mind that there are varieing degrees of corrosion. Just depends on how much time passed between drydock visits. Looks good.

[u552]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

This morning I performed first sea trials. No pics yet, sorry (Only a couple of hands and a couple of eyes to control the sub).Conclusions:
1. Looks really IMPRESSIVE in water.
2. Waterline is real ahead and a little over the real astern.
3. With tank (650 cc) full, she sits even keel, with the water at the level of fin's fore sonar screens.
4. In this situation, a little throtlle ahead and dive planes to "down", and she submerges gently.
5. Answer to dive planes magnific. I've fitted also working fore planes.
6. Rudders: Not poor: MISERABLE. So, her performance surfaced is also miserable. I'm going to install a piece of metacrylate in the lower one (as I've done in my SEAWOLF and she turns almost over a dish) to improve her poor turning performance. While out of water it's barely visible, but when in water, its effect is very very important. Due to this problem (and the fail of "full astern") She bumped against a wall with starboard bow and lost that dive plane. Nothing serious cause I can make a new one.
7. Submerged performance: Keeping in mind the rudder problem, not bad.
8. Really nice bow wave when running in surface and spectacular visual effect of water when diving.
9. Propeller gives a lot of thrust.
FINAl: a submarine to enjoy a lot.

Take care. Juan Carlos.

[greyakula52]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Greetings And Salutations.... Captain!
Your Boat Looks Very Good Indeed!
IF You Like The Way It Looks..... Then That
Should Be Good Enough.....
Remember..... Boats, Even In The Same Class, Sitting
In the Same Water...... Will Never Look the Same.
Mother Nature Gives Everything A "Distinct Character"
All It's Own!

Damn Nice Job!

Captain Andre

[u552]

Re: AKULA II WEATHERED

Thank you very much, Andre. The fact is that she looked very real in water, and that's what we look for when making all this painting job. I'm now finishing the repairs and improvements mentioned in my former post. Also have prepared a "transportation cradle" to convey her more easyly and, as soon as find time, will perform another test in a bigger pond to check how autoleveller and autodepth work and how she answer to enlarged lower rudder.

J.C.