A Submarine? What Submarine?

[rowhider]

Hello,

I'am Cyril, 35 years old, french and aeronautic engineer in real life.

I pratice cars, planes and sailboats models for more than 20 years and I would like to beginn a new project for me: a submarine!

But I have some issues to define what could be the best sub for me...

My final objective is to mount a cam on the sub to go close of animals on lakes.

In first:
- I've looked for the Neptune SB1: too expensive for me and too "toy" (My budget is about 500$ for the Sub with the WTC)
- I've looked for Robbe models: no more manufactured

Secondly:
- A Dumas Akula: dynamic diving, low cost but low reliability?
- A KILO RC-SUB WORKSHOP: like all 1/144 conversion: too small to become a decent cam platform

Thirdly:
- Maybe a KRICK Type VIIb: decent price for a first sub, decent dimensions but hard to find a complete build review
- Maybe a RC-SUB WORKSHOP Type XXIII: similar price than the Krick Type VII, similar length.

I precise than I live for the moment in an appartment, and I do not have a lot of hardware and place to work.

So what do you think of my project and what model could you advise for a beginner in Submarine models?

PS: Sorry for my english, far to be perfect

[ober freak]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

Hi Cyril,

The Robbe Seawolf / Conrad Electronic Sharcon (same kit) would be a good start in subs, it's cheap, easy and a reliable dynamic diver (or later with static conversion). But its hard to get by now, with a little luck on ebay.
The Dumas kit is very cheap, but the kit is more a full sphere waterproof surface runner than a sub. You could use the external parts and build your own WTC. Same with the Krick Type VII.
A 1/35 scale Type XXIII (Bronco?) or 1/72 scale Revell kit conversion should also a lead to a good result. Brüggen offers a conversion kit for the Type VII and is working on the Skipjack.
Those should be in your $500 / 400€ budged.
And you need an old-school MHz system, i think 41 MHz was it in France.

Marco

PS.: if you choose the Brüggen kits, you should call him, he didn't answer emails very often.

[rowhider]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

Hi Cyril,
The Robbe Seawolf / Conrad Electronic Sharcon (same kit) would be a good start in subs, it's cheap, easy and a reliable dynamic diver (or later with static conversion). But its hard to get by now, with a little luck on ebay.

=> I try to find one exemplar, but without success]The Dumas kit is very cheap, but the kit is more a full sphere waterproof surface runner than a sub. You could use the external parts and build your own WTC. Same with the Krick Type VII.[/quote]
=> Very interesting, for me the Type VII from Krick was far better in term of tightness] A 1/35 scale Type XXIII (Bronco?) or 1/72 scale Revell kit conversion should also a lead to a good result. Brüggen offers a conversion kit for the Type VII and is working on the Skipjack.
Those should be in your $500 / 400€ budged.[/quote]
=> I didn’t know the Skipjack conversion kit, I only known for the Type VIIc from revell. My only concern with Brüggen is that my german is not good enough to discuss with him, I have heard that he needs to ask to his wife to translate English. (I don’t know if it’s the truth). But it could be definitively a good model with a lot of place to work in.

And you need an old-school MHz system, i think 41 MHz was it in France.

=> Yes it is, but 35Mhz band is authorized since last 2000’s : I have always an old Hitec Flash Pro Car in 35Mhz. (4 channels)

I’ve got a proposal from the someone of the French sub forum: Scalesub who sell a RedShark from Arkmodel. I think it could be a good first sub before to improve it with a static ballast system : your opinion?

[ober freak]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

[quote]I’ve got a proposal from the someone of the French sub forum]

The kit looks interesting, and pictures shows it incorporates a WTC.
If you get it for a good price, take it!

[cheapsub]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

sorry, just to make things clear, Cyril you want to build a scale model RC submarine then put a waterproof camera or camcorder like GoPro on it, not in it.

WWII small scale 1/72 submarine not much room on deck. but Bronco 1/35 type XXIII $100 US, may be just the right size 1M long. build or buy a wtc, you are good to go!
also cold war sub many people have done it.

Dumas kit you are right, think twice.

go cheap! but not scale model.
DYI PVC pipe sub or go geek out on a ROV like openrov.com

even cheaper RC DUCK, if it will sink can we count as a submarine?

[rowhider]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

Hi Cheapsub,

The Bronco Type XXIII is effectively at the right size for me: large enough to be stable on water and large enough to put a Sports cam on the deck.

What can you tell me about the Brüggen Skipjack WTC? What is included in? I understand that there is no motor and no ballast system, no electronic but what about the linkages for control surfaces, fittings...?

[cheapsub]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

just googled Brüggen Skipjack WTC, he uses the Engel system, battery powered.


for most wtc system how they work, please down load the free Steve's dumb ass book.

i am drying up here, anyone, jumps in.

[rowhider]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

just googled Brüggen Skipjack WTC, he uses the Engel system, battery powered.
for most wtc system how they work, please down load the free Steve's dumb ass book.
i am drying up here, anyone, jumps in.

The Brüggen's website don't provide a lot of datas about this kit]http://www.subcommittee.com/forum/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Guest]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

That conversion could use any of the popular (or not so popular) ballast systems. He shows a 500ml Engel tank fitted, but plenty of room inside for any system, so that cn save a lot of money, as Engel tanks aren't especially cheap.

Also you could start off with it as a dynamic diver, with a chunk of lead, or even a bottle of water in place of the tank, and add a ballast system later.

You can't go wrong with any of Norbert's kits, they're very well thought out with good instructions, and although a little on the pricey side, you get good quality. I think the conversion kits he produces for Revell Type VII and Skipjack are actually very good value, and save for scratch building are probably the cheapest route into the hobby.

[rowhider]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

Hello!

It makes several months since my last comment, I finally bought last summer a RedShark from Arkmodel to complete.

I've taken some time to get a perfect watertight hull but always not perfect: I changed stock o-ring and try several, try to put 2 O-ring...

My result is far better (no more gallon of water in my hull), but always a little bit of water.

So, I have never tried to put silicone grease on the O-ring: I guess than the grease, pushed by the water pressure will collapse some little holes. What do you think of that? Did you put always grease on your seals or run dry?

[Guest]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

I use a small amount of grease with o-rings, but only to reduce friction on the seal, never to prevent water ingress.

If water is getting past the seal, then you need either more seal compression or a better quality surface for the seal to work against. How smooth and accurate are the parts for the o-ring gland?

Fitting two seals shouldn't really be necessary. I aim for about 10% of o-ring thickness compression for hull seals. You can go higher, but might find it a struggle to separate your boat, especially if it's fresh out of the lake and slippery as an eel.

[rowhider]

Re: A Submarine? What Submarine?

My surface state is not perfect, that's an issue: there are some scratches on the inner interface surface...
Finally, I'm afraid to have to make an other WTC inside the hull (Hull WTC of 4" diameter), but it would be hard to do.