Two new 1/144 scale subs coming!

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  • tom dougherty
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2005
    • 1354

    Two new 1/144 scale subs coming!

    The Ukranian firm Mikro Mir will be releasing a 1/144 scale Sturgeon and a 1/144 scale Los Angeles class. The Sturgeon will come first.

    At this point I do not know if it will be a short or long hull Sturgeon (they have both in 1/350 scale) nor what version (or perhaps several) of the Los Angeles class submarine will be modeled.
    I did provide detailed drawings to them for both.

    Potentially, I would guess these kits, particularly the Los Angeles at 30 inches in length, could be done as R/C.
  • Submeier
    SubCommittee Membership Chairman
    • May 2020
    • 10

    #2
    I just ordered one of the Sturgeon's, I'll let you know what it's like. From initial glances of the photos, I think it's the short hull version.
    Matthew "Submeier" Homeier
    Membership Chairman
    The SubCommittee
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    • tom dougherty
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2005
      • 1354

      #3
      It is Sturgeon SSN637, in “as built” configuration. No towed array nor various domes added in the 1980’s. I saw the parts sprues. Fairly simple, not a lot of parts and I did not see any photo etch parts.

      Comment

      • Submeier
        SubCommittee Membership Chairman
        • May 2020
        • 10

        #4
        Received the kit yesterday. Can confirm it's a short hull with no towed array fairing. The hull is GRP, with plastic parts on the sprue. Initial comments on the kit are that there's a lot of flashing that requires cleaning and sanding, and if you were to put it up as a static display model, there are only 6 blades to put on the propeller, not 7 like there should be. It's just shy of 2 feet long and has a 2 5/8" beam (2.5" ID of GRP hull). Ideal if you have a 2" WTC lying around or scratch built. I got the smallest Rabaoesh propeller I could find (40 mm diameter). I tried to add a photo, but the site doesn't seem to want to download photos at the moment.
        Matthew "Submeier" Homeier
        Membership Chairman
        The SubCommittee
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        • tom dougherty
          Senior Member
          • Jul 2005
          • 1354

          #5
          Six blades instead of seven. Sigh.

          And to think, I had scanned and sent them high resolution digital copies of the Greg Sharpe drawings of Sturgeon and the Los Angeles class.

          Comment

          • Submeier
            SubCommittee Membership Chairman
            • May 2020
            • 10

            #6
            As for the rest of the kit, the hull scribing topside is pretty good and thorough. The MBT flappers on the bottom are also scribed in, made drilling them out very easy. Other minor inaccuracy I noticed was that they scribed an extra set of holes for the sail ladders on the aft portion, similar to the sail ladders on the forward portion of the sail. I've not seen those in the photos I've scanned over, so I'll probably just have to fill in those extra holes. Also there was about a 1/16" protrusion from the sail sonar array. It was pretty easy to sand off.
            Matthew "Submeier" Homeier
            Membership Chairman
            The SubCommittee
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            • tom dougherty
              Senior Member
              • Jul 2005
              • 1354

              #7
              KIT UPDATE. 7/5
              I now have one of the kits in hand. It comes in a very big, oblong box. It is an “as built”, short hull Sturgeon, bereft of towed array equipment and topside sonar, GNATS domes, etc. As mentioned above, the hull is indeed glass reinforced plastic. It has very delicate, correct scribing (according to the Greg Sharpe plan set). Bottom has a mushroom anchor at the stern and scribed ballast tank and sea chest openings. Careful painting will be necessary to keep from filling in the shallow scribing. I will use my airbrush for sure. There is a prominent casting seam half way down the hull and it goes all around the hull; that will need some work to eliminate.

              Everything else is polystyrene. The bow is separate and comes in two “half bow” sections (why?). Same for the sail, port and starboard pieces with again very light scribing. Sail dive planes, correct shape for Sturgeons, rudders, stern planes and the vertical end plates for the stern planes. Masts look decent. And, yes, the sail aft ladder holes need to be addressed.

              The propeller (screw) comes with only six blades. You can either try to fabricate a seventh blade or buy an aftermarket seven blade propeller (Mulsanne Mike on EBay has 1/144 3D printed,7 blade J props that are absolutely perfect.). The propeller hub has no markings for blade placement. This screw system with separate blades and no markings is a “feature”* of the latest Mikromir sub kits, also found on their 1/350 Russian Mike and Papa models. Mulsanne Mike has you covered there as well.
              *(As my computer software friends say, “ It’s not a bug, it’s a feature,”)

              Frankly, the screw is the biggest issue I see with this kit. They were given detailed plans for this class, and starting with the Skipjack class onward, had either five or seven blade screws. There are multiple photos of the J propellers available. Fortunately we have very good solutions available as described above, but for me, it doesn’t excuse this mistake by MikroMir, especially on an expensive kit.

              Kit photos in the next SCR issue!

              Comment

              • wlambing
                SubCommittee Member
                • Feb 2003
                • 843

                #8
                Shame! Sturgeons didn't have mushroom anchors!! They had 2800 lb. British Balanced Two-fluke anchors. When housed you would see a long, oval fairing plate, as that was the bottom of the anchor casting. Aft sail ladder?? What were they smokin'???

                Comment

                • tom dougherty
                  Senior Member
                  • Jul 2005
                  • 1354

                  #9
                  Well, Bill, as I mentioned, I sent them the Greg Sharp Sturgeon class plan set. Beyond that… at least the mushroom anchor will be easy to sand off the hull. I’ve seen a photo the anchor housing you described on the Casimir Pulaski in dry dock.

                  What we used to say when we heard a science seminar in which the conclusion was…unusual, applies here as well to this model’s details:
                  “These are actual facts, based on my theories!”

                  Comment

                  • wlambing
                    SubCommittee Member
                    • Feb 2003
                    • 843

                    #10
                    Tom,

                    Makes perfect sense to me!!

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