Revell 1/72 Gato!!!

[georget]

Hi everyone. It looks like

Hi everyone. It looks like the USS Cobia SS-245 might be the one that is modeled. This is not set in stone, others might be considered.
Hey Casey why don't you relax and knock off the bashing. The Lionfish is how old? It is a bit ridiculous to compare Revell now with Revell when that kit was first produced!
George

[silent runner]

The hint of modeling the

The hint of modeling the USS Cobia tells me that Revell is using the actual boat for the creation of this kit? This sounds better all the time. Now we just wait a year.

[tabledancer]

I hope that you can

I hope that you can get a 3in. WTC into it.
TD

[tom dougherty]

Hi everyone. It looks like

Hi everyone. It looks like the USS Cobia SS-245 might be the one that is modeled.

SMART! The Cobia is a museum boat, and an excellent example of a mid war Gato class! She is in very good shape, and was drydocked about 7 years ago. Lots of underhull pictures should be available. Easier to do detailed research if she still exists.

Cobia was built in 1943 at the Electric Boat Victory Yard, Building Way 10 (right next to Cavalla on 9, Mike!). She was one of 10 Gatos built at the Victory Yard, which included contemporaries Flasher, Dace, Flier, Dorado, and Croaker on adjacent building ways. Cobia made 6 war patrols, sinking 6 ships.

[georget]

Also, the USS Cobia is

Also, the USS Cobia is about 2 hour drive north of Revell!
George

[sam reichart]

Hi everyone. It looks like

Hi everyone. It looks like the USS Cobia SS-245 might be the one that is modeled.

SMART! The Cobia is a museum boat, and an excellent example of a mid war Gato class! She is in very good shape, and was drydocked about 7 years ago. Lots of underhull pictures should be available. Easier to do detailed research if she still exists.

Cobia was built in 1943 at the Electric Boat Victory Yard, Building Way 10 (right next to Cavalla on 9, Mike!). She was one of 10 Gatos built at the Victory Yard, which included contemporaries Flasher, Dace, Flier, Dorado, and Croaker on adjacent building ways. Cobia made 6 war patrols, sinking 6 ships.

CROAKER is now a museum boat at the Buffalo Naval and Serviceman's Museum on the waterfront in downtown Buffalo. But it's a Hunter/Killer now. (Did I get that right Tom?)

[Guest]

Sorry to spoil the party

Sorry to spoil the party here, but I'm a bit skeptical about this news. I'll tell you why. About five years ago. I submitted a customer feedback form to Revell in Germany about wishes for future models. I wanted more sub models (surprise?) particularly WWII Russian sub models. Imagine my surprise on a visit to the local model shop some months later to see a future release in dealers catalogue of a WWII russian sub. I asked what the delivery date was and was told in about 6 months. So I trotted back in 6 months and was told that it had not been released. The photo showed a box complete with artwork, so some work had been done.

I started to think that Revell sometimes announce kits that they may make, to gauge market response. Big response, then it gets done.

I think they may be doing something similar here, after all a tool can be made in 8 weeks (just in time for Christmas).
So I'll save my party mood for when it gets released.

[thordesign]

Marquette models of Russia manufactures

Marquette models of Russia manufactures at least 7 different classes of WWII Russian Subs in various scales. I have every one of them.

[steve nuttall]

The Tamiya Enterprise carrier molds

The Tamiya Enterprise carrier molds cost 1 million bucks and that was quite some time ago
I would say as a Tool and Diemaker with 12 years in moldmaking these molds will be quite a significant investment for Revell
Evenm with the new fast prototyping methods used today the molds will be quite big; about the same size as a car taillight mold; the last one of these I worked on was the last version of the Mustang; the mold was quoted at 1.25million; but then that was a 3 color
The mold for the sub would be one big long mold for both halves and possibilly the decks; the fittings and other parts would be at least another mold maybe 2

[mkeatingss]

Steve makes a good point.

Steve makes a good point. With the cost of the molds, plus the increase of cost of petroleum based plastics, Revell could be laying out as much a 5 mil. We need to support it. Even at a buck and a half each, I'm going to need, at least, three.
Appearantly the U-Boots did well enough to justify the risk. but without our support, it could be the last big sub model, they'll try.
If it succeeds, we could see Type IX's, XVII's and XXI's. Think long term, it's our hobby. Even if it's not the boat you want, get one. The next one could be yours.
Mike Keating

[jefftytoo]

If Revell chooses to duplicate

[color=#000000]If Revell chooses to duplicate (or at least research) Cobia in their efforts simply because of geographic conveniece, so be it. Very understandable. But may I suggest the Cod (SS-224) in Cleveland as an alternative? I've always heard that of all the various fleetboat museum subs scattered around the country, Cod is the boat least changed from her original WWII configuration. A wonderful exhaustive photobook of all her external details is already available to aid modelers (reviewed a while back in the SCR), and her curator, Paul Farace, is even an SC member.

Cod was chosen by Fine Art Models as the source for their own 1/96 fleetboat effort (based in the Detroit area, perhaps Fine Art chose the Cleveland boat for geographic convenience as well!), and as a proud owner of this model, I can tell you the deck and fairwater details just never quit!

As an aside, I'm interested to note that my Cod's ballast floodholes along her keel DO have grates, so this means either Fine Art goofed on rendering this detail, or the grates were added during some drydocking late in the 1]

[mkeatingss]

I, for one, would be

I, for one, would be very interested. And, our problem could be terminology. We could be talking about the same thing, but using different terms. So I'll explain my thoughts.
To me, a grating is a series of cross hatched metal or wood pieces, like #.
On the Nautilus, and later, they used louvers. Steel rods, fore and aft, and flat pieces port to starboard installed at an angle. It, effectively, presented a flat surface, to water flowing past, at speed.
Now, it's been >40 years since I was under a diesel boat. So what I have could be false memories. If they're not false, they could apply to all US boats, or just some, I don't know.
But, what I remember is s series of steel bars, arranged fore and aft, three to four inches apart. It'd be similar to the big U-Boote, but not as many openings. The large number of flood openings in the U-Boote, make it look more like a grating.
The German floods appear to be large rectangular openings, with the long axis aligned port and starboard. The bars appear to be about four inches apart, like the US. But the floods are look much larger. And the US flood port's long axis was fore and aft, so there were only two or three bars.
I hope this helps.
I'm afraid that's the best I can do. I'm sitting here kicking myself, in the butt for not taking pictures. But, at that age, you believe you're going to live forever and remember everything. Oh, well.
Mike

[boss subfixer]

Guys,
As I said in my

Guys,
As I said in my earlier reply, I have talked to my wifes uncle who served on two fleetboats and neither boat he was on (USS Sarda and USS Angler) had grates, bars or any other thing over the ballast tank opennings. Now keep in mind that how a fleet boat looked was at the COs discretion. Some may have had bars or grates installed during some type of refit. Another thing to concider is as some of these boats went on to become museums, bars or grates may have been added as a safety measure to keep out recreational divers that may get curious about what it looks like inside the ballast tanks. A law suit could shut down a museum in a heart beat.
Just my 2 cents.

[tom dougherty]

Another thing to concider is

Another thing to concider is as some of these boats went on to become museums, bars or grates may have been added as a safety measure to keep out recreational divers

Don is probably correct on this. Not sure about whether divers would fit, but you also would want to keep out large fish, etc. that might get caught up in the tanks and die....and smell.

I've always heard that of all the various fleetboat museum subs scattered around the country, Cod is the boat least changed from her original WWII configuration. A wonderful exhaustive photobook of all her external details is already available to aid modelers (reviewed a while back in the SCR), and her curator, Paul Farace, is even an SC member.

Neither Cobia and Cod were converted to the more open conning tower configuration, so they are very close in that regard in having mid war towers. Cobia looks to now have an earlier mid war 4 inch deck gun installed, whereas Cod has an end of war 5/25 deck gun. Either is fine. Cod was also built at Electric Boat (Main North Yard, Building Way 4). Cod was also built in 1942, roughly a year earlier. JANAC credits Cod with 8 sinkings during the war. I was just looking through the Cod book, and I believe that the emergency buoys on pages 42 and 45 are not original equipment.

Steve makes a good point. With the cost of the molds, plus the increase of cost of petroleum based plastics, Revell could be laying out as much a 5 mil. We need to support it. Even at a buck and a half each, I'm going to need, at least, three.

Hey Mike, don't forget the money for the addition to the house as a display area for these! You're right, this project is going to run big $$ for Revell for the molds.

The mold for the sub would be one big long mold for both halves and possibilly the decks.

Steve- Do you think it will be one big mold for each side? That would make the box over 4 feet long! Getting your lathe ready for scopes and guns for this puppy yet?

[sam reichart]

Steve- Do you think it

Steve- Do you think it will be one big mold for each side? That would make the box over 4 feet long! Getting your lathe ready for scopes and guns for this puppy yet?

If (when!) I get one of these models, it will have to sport Steve's scopes and barrels. I....have been ....spoiled...