Photos of a built-up Revell 1/72 Gato

[tom dougherty]

Here they are, on a German site:

http://www.modellversium.de/galerie/artikel.php?id=2342

Nice build! I'm not seeing any signs of ballast tank openings along the bottom of the kit. That would be a major omission at this scale.

Anyone out there who can comment on the kit ballast tank openings? In my view, if you leave these essential items off, you have a model of a PT boat!

Sure, we're modelers and we can put them in, but a fleet sub has quite a number of them running up the sides of the hull as well as at the bow and stern. Any display model will need these. Of course it goes without saying that they will be essential to any R/C conversion (assuming you do want to be able to submerge the model)


Tom

[stark]

Good one Tom, this ansewers

Good one Tom, this ansewers the Big Question of if they are the SAME KIT'S. They Are!

Very nice model, and Great photo work!

Brian

[tom dougherty]

Gato model-ballast tank floods

It has been confirmed that the ballast tank flood ports are not on the model. James Corley (Nautilus Models) provided the detailed fleet boat plans to Revell, and the plans most definitely DID have the ports on them. For whatever reason, Revell elected to leave them off of the kit.

[boss subfixer]

Is it just me or

Is it just me or does the hole through the superstructure for the bow plane retract seem to be too small? The builder did a great job on his boat.

[davietait]

Ever have the feeling that

Ever have the feeling that Revell had a board meeting that went something like this "well we've got this new 1/72 Gato that we really only want to be a Static sub how do we try to put the R/C'ers off?? , don't put the bottom flood holes on they'll not want to cut up the hull"..........


Its the only thing that makes sense , why else make this fantastic model and leave off the bottom flood vents on the tanks?? they've got all the rest right it must have been a descision taken high enough up.

Or am I just reading too much into this lol

Davie

[tom dougherty]

new 1/72 Gato that we

new 1/72 Gato that we really only want to be a Static sub how do we try to put the R/C'ers off?? , don't put the bottom flood holes on they'll not want to cut up the hull"..........

Speaking for myself as someone who only builds static models, I'm not exactly thrilled that an absolutely vital and unique part of a submarine model is absent. Without ballast tanks floods, a submarine won't submerge. Just as vital to the model as the propellers or rudder beneath the waterline. Lots of really nice detail topside, but not below. Oh well, a lot of work to do to correct that feature.
BTW, the floods were on the Revell 1/72 Type VII-C model.

[dietzer]

My guess is that they

My guess is that they left off the bottom flood holes to keep costs down. They had a certain price range they were shooting for with this kit and adding all those holes would have driven up the cost.

Think about it, the more holes the more expensive the tooling. Also, with more holes there's more to go wrong, so they'd probably have to throw away more at quality control than with a smooth hull without all those holes.

That's my guess...

Carl

[stark]

David Merriman of D&E Miniaturesis

David Merriman of D&E Miniaturesis at it again men, he has a GATO kit, and is in the process of doing a Turnkey Build around the new WTC-2.5/GATO he now produces to get this fine model running for us all!

This model of the WTC was tested this summer, some time before The Regatta in Indiana this year we attened, what a great time I had. You now can plan on seeing a Fleet of the new Revell Fleet boats, at next years meet!

Here is a email that Mr. Merriman sent me today describing his new system!




D&E email read;

You got it right, Brian. But, it will be a DVD that will accompany the WTC. Also, I will provide in the package the specialized running gear, control surface linkages, saddles, and other internals needed to adapt the WTC-2.5/GATO to the Revell kit.

A all new Cabal Report will be seen at SubPirates.

Brian Stark

[hakkikt]

Hey guys, be easy on

Hey guys, be easy on Revell, they produce such a nice kit and even leave room politely for the aftermarket producers.
Imagine a perfect kit, what would be the justification to purchase a photoetch set? And we all like to do that, let's admit it

[crazy ivan]

So... does anyone have a

So... does anyone have a photo of a flood port they could post

[seadog]

1/72 Revell Gato

It seems to me that the quality and detail on this model is
outstanding. And the lack of some flood vents is a small price
to pay for such a fine kit.

[sam reichart]

new 1/72 Gato that we

new 1/72 Gato that we really only want to be a Static sub how do we try to put the R/C'ers off?? , don't put the bottom flood holes on they'll not want to cut up the hull"..........

Speaking for myself as someone who only builds static models, I'm not exactly thrilled that an absolutely vital and unique part of a submarine model is absent. Without ballast tanks floods, a submarine won't submerge. Just as vital to the model as the propellers or rudder beneath the waterline. Lots of really nice detail topside, but not below. Oh well, a lot of work to do to correct that feature.
BTW, the floods were on the Revell 1/72 Type VII-C model.

tom- do you have a reference shot to show what they look like? I haven't really started collecting any Gato/Fleet boat reference material yet...
thanks in advance,
Sam

[boss subfixer]

Sam,
Here is a picture of

Sam,
Here is a picture of the bottom of my 1/48th fleetboat.



Hope this helps.

[tom dougherty]

Ballast Tank Floods

Here is a sketch I got from Mike Keating of Balao & Tench ports. It's probable that the Gato ports are the same as the Balao.

Hmmm. no picture transfer after three tries... and it's less than 2 Mb

[sam reichart]

wow...that's a lot of holes...

but

wow...that's a lot of holes...

but a hell of a lot less that opening all the deck slots in the Type VII.

now if someone were to make a paper template/pattern that fit over the hull that allowed a builder to mark them and then cut them out, that would be great...