Vent question.

[Guest]

Okay, so I plan on actually startrting my long delayed Gato in the next couple of weeks. She'll become the Bluegill, which came from the same production run as the Cobia, so the details are very close to start with, making converting the Revell kit rather simple. I also have pretty good references and photos of her.

Okay, here's the thing. By the time Bluegill was commissioned, new built subs no longer had Kingston valves; they were commissioned riding the vents. If I use the Nautilus Models flood and drain hole templates:
1. Would there just be some big holes there on the underside of the hull?
2. What structure would be visible, if any within the hull though the opened vents?
3. If there should just be big holes there, would there be any structure around the holes, like (for want of a better term) washers? I'm wondering if there wouldn't be some external reinforcement to protect the wide open vents.

Thanks for any help!

Robert

[crazy ivan]

This was quite a topic

This was quite a topic of discussion as we all awaited delivery of the Revell kit. To get you started, see the thread "more Gato/Balo flood hole thoughts". Pay particular attention to the post by goose814 near the top of page 2]http://s181686668.onlinehome.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php5?t=5464&start=15[/url]

[Guest]

Thank you so much. I'll

Thank you so much. I'll take a look!

Robert, and the Bluegill, thank you!

[ricknelson]

First of all, what year

First of all, what year Bluegill are you planning? I am building the Grouper, SS-214, out of the Revell Lionfish circa 1945 and have found out (luckily before cutting) that the Nautilus flood port templates are not accurate. I compared them to my subschool notes and found discrepancies. The BEST source of information is the Docking Plan for EB Gatos. You can get it at The Floating Drydock(http://www.floatingdrydock.com/Bu.htm):

Bu-SS212-16 USS GROWLER SS215 5/42 DOCKING PLANSS215, EB, BuShips#463330 1/96 $15.00 Even though this title says "USS GROWLER SS-215" it is valid for all EB Gatos. There is a separate doc for PNSY Gatos. This doc shows you all openings and their exact position relative to the sub's framing. To accurately position the openings I suggest you make a tape measure or ruler of the frame positions. The distance between frames is either 30" or 24" depending on where on the boat the frame is. If I remember correctly fwd and aft torpedo rooms are framed 24" on center as well as the Control room. The rest of the sub is framed 30" on center. The closer the framing the stronger the hull.

I also suggest:

Bu-SS212-7 USS GATO SS212 class 1942 MAIN BALLAST TANK M.B.T. FLOOD PORTS, BuShips#388509, EB, Var. $12.00 This doc shows the various flood port layouts for the Gato class, there were four different layouts, and how they were made.

The Flood ports are open holes with a 31/2" or 4" high 1" thick steel rim on the inboard side of the hole. MBTs have no Kingstons but FBTs do. FBTs were filled with fuel prior to a patrol and had to have the flood ports shut via hand-operated Kingstons to do so. Once the fuel was used and replaced with sea water in a FBT pair the Kingstons were manually opened and the vent valves and air lines were unlocked.

The MBTs were approx. 30" deep so all you see when you look into a flood port is the pressure hull 30" above the port. Tank Pairs, i.e. 2A&B do NOT have a divider between A & B.

Flood ports you need to consider are the Safety Tank Flood ports and the Negative Tank flood port (singular). They have valves that open out but are recessed so that they do not protrude below the outer hull.

I have also gotten the superstructure plans from Floating Drydock, a wealth of information. Tom continues to put more docs up on his web site. He will have some new additions mid-January.

Mistakes on the Cobia the Revell copied you should correct also:

1. Cut open the two Access Arches in the fairwater, Port and Stb. This is a museum artifact to keep visitors from entering the fairwater because of liability issues.

2. Remove the broom and replace it with an antenna similar to the one on the Stb side.

3. There is not such thing as a "Breather" on the fwd deck opposite the sonar head.

There are more. I posted a list of issues on this forum back in May. Look for "Revell 1/72 Gato kit issues".

[mkeatingss]

Flood Ports and Valves

Robert, e-mailme at << mkeatingss (at) cox (dot ) net >>. I've got some drawings, from the old Quals Manual, that might be of help.

Mike K.

[Guest]

Thanks for the pointers.

Rick, my

Thanks for the pointers.

Rick, my Bluegill will be as of 1944, pretty much as built. From what I can tell, the Eduard PE deck looks almost perfect for her and her production bloc (and the later Manitowac Gatos), once the marker buoys are fixed. I did get a Floating Drydock plan of Bluegill, and the details that are there seem to confirm that. It should be alright. Here's hoping, right? Super descriptions, by the way.

I saw that docking plan but wasn't sure if it would apply to later Gatos. Thanks, I'll put it on my list along with the superstructure and flood port plans and compare them with the Nautilus template's locations. Do the superstructure plans show what is underneath the main deck? I really want to build up those details after seeing how much under there on the Cod is visible from the right angles.

Yeah, its odd how Revell got so much right, but then so much wrong. Having crawled all over the Cod, its head scratching time looking at some of the model's features. Funny story. I tried to speak with the Revell rep at Nationals here in California recently. I casually mentioned that the deck was for a postwar configuration, and would Revell ever consider re-releasing the kit in other guises, perhaps with a corrected wartime deck? Um, let's just say the Revell rep's response was less than rude. He actually turned his back on me, and refused to discuss the issue, stating that escape and marker buoy locations were "captain's preference" and therefore not a kit error, period. Oh, well...

Mike, thanks for the offer. I'll email you soon.

Robert

[ricknelson]

Hi Robert,

Yes, the six "12/42

Hi Robert,

Yes, the six "12/42 SUPERSTRUCTURE FRAMES Fr. xx - yy" docs show everything above the pressure hull. Don't forget to also get the "Bow Framing" doc too.

Well, the Revell rep sure showed how little (like nothing) he knew about fleet boats. A good throw-back woud be, "OK, show me a WWII photo of elongated messanger buoys." Not such thing!