The Matt Thor 1/96 SEAWOLF Turnkey Build

Transcription

1 The Matt Thor 1/96 SEAWOLF Turnkey Build Matt Thor built up the hull of this kit and sent it to me in primer gray. I outfitted the provided WTC's with the electronics and hooked up the control surfaces and trimmed it out (still in gray) at Lake Trashmore last weekend --the boat worked like a dream. This little photo essay will deal with my work from primer gray structure up to completion of the painting, weathering and final trim dive before sending this thing along to the customer. One of my stock WTC-3's was sent to be along with a built and primed 1/96 Thor kit of the USS SEAWOLF. Here I'm outfitting the WTC motor-bulkhead with the r/c receiver, servos, speed controller, APC-4, and BEC. Took about an evening to get the WTC up to speed and installed within the model. Last weekend I operated the boat in the water for the first time -- worked just fine: good turning radius and rock steady depth control. No problems (other than a loose set-screw on the rotor, which necessitated a swim by me in some very cold February water!) encountered. From Trashmore to home where I gave the entire hull and appendages a good wetsanding with #600 grit sandpaper. The paints I use nowadays are the fine ChromaSystem system produced by DuPont. This two-part polyurethane system dries very quickly, is rock hard when cured, and has excellent density, no matter the color. All application was done with my old trusty Paache H Model outfitted with a No. 3 tip. Typical air pressure is 30 PSI.

2 Primer gray parts ready for painting. First color to go down is the anti-foul red. Here applied to the appendages attached to the hull -- always start with the edges and holes, then the appendages, and finally the hull. As this was the first color, no need to mask anything yet -- just remembering to overspray will above the centerline of the hull. The tops of the four stern planes, lower rudder, and lower portions of the after shroud pieces were also painted anti-foul red. Incidentally, years ago I went to a Navy supply center where I was permitted to lift a paint smear off of a can of 'Anti-foul Red, Formula 141' --the real stuff. I have since used that chip to have custom batches of automotive paint (first the Lucite lacquer till that became unavailable here, I now use the ChromaSystem) to that specific color. Everything in anti-foul red.

3 Once the anti-foul red had dried --about an hour! -I went ahead and laid down masking for the 'brown' seen on some boats, between centerline and the waterline. Masking was also applied to the control surfaces as well. The brown went down with plenty of overspray atop the hull, above the waterline. Here you see the after section of the pump-jet ready for the brown paint, a 50/50 mix of anti-foul red and the 'black' I formulated for submarine models. Masking removed from the red/brown demarcation line. Time to mask off from waterline down to ready the model for the black.

4 I mentioned that I have a special 'black' mix. Let me explain: The topside areas of the real boats are indeed painted with a coating of pure black. However, model colors (including the non-color, black) need to be lightened up a bit, to account for 'scale.' Just know that a very, very dark gray is much easier to see on a model than a true black. I poured an amount of ChromaSystem black into a glass container, doped it a bit with ChromaSystem white and mixed. This very dark gray becomes my model 'black,' used on my r/c and static display model submarines. After the color's had been applied to hull and all appendage, the masking tape was removed and I made use of Artist oil-paints to deal with the weathering. This included the representation of the greenish 'scum line' at the waterline, and light colored bleaching of the hull from waterline to a few scale feet below the waterline. Some subtle streaking effects to sail access hand-holes and deck items was also done by some stipple, scribing, and streaking strokes of various style and stiffness brushes to the Linseed oil paints. A few thoughts about masking and masking tape: Self-adhesive tapes come in many flavors, but the one you should use is produced by the 3M Company. Specifically this 'blue' tape. This stuff has a low stick (tack) adhesive that is just strong enough to hold the tape down on the work, but not so strong that it will pull up paint when the time comes to remove the masking. When cut into very narrow strips (I've cut and worked strips as narrow as 1/32"!), this tape will negotiate curves as tight as a half-inch radius! Wonderful stuff. You never want to use this tape off the role as the two edges are banged up from storage and handling and likely have collected quite a bit of lint and dirt -- you use the natural edge of masking tape your paint demarcation line will be ragged of form. Don't do it! What I do is remove a length of tape from the role, then stick it down on my shirt -- this acts to further reduce the adhesive properties of the tapes adhesive. I then place the tape down on a plastic sheet cutting board. From there I use a metal straightedge and sharp #11 X-Acto knife to cut strip of tape. A narrow strip of tape is worked around the upper stern of the 1/96 SEAWOLF hull. One of the beauties of the Thor SEAWOLF kit is the extensive amount of scribed in detail, including a very lightly engraved waterline and outline for the

5 deck nonskid areas -- there is no need for the kit-assembler to mark out the waterline, it's already there. All I needed to do was to lay down the masking tape below the engraved waterline -- simple! Before the masking was put down, I wet sanded the upper surface, above the waterline, with #600 to scrub away most of the brown overspray. Masking completed to protect all below waterline areas of the hull. Note that I have backed up the thinner strips of tape with larger pieces, taken right off the roll. Note that I have painted this model from the keel, up: first the lower portions get the anti-foul red, then I protect that work with a mask, its upper demarcation edge falling along the submarines centerline, and then I paint the brown. Then I lay down masking tape to protect the brown and red from the black that goes on the above waterline portions of hull. Methodology! Once the spray-brush was loaded with the very dark gray (I always clean the gun between color changes), I set it on low pressure, and screwed the feed needle into its nozzle for minimum paint flow, and started in applying the paint to the hard to get at places: the many vent holes on the deck (most of them 'scale', such as the forward and after ballast tank main ballast tank vents), then the six fixed cleats, and then I painted right at the masking tapes edge, along the waterline -- care taken to aim the airbrush so that the spray hit the tape edge perpendicular, avoiding the possibility of the paint running under the tape, spoiling the hard-edge I wished to achieve. The objective is to get it right the first time, avoiding later touchup tasks. Removing the three layers of masking tape, used to protect the work under the waterline. Note how thin the strip of tape is around the tight curve of the bow. The wide pieces of backing tape are needed to mask the work below from airbrush overspray. Damn, I'm good! (editor s note - Good Grief!)

6 I mixed up some light-gray ChromaSystem and shot it with the airbrush to represent the bleaching at and below the waterline. I then used oil paints to represent the narrow band of marine growth you see at the waterline - care was taken to give the upper rudder, at its waterline, the same treatment. Of course the upper rudder got the 'Merriman trademark', bird-shit streaking. Once I was done with the initial weathering, the entire model (hull and these appendages) was given a very heavy coating of ChromaClear (which has its own chemistry - don't confuse the activator/catalyst of one for the other!). I prepared the ChromaClear by first mixing to the clear the directed ratio of 'activator,' mixed, then added a substantial amount of special flattening agent, mixed, then cut that mix to a very thin consistency with lacquer thinner. This is against convention, but a formula I found that produces a very flat, non-reflective finish, which dries very quickly, and is rock hard. Clear coat applied. This will dry overnight. Tomorrow I apply the markings and finish the weathering, then protect that work with another flattened clear coat.

7 The stern. After I wet sanded the clear coat a bit. I'm going to go over the 'bleached' areas with the spray-brush shooting some brown --to even out and make the bleaching a bit more subtle. I'm at the 'twiddling about' stage of weathering -- which means the time is quickly approaching to finish that and clear coat the thing. The sail and appendages in clear-coat. After a light wet-sanding with #600 I'll outfit the sail with a rub-on '21' drytransfer. Some more diesel exhaust streaking near the trailing edge, and a bit more 'wear' around the access plates, maybe even some running rust here and there. The last weathering operation will be a 'dry-brushing' of pure white to the many projecting surfaces of the display: the trailing edge and upper corners of the sail, the wells for the masts, the deck mounted cleats, the tips of the control surfaces, the top of the flushing-tube deck fairings, etc. Dry-brushing accentuates those naturally reflective portions of the display. The dry-brushing is very much like the make-up a gal applies to her cleavage, in order to better define the shadow, and depth, between the breasts. In this case we are lightening those areas which catch and reflect back to the viewer white light. It's make-up; a cheat. But, it looks good, and works to increase the sense of 'real' one should have when they view the display.

8 Let me pull back the curtain a little bit and let you see what goes on between the Master craftsman (me) and the poor, hapless client (Mike): Just two days ago, as I progressed with the weathering on his SEAWOLF, I sent Mike some status shots. He then Innocently asks me if it's too late to provide the model in a more 'pristine' condition. Apparently, he was spooked by all the marine growth at the waterline and streaking of the hull I was doing. He wanted things changed. I handled his concern with the appropriate diplomacy and dignity one would expect from a professional such as myself I went ballistic! I pointed out that we had agreed earlier that his turnkey model SEAWOLF would be represented as a well weathered submarine. You can imagine my chagrin at this change request; I had already invested a couple of days work to the weathering, and it would take additional days to scrub it all off and start in with a new paint job. The cat knew something was up, could not find him all day! Anyway, as quickly as this issue flared up, it went away: Soon after receiving Mike's query and shooting back my response (a defense of the 'weathered look'), we had settled back on the original agreement. My position was further strengthened, and the client relieved, after I sent him shots of other model submarines I built and weathered. And Matt Thor also chipped in with some positive comments about my work. As it turned out, Mike was very concerned how the general public would receive the weathering job. Fair enough. Apparently Mike is new to the game and does not have an appreciation for what the 'norm' is as far as the looks of a well done r/c model submarine. To be fair to Mike, he was worried that I was turning the boat 'ugly.' He was kind enough not to state it that way, but I get that impression from our talks. However, after I and Matt filled him in on what weathering can do, in the hands of a God-like talent such as myself, Mike relented, and actually became enthused at the prospects this aspect of the finishing job presented to the final display. Below are a few of the materials and techniques I used to further detail and weather the display: This is something I should have done while the sail was still in primer gray... oh, well. Fitting of the cast resin mast fairings into the holes atop the sail. An import thing when dealing with holes that will accept interference fit items, like these masts, it to bevel the top of the holes slightly. This prevents chipping of paint later. Though there are six penetrations for masts atop the SEAWOLF sail, I only install four 'raised' masts, two antennas and the attack and night scope. The other open holes are there to permit venting of the sail as the boat submerges and surfaces.

9 After I had done the initial weathering work on the model parts (hull, sail, and upper rudder) they were given a heavy coat of flattened clear to encapsulate the still wet, though thinly applied oil-paint. Once the clear-coat had dried, the pieces were given a very light wet-sanding with #4000 grit paper. The sanding knocks down the rough texture of the flattened clear-coat and produces a uniform 'scratch surface' to better grab the upcoming applications of additional weathering agents. The circular self-adhesive tape masks needed for the deck hatches as well as the tight radius turns atop the deck that defines the nonskid area were achieved by using a modified compass as a circle-cutter. One leg of the compass was modified with a grinder and stone to become a cutting edge. Just put a piece of masking tape atop a scrape piece of plastic, punch a shallow hole in the middle of the tape, set the desired radius on the compass, and use it to cut the circle. The inside 'discs' were used to mask off the deck hatch DSRV seating surfaces, the outer portions of tape produced with this tool are used to mask the forward and stern portions of the nonskid areas. Note that you can also used beveled brass tubes as disc/circle cutters. Mount a length of tube in the chuck of the lathe and cut the bevel inside or out to the diameter required. These punches, if kept sharp, do a wonderful job of cutting both tape, and thin aluminum foil alike.

10 'Rings' of self-adhesive aluminum foil (BareMetal Foil is the material of choice here) were needed to represent the deck mounted flanges of the forward and after Main Ballast Tank Vents (MBTV) atop the deck of the SEAWOLF. I made these by using two sizes of tube cutters. The portion of BareMetal is scissored off the main sheet and tapped to a scrape piece of plastic sheet. The tube-cutters were used to cut out the rings. Transferred from the sheet here to the model was done with the tip of the X-Acto blade. The Thor kit of the SEAWOLF has engraved circles on the deck representing the MBTV's. During construction I opened up 1/8" holes in the center of each --needed to insure good venting of the hull as the model submarine makes the transition between surfaced and submerged modes. A ring of self-adhesive aluminum was lifted off its backing with the tip of a #11 X-Acto blade, and transferred to its position atop the hull. Once in position I then pressed the aluminum item down on the model with a thumb. The bright, shiny aluminum rings atop the dark model deck are very striking! Using Woodland Scenics rub-on type dry-transfers I marked the sail and upper rudder with the required draft numbers and hull number. As a practical matter the hull numbers on operational American submarines are not displayed. However, I display them to help give the subject a bit of character as well as to improve the visibility of the model submarine when driving it submerged. The clear-coat, eventually sprayed over these markings, acts to prevents handling damage.

11 Before laying down the draft numbers to the bow of the model I first applied a strip of low-tack masking tape slightly ahead of where the numbers would be rubbed down. This to insure alignment and to get the spacing of the numbers right. You can see some of the graduations I had marked on the tape. After these markings went down, I completed the second pass of weathering, and then gave all above centerline portions of the model another heaving coating of well flattened clear coat. With the exception of the 'bleaching' on the hull just below the waterline, which was applied with the spray-brush from Chroma System white, and selected spots of water soluble acrylic paint here and there, I exclusively used artists Linseed oil based paints to represent the weathering on this model. These very slow drying paints can be streaked and blended to represent running rust, radial hull streaking, localized corrosion, foot traffic scuffing, marine growth, carbon diesel exhaust staining, and even bird-shit atop the upper rudder! Note that the paints are spread out on this automotive filler mixing palette -- there are over a hundred sheets of this solvent resistant paper, all mounted on a stiff board. As a paper palette is consumed, the paper is turn off the sheet and discarded, revealing a new one ready for paint mixing. I dab out some primary colors along with white and black, and some burnt umber and I'm ready to mix and apply. I never miss an opportunity to practice my masking and weathering skills, often on an unfinished hull. In this case a primed 1/ class SSBN kit (from Scale Shipyard) that I hope to one day to convert into my old boat, the USS DANIEL WEBSTER (SSBN 626) --the only American SSBN with bow planes! It's on the practice article where I work out the colors and techniques of application I'll use on the current work, the SEAWOLF in this case. Note that I make use of post-it-notes as masks. The very low tack of the adhesive on these little squares of paper will not damage previous work. Also, the absorbent paper is an ideal blotter used to pull excess paint off the brush before committing its tip to the model proper.

12 When applying the oil-paint I dab just a little on the hull with a color bearing small brush, then use a 'clean' larger brush, I sweep the paint into a streak in the direction desired. As a rule of thumb, you streak above waterline areas radially or vertically; below waterline areas, horizontally. Sometimes I'll use a scribing or stippling action on the brush to localize a discolored areas, such as along a seam. Application of the oil-paint is done with different brush types and sizes; from simple little '000' pointed brushes, to the big ugly bristle brush to the extreme right. Documentation is everything: Some selected references out of my 'SEAWOLF folder.' I maintain a 'weathering folder' as well. From that resource I selected shots of American submarines that represent typical marine and oxidation effects seen on those hulls. I keep these documents at hand as I weather a model.

13 Yesterday I completed the weathering and before going to bed sealed the upper hull, sail, masts, and upper rudder with a final clear-coat. This morning everything was found hard and ready to assemble. This installment will take us through the reassembly of appendages that had been removed to facilitate painting and weathering. Keep in mind that while in primer gray this model had been outfitted with the WTC, trimmed in the pool, and operated at Lake Trashmore to verify everything was in working order; the model was complete in all respects, with the exception of the paint job. So, reassembly after painting, weathering and clear-coat did not present any problems --everything had been worked out before hand. Following the above methodology -- getting the not yet painted boat operational and tested, before investing the time and effort on the finish -- will save you from damaging the finish as an untested boat is kicked around and put through the wringer as changes and adjustments are made. Bottom line: Get the boat operational before the paint! Works for me. Unlike the linseed oil-paints, the water soluble acrylics cannot be easily blended into one another to make smooth color graduations. Also, it is tough to control the amount of paint applied through 'dry-brushing' if you use acrylics. However, this quick dry paint is useful for creating sharply colored patches that you don't want to be scrubbed into to adjacent colors -- which is oil-paints virtue and liability. The only use I had for the acrylics on this job was the initial sharp white streaking atop the upper rudder representing bird-shit and some very small rust patches around selected sail access hand-holes. When used in combination with oils, the acrylic always goes down first and is given time to dry out before the oil-paint is applied over or near it. Before I work a new model with weathering agents I first get the cobwebs out of my hands by practicing a bit on items I have not yet brought to the primer gray stage --we see here in background a 1/96 SKIPJACK and 1/96 DANIEL WEBSTER sail. I give such test articles a shot of the very dark gray and then play around with the weathering mediums and technique that will later be applied to the model at hand, in this case the 1/96 SEAWOLF sail and upper rudder. To the extreme left are some post-it-notes. I use these as hard-edge masks --useful when representing panel lines with acrylic and oil paints. These disposable, low tack, self-adhesive little chunks of paper are very useful during the weathering phase of any project --they also serve as auxiliary paint palettes and blotters used to wipe excess medium from the brushes.

14 The weathered SEAWOLF sail just prior to the clear-coat. You learn that a clear-coat tends to attenuate the contrast of the weathering applied, so you adjust by overdoing the weathering, knowing that the clear-coat will tone things down to a 'believable' level later. How much is too much? That's where the builder's experience comes it --not the sort of thing I can describe to you in words. Practice, practice... practice! Note that I'm using a post-it-note self-adhesive piece of paper not only as a streaking mask, but also as a blotter to remove excess oil-paint from the brush before scrubbing in some off-black paint on the model to represent water run-off streaking. Weathering embraces the understanding of gravity and how it would make a slurry or liquid flow from point A to point B. Study of reference photos of actual prototypes is vital, and you must always be mindful of the scale of the work -- do those scuff marks on the deck denote the strides and foot size of 1/96 scale little sailor's? Did all that birdpoop running down the sides of the sail come from the bowels of 1/96 sized seabirds? You succeed or fail through your attention (or lack of it) to such details. The assembled drive-train of the SEAWOLF model. Unlike Matt Thor -who provided the model with the drive-train installed - I prefer to provide only a very short propeller/rotor shaft, terminating it in a Dumas universal coupler, just aft of the stern plane and rudder yokes. However, as you can see, Matt favors extending the propeller/rotor shaft some distance into the hull, terminating it at an Oilite transverse-thrust bearing. Matt's method keeps things simple and roomy near the yokes, but does present a bit more difficulty as you install/remove/adjust elements of the stern plane and rudder linkages -the need to work around the

15 ever present rotor shaft. I like to present the thrust loads (ahead/astern) to the bearings in the tail-con. Matt imparts those loads to a dedicated transverse bulkhead situated well forward of the stern area. Sauce for the Goose. The drive-train of the 1/96 SEAWOLF. The fit of the after duct-stator unit is tight and no adhesive or mechanical securing is required. The rotor has a transverse 440 taped hole in its hub that takes a set-screw that engages a flat machined onto the extreme after end of the rotor shaft. At the forward end of the rotor shaft are two flats, one for the 3/16" wheel-collar (that transmits the ahead thrust load to the structure) set-screw, the other flat, at the extreme forward end of the shaft, accepts a Dumas universal coupler (that transmits the astern loads to the structure) set-screw. The Dumas dog-bone makes up between the WTC motor output shaft and the drive-train. The transverse-thrust Oilite bearing, set within the GRP transverse bulkhead, is where the propulsor thrust loads are transmitted to the structure. With the final clear-coat on, but not yet ready for handling I thought it a good idea to array the control surfaces with their associated linkages so you can get a clear picture of how things work. The most complicated of form and function are the four elements that make up the stern planes. On the real SEAWOLF boats the outboard planes work with the inboard set (though the amount of deflection between the two sets varies with speed and other conditions) -- that's how I have all planes arranged at the stern: the outboard surfaces and inboard surfaces are all ganged together to a common pushrod. It's a point of interest that on the real boats the outboard planes can also be worked differentially to effect rolling forces - - a feature I did not emulate on this model. I guess sail foil roll is still an issue with the SEAWOLF design. The after set of stern planes are connected through a traditional 'yoke,' a 'U' shaped interconnecting device that joins the operating shaft of each control surface, making them work as one. A bell-crank, an element of the yoke casting, extends from one end of the yoke to which is attached a brass pushrod. Each of the outboard planes has a dedicated bell-crank. Three push rods are involved: one to the inboard planes yoke bell-crank, and one each for the two outboard plane bellcranks. Note that the three pushrods are all secured together with a big wheel-color. A brass rod soldered to the wheel collar extends forward, terminating in a 'pushrod adjuster,' who's forward end has attached to it a ball that fits the cup attached to the WTC stern plane pushrod. the ball-and-cup quick-connect make for a fast and tight attachment point between hull and WTC linkage elements.

16 Another look at the stern planes and linkage. Note how simple the rudder yoke and pushrod is in comparison! The yokes and bell-cranks are cast white metal --items I designed and now produce as parts of the fittings package that accompany each SEAWOLF kit. The 1/96 SEAWOLF kit is available from Atomic Subs/Four Winds Kit Shop - see the banner advertising plug atop this sites main page for more information. The cast metal linkage elements are provided with taped holes and set-screws installed. Years ago, when Matt Thor and I were trying to get the prototype SEAWOLF model to work at a SubRegatta, we tried simply gluing the outboard planes to the tips of the inboard planes. Just did not work! As we found, there simply is no substitute for scalelike features -- ganging the inboard and outboard stern planes together, much as is done on the real boats, was the way to go. This rather confusing shot is of the stern plane yoke and other linkage elements installed within the stern of the SEAWOLF. You can clearly make out the set screws projecting at the forward ends of the yoke and bell-cranks. Tightening down on the set-screws made fast the stern plane operating shafts to their respective yoke or bell-cranks. Here you get an appreciation why the inboard planes yoke is 'U' shaped: to clear the centrally running rotor shaft. The stern planes are operated autonomously from the APC-4 angle keeper directly -- no r/c channel assigned there to permit operator intervention. Depth control, therefore, fell to the bow planes. Here you see those planes attached to their operating shaft and pushrod.

17 Though these planes on the real thing were retractable, Matt and I represented them on this model fixed in the 'deployed' position. The non-rotating inboard fairing of each plane was glued to the hull. A cast bell-crank screws tight to the planes operating shaft, a pushrod terminates aft in a 'pusher-plate' that engages the WTC pushrod. Spring-loading the bow plane pushrod keeps its pusher-plat up tight against the WTC pushrod -- this mechanism permits me to simply attach the upper hull to the lower without need of making up any fasteners between WTC (in the lower hull) and bow plane linkage (in the upper hull). I blame Skip Asay for this method of interconnecting two elements of a common linkage without need of fasteners. Pretty slick! The installed bow planes within the upper hull half. Note that the pushrod runs through a simple styrene plastic bearing. Off this bearing is attached a rubber-band, not installed here for clarity, that makes up to the bell-crank -- this tension pushes the bow plane pushrod aft, tight against the WTC bow plane pushrod. When making up the two hull halves, one hand holds the bow planes at 'hard dive' till the two halves are tightly joined, then the bow plane is released to let its pusher-plate make contact (through rubber-band compression) with the WTC pushrod. A tease: the completed 1/96 Thor/Atomic Subs SEAWOLF. First nice day I get here and the model goes back into the lake for a verification/change of trim. Then it'll be boxed up and sent off to our long suffering customer.

18 Now... The pretty pictures. Enjoy.

19

20 Of course the 1/96 SEAWOLF chronicled here would not have gone anywhere without the electronics and mechanicals inside needed to power, control, and change the displacement of the submarine. And those chores fall on a device I invented some fifteen-years ago (a device that has been much copied, without any significant attribution, I point out!): the water tight cylinder, or WTC. WTC's were not new at the time I 'invented' my version: I remember seeing a picture of one in a British magazine, a publication that was dated, 1967! However, to the best of my knowledge, I'm the first guy who made these units commercially available on the world scene. I also lay claim to the fact that I'm the guy who popularized the concept of making WTC's removable; a feature that permits the enduser the option of using one WTC to operate any number of r/c submarine hulls. I'm the first! I'm the inventor. Now... if only you Johny-come-lately WTC manufacturers would be so gracious as to give credit where credit is due. Hey, you WTC manufacturer's out there: Each time you use the term WTC, how about a big public thank-you to one, very special, David D. Merriman lll????... You're welcome! (Editor s note David s WTC term has now been changed to D&E Sub-driver and copyrighted! The basic WTC-3 is a three-inch diameter Lexan tube -- capped at each end and divided internally with cast resin bulkheads --provides the only dry-space within the model. In these spaces are mounted the receiver, servos, speed controller, motor and other electronics and devices that need to be kept dry. There is a dry space forward, where the rechargeable battery (same type as used by the r/c car crowd) is accessed, and a dry space aft, where most of the other goodies are kept. A note to you Cabal Report recipients: The WTC-3 used aboard this model of the SEAWOLF is pretty much stock --other than the inclusion of an APC (automatic pitch controller) linkage to set the angular displacement of the unit, for adjustment of the models 'zero bubble' set-point. The WTC contains all the propulsion, power, control and variable ballast elements needed to animate the model. Being removable, the WTC is easily maintained, repaired, and used aboard other r/c model submarines of the wet-hull type. Note the external bow-plane pushrod atop the cylinder: used to engage the pusher-plate of the bow plane linkage -- those two elements engaging when the upper hull is placed atop the lower hull, just prior to operation. I favor a gas type ballast system aboard my WTC's. An onboard Propel container holds enough liquefied gas for nearly twenty blow/vent cycles. A servo mounted within the after ballast tank bulkhead controls the vent and blow valves located within the eleven-ounce capacity ballast tank.

21 The special watertight seals used for all the WTC pushrods are of my own invention as well. These seals are formed by encapsulating rubber quad-seals --suspended within the mold by slipping them over removable bore forming cores -- within polyurethane casting resin bodies. These type seals replace the labor intensive machined brass seal bodies and cup seals formerly used. My resin bodied seals are used for all axial (linear) motion shaft sealing jobs, and are used to make watertight the stern plane, rudder, bow plane, APC angle adjuster, and ballast system pushrods. Three types of watertight seals used aboard my r/c submarines: Upper left is a Clippard 'cup' type seal. This is a pressure sensitive device, that is to say that the design of the 'V' shaped seal provides an ever tightening seal between shaft and seal body with increase of the differential pressure, i.e., the deeper the model goes, the tighter the sealing force upon the shaft. Cup seals are suitable for both radial and axial traveling shafts. And I must acknowledge the originator of SubTech, Skip Asay, as the man who introduced me to the use and utility of the cup type watertight seal. I use a cup-seal to effect the watertight union between WTC motor/gearbox output shaft on all my WTC's. Quad-seals, two sizes seen in the center of the above shot, are basically O-ring with the sealing portions at the center and outboard areas of the seal enlarged a bit. These are recommended for axial sealing, but, if well lubricated, do offer some usage in radial traveling shaft sealing jobs. I have almost exclusively replaced the cup-seal with this much cheaper and readily available quad-seal. I employ these seals in all my resin bodied pushrod seal units. Lower right is your MK1 Mode nasty old O-ring. These are recommended for static sealing and limited use with axial traveling shafts, but the dirty little secret is that they do find some limited use with radial running shafting if great care is taken to minimize the compression fit between rubber and shaft. Cheap, plentiful, and easy to find, O-ring are best used to make the watertight seal between bulkheads and Lexan tube.

22 One last beauty shot before I stuff this thing in its shipping packaging. OK, I've had my fun with it at Ellie and I took u/w shots of the SEAWOLF while it was operating at the Lynnhaven Dive Center pool, using this waterproofed video camera-transmitter. I designed the WTC that protects the unit. The 2.4 gigga Hz cameratransmitter and associated receiver. Attached to the end of a broomstick the unit is held underwater so that just the tip of the antenna projects into the air. The signal it sends out goes to the receiver, mounted on a video monitor-vhs recorder, where the images are stored on a cassette for later editing. Ellie sits in a chair pool side as she aims the camera at the subject, a small monitor, on her lap serves as a viewfinder, letting her frame the shot. The stated range, in air, for the system is three-hundred feet. I've tested that and got good signal in excess of threehundred feet. Not bad for a little transmitter that only squirts out less than ten milliwatt's at the antenna! With a Yaggi or Patch type receiving antenna I imagine you could double the range, but then you be burdened with the need to 'aim' the receiver antenna at the transmitter's antenna. Why bother? Three hundred feet is more than good enough for r/c submarine!

23 To better illustrate how versatile these little Swann video camera-transmitters are, here is a shot of a permanently mounted camera-transmitter within the sail of this Bob Wallace 1/16 Japanese suicide submarine model kit. The scale cutout in the leading edge of the sail formed a perfect porthole for the camera lens. You can see the image taken by the camera on the little portable black & white monitor (same one Ellie used during the u/w SEAWOLF shoot at the Lynnhaven Dive Center pool). The camera output is color, by the way, and the resolution is 380 lines --equivalent to VHS quality. Not bad for such a tiny package! The 1/16 Japanese suicide sub model in my son's above ground pool last summer. This model turned out to be a near perfect real-time video camera system platform. I sometimes operate the model with a set of virtual-goggles on: I drive the model as I observe from the submarines POV -very interesting stuff and sometimes a bit discerning... once I got seasick as the model bobbed on the waves at Lake Trashmore. I actually puked Neat! The video camera-transmitter WTC, off the broomstick and rubber-banded to the deck of the SEAWOLF. We have some very good u/w video tape on record now, much of it taken from the models POV. As you can see, my video cameratransmitter WTC unit can be quickly moved from one model to another or used off-model to record the u/w action.

24 The following u/w shots were taken with a disposable u/w film camera --they're so cheap now, about eight-bucks, that you would be foolish not to document your submerged model with one of them. As they do not have a flash, such cameras have to be used under bright sunlight and in clear water. Also, since these cameras are preloaded with 800 ASA color film, the resulting prints are a bit 'grainy.' But, using these cheap little cameras is safer than sticking your high-value digital camera in an enclosure and hoping it won't leak on you!