I decided I was really too heavy handed with the rust on the lower hull so I hit the lower hull with a few light mist coats of dark gray again. This really toned it down a lot and I think it looks much better.

I also realized that the hatches and bollards/mounts should all match the very dark grey of the decks so I fixed those. I need to redo the paint wear with wood colors showing through on the decks again and blend it all.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12874

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12875

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12877

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12878

Here you can see the tiny magnets I used to attach the antenna rigging to the tripods.
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12876

Awesome job. I will love to see it when it's actually operational.
:Kaleun_Cheers:

Thanks, Once I finish the paint work it will be ready for trimming. I'm going to need to get a tank put together for that and then I'll get the surface and submerged trim adjusted using lead weights and foam. After that I'll have to wait till the weather warms up enough again to put it in a pool or pond for "sea trials"...

Specifications and add-ons on my U-96
 

For anybody who is interested here are the pertinent specs on my boat:

Kit: Arkmodel 1/48 scale German Type VIIC U-boat purchased from Arkmodel on Amazon. This kit was specifically designed for radio control.

Length = 55 inches
Height from bottom of keel to top of conning tower = approx. 8.5"
Beam = approx 6"
Weight of completed model with WTC, battery, and all equipment for running installed = approximately 12 lbs. (this is my estimate. I'll actually weigh it later)
Ballast tank volume=56.55 cubic inches, equivalent to 2.039 pounds of water at 70 degrees F
Propellers are brass 1/48 scale Type VIIC props purchased from Nautilus Drydocks.

Watertight Cylinder built for me by Nautilus Drydocks. Includes 1 electric motor and gearbox to drive two propellers, 4 servos (2 forward and 2 aft) plus additional servo for ballast vent valve, two ballast air pumps, and a gas charged pressurized cylinder for emergency ballast blow in case of loss of radio signal or if manually commanded.

The on-board battery pack is a 3300 MAH LIPO.

I have added the following additional devices to provide more functionality to the sub:

AD2 Automatic Pitch Controller Board from Nautilus Drydocks. This controller board automatically controls the aft dive planes to keep the boat in a level attitude unless overridden by manual input to the aft dive planes from the radio.

Depth Cruiser controller board from Nautilus Drydocks. This board automatically maintains the last depth of the boat commanded by the radio using the forward dive planes. It has an on-board pressure sensor that precisely measures the ambient water pressure and moves the foward dive planes to maintain that pressure until overridden by radio input to the forward planes.

BLM Battery Link Monitor from Nautilus Drydocks. This board monitors the charge level of the battery as well as the strength of the signal received from the radio transmitter. If the battery level drops below a certain preset point the boat will automatically surface. Also if the radio control signal is lost for more than a preset length of time (I have it set to 5 seconds) the boat will automatically surface by blowing the tank with the emergency gas cylinder.

My radio system is a 6-channel 75mzh radio from Vex Robotics. These were designed for home-built robots etc. and put out a good strong signal. They work very well for sub models since modern high frequency radios cannot transmit a signal of sufficient strength through water.

All-totalled I would estimate I have spent approximately $2000 USD to build this boat and for the radio system it uses.

I pray everything will work just fine on your sub when your take it out for a test run.

Hopefully you have or know someone who has a swimmingpool.

Markus

Thanks Markus. =)

I don't know anyone with a pool right now. I'm still looking for a good place to test it when the weather warms up.

Paint work finished
 

OK the paint work is all finished. I used some various colors of ground up pastels mixed with flat clear acrylic paint to finish the rust and deck weathering and blending of colors. Then I added the scum line by airbrusing a hazy dark green line at the waterline, then a lighter hazy green line over that one, and finally a very very light green (almost white) over that. This is to simulate algae growth and accumulation of minerals, salt, etc...

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12884

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12883

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12885


https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12881

Full systems check with motors and ballast
 

You have passed the modelling builder with an A+.

Only little setback is the weathering-It somehow looks logic in where you have added the rust to the sub. a more chaotic approach.

Nevertheless
You can be darn proud of you build.

Markus

Thanks Markus. As for the rust, believe it or not I looked at photos of real u-boats and mostly put it in places I saw in the photos. Though I agree it could look better.

Gwen, its looking really good and I'm not saying that just because I'm jealous. :Kaleun_Cheers: :up:

Have you thought about being able to "set" the dive planes for surface trim? You'll need to putt around in a pool or small pond to find the best balance, but I'm wondering if you could set up a couple of null zones with your controller for surfaced and dived trim on the planes? :hmmm:

BTW, how about that other "model"? :D Some vids of the 7/8ths (?) scale Fokker Eindecker would be appreciated. What is turning the prop? It doesn't sound like a Rotax. :yeah:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12908

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12907

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12906

I'm not really sure what you mean about the dive planes. I can easily adjust the plane trim during operation. As for trimming the boat (ie. adding ballast and bouyancy) I do need to put it in the water to adjust that.

My airplane is actually a 3/4 scale replica. The engine is a Volkswagen 1915cc 69 HP flat four with a custom aircraft carb and electronic ignition. It has a 2:1 reduction belt drive turning a 72" custom made replica wood prop.

Here are a few videos for you taken during my 2007 test flights, note the guy talking is my friend and former flight instructor Bill. He was talking to the camera really and not directly to me since I didn't have a radio in the airplane when I was test flying it.

https://youtu.be/wgOLvMzyMnQ

https://youtu.be/6XIPPYdKIdUhttps://youtu.be/6XIPPYdKIdU

https://youtu.be/2pCk9gdr5dg

https://youtu.be/Wj2dcut0LLw


Gwen

Wow, that's cool, Gwen. Something I would never do, I don 't like heights :)

Woo... OK, I'm trying to avoid a reply that looks like a twelve paragraph thesis. :03:

For the record, I have ZERO experience with bow planes. Both of the boats I was on ran fairwater planes and fairwaters don't effect trim, they only provide linear up/down movement.

Anyway, when the boat is on the surface (rigged for surface) the planes tend to get locked at a certain amount of upward trim. This makes the hull more efficient in terms of how it planes through the water. In other words, you want the bow to be riding high. When you dive, you want the boat to remain mostly level. I was wondering if you could program your planes for a surfaced condition?