1/144 1950s SSK Half-Model

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sat Jan 19, 2019 7:34 pm

Four years ago I built a 1/144 half model of a U.S. WWII Balao class submarine. It showed the boat at periscope depth, stalking the silouette of a Japanese merchant ship. That model is shown in the first photo below.
My new project will be a half model of another WWII submarine ten years later. In 1953, six Gato class boats were pulled out of reserve and converted to SSKs. The modifications were very similar to the GUPPY IIs of the same period, except that the large bow sonar array was placed above the torpedo tubes instead of under the bow. The boats sported a blunted looking bow and the top two of the original six bow tubes were removed to accomodate the sonar array. The next two photos from Navsource.org show BLUEGILL and BASHAW as SSKs.
Given the Gato and Balao class hulls from the same building yard were visually indistinguishable, I'm using the same building plans as before except for modifying the bow, and the conning tower fairwater will be replaced by the streamlined sail. I expect to show the boat at periscope depth again, but stalking a Soviet submarine of the period (Whiskey maybe) with a mountainous Arctic coast in the background. Should be quick and fun.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:47 pm

I've got the first two parts glueing, the centerline plane and topside deck coming together at right angles. Using my plank on frame technique, I have to ensure the model doesn't bow and not lie flat on the back board. So I'm using weight to ensure the centerline plane stays flat while the glue sets.
Then starting to add the bulkheads.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:46 pm

Progress in making the bulkheads. I'm trying to think through the transition from the original bow to the new sonar fairing. I haven't found any images of the bow in dry dock.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:31 pm

This image of the CROAKER's bow at Buffalo, NY is about the best I can do. It shows the transition just a couple inches above the open torpedo tube shutter near the waterline. Below that is the original bow. There is a slight crease running from that, aft and up, to the hinge of the bow diving plane.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:40 pm

Ive finished the bulkheads and now it's time to make some sawdust at the bow and stern.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:03 pm

After a fair amount of sawdust from my Dremel tool's sanding attachment, the first image shows the stern block sanded rough, glued on, than sanded some more. This shows a template I made from scrap wood to show me how much more I need to sand the piece down to get the correct lines. The rough cube of wood set forward of that between frames is to provide something solid for the screw that will come through the back board for attached the half-model. There is a similar block of wood up forward.
The next two images show stages of making the conning tower fairwater. Not shown is the openning I'll cut for the bridge cockpit. I don't believe these boats had clamshell plates to close the cockpit before submerging.

MareNostrum · Post by **MareNostrum** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:23 pm

Lookin' nice...!

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 7:21 pm

Covering the hull requires a lot of tightly curved planks or plates. I used a piece of stair railing as a form to bend the 1/16 inch thick wood while wet. I taped it in place and left it for the entire day to dry. By the evening, the wood was dry and permanently curled. Now I have to use the railing as the cutting board.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:59 pm

I've installed the first plank over the length of the hull to help visually define how the stern and bow blocks need to fit within the faired lines of the hull. The third photo shows how the SSK sonar dome has been faired into the fleet submarine's bow. If you compare the bows in the first and third image, you can see where I've used wood filler to make the transition. The deck edges topside will get rounded later in the project.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Feb 24, 2019 4:53 pm

Two photos of a week's progress covering the hull of my SSK. I don't get anything done during the work-week. I've found it easier to use narrow planks rather than the more rectangular plates that I like when the curves are more 2-dimensional. The third photo shows the side of my half-model that needs no effort.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 3:56 pm

More progress on the hull.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:36 pm

I finally got the hull closed up. The conning tower fairwater isn't glued on yet, but placed next to the hull for a good overall image of what the submarine looks like.

Story · Post by **Story** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 9:09 pm

That's slick.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 4:40 pm

I've added the bilge keel made from a large card sheet, plus made the rudder, bow and stern diving planes.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:39 pm

The first photo shows the Jig I built to mount the propeller shaft the correct distance above the baseline and outboard from the centerline. The second photo shows the shaft resting in the jig while glued to the hull. The result is the shaft slightly spreading and and sloping down towards the hub.
The remaining photos show the overall model with the shaft and struts, conning tower fairwater, and miscellaneous details added. The rudder and diving planes are still not glued on permanently. That won't happen until the end. I've gone through the photos in Navsource.org for color images to show me how colors are used below the waterline in the 1950s. Not great, but they give me some guidance. I've drawn a pencil line to show the planned boundary between the red anti-fouling and black.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:56 pm

The back board for the half-model is 30 x 7.25 inches. I sprayed a matt finish on both sides to prevent the board warping when I paint the picture on the front side. This first image shows the two counter-sunk screws that will attach the model to the board.
The second image shows the model attached to the board. All that's left on the model is painting the darker color on the horizontal surfaces topside and making the propeller. The model will be removed from the board for painting the scene on the board. You can faintly see the horizontal line on the board that will be the surface of the water, and the vertical line where #1 periscope will be.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 4:45 pm

I'm getting close to finishing the model. I have just a couple touch-ups on the sub such as the extended periscope, and the background scenery needs to be finished.

MPERRY · Post by **MPERRY** » Mon May 13, 2019 6:43 pm

The model is all finished! It's shown stalking a Soviet Zulu class sub running on the surface. The icy coastline in the background could be either in the Barents Sea or off Petropavlovsk in the North Pacific.