First job was to modify the kit propshafts, props and rudders. This was all pretty standard stuff, I drilled out the props just enough to take a length of 1/16th brass rod as a prop shaft, then epoxied two lengths of 1/16th brass tube into the recesses in the hull, these fit exactly which saved an awful lot of work. The rudders come on a square section shaft, which has to be removed…I did this by carefully cutting them off with a fine razor saw, then drilling into the rudders and epoxying two lengths of 1/16th brass rod as rudder shafts. I glued two lengths of 1/16th brass tube into the pre-marked recesses in the hull, these made up the rudder tubes. Rudder arms were two spare ones that Ramesh (Mankster) made me for the rudders in U-33, a wheel collet soldered to a length of brass sheet and drilled through to take 1/16th brass wire as operating arms. I joined the two rudder operating arms by using lengths of brass wire and a joining block from an electrical chocolate block connector. I made up a support beam across the hull to give some support to the long rudder to servo linkage by simply soldering a ¼” length of brass tube onto a length of brass rod and just glueing it to the hull sides with epoxy resin. Running the operating arm through the tube supports the arm and stops any lateral movement caused by the servo’s motion.
The radio equipment will be fitted onto a plywood floor as seen in the pictures, a six volt four amp gel cell battery fits onto the front section of the floor with ample room to spare. The rudder servo, rx and battery pack are stuck down on the ply floor with double sided tape, the on/off switch has yet to be placed in it’s final position.
Two esc’s will be fitted on a frame above the two Mabuchi 280 motors and will give independent motor control to help the ‘Mighty Mo’ turn, and the servos which will rotate the forward gun turrets sit on the ply floor behind the main drive battery. The rear turret will be connected to the rudder linkage, so as the rudders turn left the turret will rotate to the right.
More to come very soon…
Rich