Topic: Project Eleven - HMS X1 (Read 62349 times)

salmon · « **Reply #75 on:** December 28, 2013, 05:47:43 pm »

This will be a wonderful and unique sub! I really enjoy seeing the progress. Thank you!
Peace,
Tom

raflaunches · « **Reply #76 on:** December 28, 2013, 06:06:29 pm »

Thanks Tom
Glad you're enjoying the build, the first complicated bit is coming soon- Dad is designing and building the bow biplane hydroplanes retraction system in the next couple of weeks once he has finished the lower hull plating.

Another picture of his progress so far...

sub john · « **Reply #77 on:** December 28, 2013, 09:18:11 pm »

HI Nick B
Have been looking at the building log, i bet your dad has spent some time working on this. I went about the same way making the plugs to be able to make the moulds for that 12ft sub of mine, but then at the end of it all you end up doing is smashing the plug up as it has no further use. So seeing your dad build this it has brought back memory's of all the months of work involved keep up the good work looking good, look forward to seeing it finished
All the best Sub John

raflaunches · « **Reply #78 on:** December 28, 2013, 09:35:25 pm »

Hi sub John

Yes, Dad has spent some time building this little project, much to the annoyance of my Mum who would like her utility room finishing off!

I'll try to keep up with his progress but more than often than not he's already finished one thing and moved on to the next phase of the build before I can get a picture.
I've followed your build since Dad started this project and he is very impressed with your build too, you might find some ideas going ino this build too once he has finished the basic hull build.

raflaunches · « **Reply #79 on:** January 01, 2014, 06:35:26 pm »

Hi everyone

Dad has got the big toys out now using his big clamps to hold the stern plates in place while the glue dries.
I think he has a lot of his own finger DNA on the hull plates judging by the amount of super glue he's peeling off his hands.

raflaunches · « **Reply #80 on:** January 04, 2014, 06:36:46 pm »

Hi everyone

Whilst hopefully everyone is looking at my Dads plee for help in the Submarine R&D section, he has allowed me to take pictures of his bulbous bow sections.

I can't believe what an incredible shape the bow will be!

raflaunches · « **Reply #81 on:** January 12, 2014, 06:34:10 pm »

Hi everyone

Once again I managed to take some pictures of the build before he completely finished it and started another part!

Amazingly he has used lengths of 2x1 wood to use as the keel! Cut down and filed to shape he has completed the basic shape of the keel and has glued it in to the slot he had originally built for lead ballast, good thing he didn't need all that ballast anyway!

raflaunches · « **Reply #82 on:** January 19, 2014, 05:00:34 pm »

Hi everyone

Dad has been (in between burning his fingers) soldering the aft hydroplane together and whilst he was waiting for it to cool down he made a replacement rudder.
The original rudder became distorted because the brass beet he used was too thin, the new one is twice as thick. The hydroplane will be held in place with a double ended threaded shaft which will lock the hydroplanes together.

Dad got a bit worried last week- he lost one of his props, everything in the boat shed was upturned, he eventually found it in the brass sheet box!

derekwarner · « **Reply #83 on:** January 19, 2014, 09:19:37 pm »

Hullo Nick.......looking good

1. Is the hydroplane knife edge wedge body brass plated over a material former, or a fabricated brass shell with white foam injected?
2. I certainly cannot see any evidence of soldering along the FWD or AFT edge so must be a very tidy job by your Dad

3. They would certainly be subjected to high loadings during operation
4. Is there any reinforcement between the double ended threaded shaft & the hydroplane shell?
5. It certainly may be an optical illusion

but what is the designed arc of rudder movement compared the hydroplane proximity?
6. Will the rudder have physical stops to limit movement? .......or simply be limited by servo trimming?

Derek

raflaunches · « **Reply #84 on:** January 19, 2014, 11:36:39 pm »

Hi Derek

Thanks, my Dad's certainly doing some good work.
To answer your questions-

1- the brass is just two sheets cut to shape and a brass rod sandwiched between. The ends are clamped with bulldog clips bending the skins into the hydrodynamic shape you see in the pictures.

2- dad has learnt to solder from the inside of the brass. He clamps the brass sheet and heats the brass and runs the solder down the inside of the join avoiding the messy results soldering the edge from the outside. Hope this explains this, it's simple to show but hard to explain!

3- unfortunately they won't be operational, the control linkage on the real X1 was routed through the fin, so if we made it work and then the linkage broke there would be no way of repairing it without ripping the fin and hull apart.

4- the white stuff you see between the brass sheets is car body filler which we have used in the past to reinforce similar items.

5- it's an optical illusion caused by the camera angles, the rudder moves 30degrees either side of the central position and misses the hydroplanes safely.

6- as you mentioned the rudder will be limited by the servo trimming, Dad likes to test the rudder movement prior to any permanent fixing of the servo and tiller arms, in all the rudders we have made we have a double tiller arm to prevent the rudder being 'snatched' by anything lurking in the water and flipping the tiller arm over the servo head.

If there is anything else you would like to know or better explained don't hesitate to ask.

Nick

raflaunches · « **Reply #85 on:** January 26, 2014, 01:42:17 pm »

Today at 1015hrs local time these images was acquired by an anonymous source, but as you can see the military censors have already left their mark!

Stop Press….

more images have come to light…

All personnel involve in these illegal photographs of this launch will be hunted down and shot for treason (sorry Chuffy!)

Bob K · « **Reply #86 on:** January 26, 2014, 02:17:03 pm »

Are we getting close to the point where (alleged) calculated and sealed-in-hull lead ballast can be tested against actual displacement using a volume of H²O ?
I realise that the Official Secrets Act may preclude a definative answer to this.

Circlip · « **Reply #87 on:** January 26, 2014, 02:49:09 pm »

No doubt Echelon or Prism will be able to tell you, NSA, the only government department to listen to what you're saying.

Regards Ian.

raflaunches · « **Reply #88 on:** January 26, 2014, 03:56:19 pm »

I do like our strange sense of humour, the original launch was in secret too, the photos were doctored and a journalist and commander were put on trial for treason!

Dad is sealing up all the unused ballast boxes he left open just incase more weight was needed. We weighed the model and it currently weighs approx 47lbs without a superstructure/gun turrets/bow structure!

Dad bought some more brass yesterday to build the biplane hydroplanes and he is designing a mechanism to retract and deploy them, good luck to him!

He is also making the A-frames for the prop shafts this week too, ready for another coat of paint next weekend.

raflaunches · « **Reply #89 on:** February 09, 2014, 05:55:59 pm »

Hi everyone

Some more pictures of Dad's progress

The new rudder servo mount

All remaining areas which were reserved for ballasting but now redundant are being sealed up as floatations boxes.

The new batteries, 12v 5amp SLA which fit perfectly inside the inner hull, almost like was designed to fit, just coincidence I think!

And finally the new bulbous bow!

raflaunches · « **Reply #90 on:** February 16, 2014, 06:52:09 pm »

Hi everyone

Some of the latest photos of the build so far...

raflaunches · « **Reply #91 on:** March 16, 2014, 03:15:55 pm »

Hi everyone

Dad had a break from the build, ok he received new orders from mum who will be obeyed to refurb the bath room!

Back on the build he has made the engine brackets from aluminium sheet and bent to shape.

As a present I bought him two new Electronize HVR 15amp ESCs so he can advance to the test sails very soon.

He has faired in the last ballast box left open and created the rear most bulkhead to which the superstructure will sit against.

salmon · « **Reply #92 on:** March 16, 2014, 04:48:28 pm »

Thanks for posting....selfishly I was missing the build.

unbuiltnautilus · « **Reply #93 on:** March 18, 2014, 11:49:59 am »

That looks like quite a powerplant! I look forward to seeing the photos of the beast at full power on the surface, should be spectacular

Subculture · « **Reply #94 on:** March 18, 2014, 02:29:44 pm »

They look like heater matrix blower motors.

raflaunches · « **Reply #95 on:** March 21, 2014, 05:06:11 pm »

Hi everyone, sorry it's taken me a week to reply but what a really busy (annoying) week it's been!

The motors are Bosch 12v car heater motors from a VW Polo, we've used them in almost every big build and they have proven themselves to be quite reliable.

The new shape bows are coming along nicely...

The battery trays (well bits of wood holding the batteries in place)

The ESC tray.

The rudder tiller hatch, made from 1mm brass sheet bent to shape and filed to fit using his old RAF rigger skills.

Until next time, hope you all enjoy the build as much as I'm watching him built it!

raflaunches · « **Reply #96 on:** March 27, 2014, 08:07:44 pm »

Hi everyone

Dad has been very busy in the three days I've been away working, the port side plating of the bows is almost complete.

The fore hole is the anchor recess, and the bigger rear hole will be for the biplane hydroplane 'box'.
He is busy fairing in the starboard side plating, you can really see the bulbous nose effect showing now.

raflaunches · « **Reply #97 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:51:09 pm »

I managed to catch Dad in the act of building

The starboard bow plating being installed...

SwedishProjectBuilder · « **Reply #98 on:** March 28, 2014, 11:25:33 pm »

Looks really nice!
interesting to follow your thread!

raflaunches · « **Reply #99 on:** March 31, 2014, 12:50:11 pm »

Thanks SPB
He surprises me with his progress, every day it seems to jump along.

The hull plating is complete, just a bit of filler needed here and there and a bit of sanding down.

Looking forward to the next stage...

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Author Topic: Project Eleven - HMS X1 (Read 62349 times)