AMP - Accurate Model Parts

SEA => SUBS: Uboats => ALL other U-boats => Topic started by: GlennCauley on 25 Feb , 2015, 09:10

Title: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 25 Feb , 2015, 09:10
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7


Another addition to my growing collection of 1/35 midget subs & man-driven torpedoes. This time it is the Italeri #5605 S.L.C. "Maiale" man-driven torpedo (the real one was created in 1935).
 
 I am reworking this simple kit a little bit, to replace the molded-on hoses, alter the shield, and other things along the way.
 
 This is the 4th model in a "theme collection" I am creating for CAPCON 2015 in September. The 5th model will be the new upcoming British HMS X-Craft (Midget) Submarine coming out by Merit in April 2015 (hopefully).
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 25 Feb , 2015, 14:12
Great work on the Maiale Glenn! very clean and detailed so far.
Since you're interested in the theme, may I suggest you the book "warriors from the deep-the extraordinary history of the combat swimmers-" by Eric Micheletti, histoire & collections? I found it great.
Am looking forward to see new progress soon and am standing by for a stunning X-craft
SG

Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 Feb , 2015, 08:45
Excellent... thank you!   :D     
I just ordered it through AbeBooks.   

BTW, for anyone looking for books, AbeBooks is a great place to deal with.   
They are a 'broker' who list all vendors selling books you are looking for, and you purchase via AbeBooks.
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 Feb , 2015, 08:48
Figure I am going to depart from the way the kit is... and change a few things on my Maiale.   Like scratchbuilding the rear rack with the twin cannisters.    (air?   fuel?   unsure what they are)

Gotta love "artistic license" in this hobby, eh?   :)

Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 28 Feb , 2015, 03:04
Like scratchbuilding the rear rack with the twin cannisters.    (air?   fuel?   unsure what they are)

Glenn, the cannisters contained compressed air.



(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m130/s-germani/Siluro_a_lenta_corsa_maiale.png) (http://s103.photobucket.com/user/s-germani/media/Siluro_a_lenta_corsa_maiale.png.html)




(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m130/s-germani/Uboats/SLCschema.jpg) (http://s103.photobucket.com/user/s-germani/media/Uboats/SLCschema.jpg.html)



here's a useful link for great closeups:
http://miles.forumcommunity.net/?t=39975443 (http://miles.forumcommunity.net/?t=39975443)

keep up the excellent work!
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 02 Mar , 2015, 09:57
THANK YOU for that marvelous link!!!

It shows very well the cabling for the rear fins... which is grossly undetailed in the kit instructions (and they recommend hugely overscale nylon rope for the cables).

Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: falo on 03 Mar , 2015, 08:12
Hi Glenn,


did you notice this nice little diorama?


http://en.diorama.ru/gallery/dioramas/1560/ (http://en.diorama.ru/gallery/dioramas/1560/)


Regards
Falo
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 05 Mar , 2015, 12:03

did you notice this nice little diorama?
hehehehe great idea!!
thx for sharing, Falo
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 16 Mar , 2015, 08:32
Made some good progress on the weekend with the Maiale.
Removed the back part of the rear seat (and filled in the resulting deep trough) in preparation for the scratchbuilt airtank rack, added scale cable conduit with drilled-out small size brass tubing.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 18 Mar , 2015, 10:16
Glenn, congrats for what you've done so far, outstanding. Check your PM inbox for a couple of closeups of the SLC control panel.
Anyways just in case you didnt get them somehow (I sent them a week ago):

a) Maiale's instrument cluster: bubble lever between depth gauge and compass. ammeter and voltmeter on the right
(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m130/s-germani/Uboats/DSCN0150.jpg) (http://s103.photobucket.com/user/s-germani/media/Uboats/DSCN0150.jpg.html)

b) SLC's controls: pilot's hands on a wheel that could be turned and tlted forward and backward to control rudders and hydroplanes; by the knees are the levers controlling the tank pumps and between the knees a wheel for speed control
(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m130/s-germani/Uboats/RIMG0256.jpg) (http://s103.photobucket.com/user/s-germani/media/Uboats/RIMG0256.jpg.html)

I hope this helps!
SG

Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 19 Mar , 2015, 10:08
Many thanks for that, SG !   :D
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 25 Apr , 2015, 08:55
Being sick with bronchitis (today on Day 9) has had an unexpected upside: some time to spend at the modelling bench!

Yesterday (24-Apr) I completed scratchbuilding the aft airtank rack.
And a short time ago, I replaced/corrected the pressure lines with styrene rod & solder for a much more realistic look.   I am pretty pleased with the results so far!


See photo album here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7)
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 25 Apr , 2015, 11:36
Excellent work with the round ends of the compressed air containers, the effect achieved is very convincing, almost identical to what's in the real pictures. Great work with the rack too, clever idea to use lead foil for the top of the tray! I am follwing the progress with utmost interest
Title: Airtank rack
Post by: GlennCauley on 25 Apr , 2015, 18:26
I updated the photo descriptions to give more details about the stuff I used to scratchbuild the parts.

For the top sheet, I used 0.007" sheet styrene (not lead foil... which would have been better, or even thinner PE sheet which I did not have).  It's a little overscale, but I don't mind.   
I used tweezers to warp & tweak the edges, just like the real thing (which got pretty battered).

I'm puzzled about the airtanks, though... there are no fittings at either end, so I am wondering if the pictures show what real in-use tanks actually looked like.    If anyone has clear pics of airtank rack (like mine) with fittings/hoses on the tanks, please let me know.
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 Apr , 2015, 09:19
Thanks to the prompting of SG, I happened upon a hidden stash of metal foils that I had forgotten about!     
I found ultra-thin copper (0.0005"), aluminum (0.002"), and pewter (0.007").

I carefully removed the overscale styrene (0.007") top sheet, and replaced it with aluminum foil (0.002"), which seems to be the proper scale (in my opinion).
Also reworked the rearmost angle-iron piece, which I had installed incorrectly.

Now it looks good!
Thank you, SG.

PICS:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 26 Apr , 2015, 10:07
..and it looks REALLY AWESOME, Glenn! Aluminium is a material i am pretty used to work with, comes in different thickness (roll of foil/baking tins/cans) and it's easily available in supermarkets/relatively inexpensive, plus it never oxidises.
Excellent choice, am happy i've helped somehow!
Keep-up the excellent work, standing-by for new updates
SG
 
PS am gonna hunt for those compressed air bottles details


Addendum: just found this picture:
http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/0950_-_Taormina_-_Sottomarino_Maiale_alla_Villa_Comunale_-_Foto_G._DallOrto,_30_Sept-2006.jpg/800px-0950_-_Taormina_-_Sottomarino_Maiale_alla_Villa_Comunale_-_Foto_G._DallOrto,_30_Sept-2006.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.clanitak.altervista.org/viewtopic.php?f%3D62%26t%3D7028&h=600&w=800&tbnid=2bELO9BtZYVmYM:&zoom=1&docid=gG7S5kjiWXxCFM&ei=5w49VYXaL8S5UZO2hJgB&tbm=isch&ved=0CEcQMyggMCA (http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/0950_-_Taormina_-_Sottomarino_Maiale_alla_Villa_Comunale_-_Foto_G._DallOrto,_30_Sept-2006.jpg/800px-0950_-_Taormina_-_Sottomarino_Maiale_alla_Villa_Comunale_-_Foto_G._DallOrto,_30_Sept-2006.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.clanitak.altervista.org/viewtopic.php?f%3D62%26t%3D7028&h=600&w=800&tbnid=2bELO9BtZYVmYM:&zoom=1&docid=gG7S5kjiWXxCFM&ei=5w49VYXaL8S5UZO2hJgB&tbm=isch&ved=0CEcQMyggMCA)
in which there's an apparent connection at the back of the cylinders, and a video showing a differently-shaped single container with no aft connections but a bolted butt (1:19 min) and possibly some anterior connection (1:16 min). Great video, it shows the control panel very well. I suspect the video wasn't made by italian navy personnel (probably filmed by the british) and this could explain the different shape of the air bottle and its unicity (instead of the standard number of two). All the five (there could be more) maiale still preserved in italy that i know of sport air cylinders shaped like the ones in the italaeri kit.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPy-5R61_c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPy-5R61_c)
a rare picture of a SLC in action: no apparent aft connections to the cylinders
http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tauromodel.it/immagini/Foto/D003B.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.tauromodel.it/italiano/D003.htm&h=330&w=472&tbnid=i4MOdSiVzwljaM:&zoom=1&docid=Vv19aZql_q9OnM&ei=ixQ9VfCNAoqAU76ugegN&tbm=isch&ved=0CA4QMygGMAY4ZA (http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tauromodel.it/immagini/Foto/D003B.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.tauromodel.it/italiano/D003.htm&h=330&w=472&tbnid=i4MOdSiVzwljaM:&zoom=1&docid=Vv19aZql_q9OnM&ei=ixQ9VfCNAoqAU76ugegN&tbm=isch&ved=0CA4QMygGMAY4ZA)
more close-ups from the SLC at the museo della scienza in Milano:
http://www.panoramio.com/user/7437400/tags/Second%20world%20war?photo_page=3 (http://www.panoramio.com/user/7437400/tags/Second%20world%20war?photo_page=3)
http://www.museoscienza.org/dipartimenti/catalogo_collezioni/scheda_oggetto.asp?idk_in=ST120-00463&arg=carica (http://www.museoscienza.org/dipartimenti/catalogo_collezioni/scheda_oggetto.asp?idk_in=ST120-00463&arg=carica)
and finally (roll of drums), you gonna love this  -The Maiale Walkaround- no more secrets, God bless the chap that made it!
http://www.primeportal.net/naval/gaetano_pisano/slc-200/ (http://www.primeportal.net/naval/gaetano_pisano/slc-200/)
Cheers!
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 Apr , 2015, 11:01
Wonderful video, thanks!

On that picture of the SLC sitting in a courtyard, it looks like they simplified it & prettied it up for public display.   I cannot see airtank hoses going into the torpedo body like they show... I think they just mocked up something that looked good.  :)    I will add some rudimentary fittings on my airtanks, though.
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 26 Apr , 2015, 11:38
Glenn, don't miss the last link i posted, that walkaround's a real treasure!
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 Apr , 2015, 12:29
Woot woot!    Many thanks for those!
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 23 May , 2015, 08:51
Glenn, just in case you decide to add two Uomini Gamma to the SLC, these are the best around for sure. Beautifully sculpted and faithful to reality.

http://www.u-models.com/UM060.htm

Cheers
SG
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 26 May , 2015, 08:38
Thanks, SG... though I usually do not add figures to these.    Good to have the link, though!
I'd like to see a 1/35 figure small enough to fit inside the Neger model... I really think the hatch size is too small.
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 08 Jun , 2015, 09:33
Down to the short strokes on the Maiale model.    Last 4 pics in the photo album show the results of this weekend's build session.

Principle construction is essentially completed, with only 2 small shield brackets to be fabricated & installed. 
Then: painting the cockpit area behind the shield, installing the shield, overall painting & weathering, add the cabling... et voila she will be DONE.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 12 Jun , 2015, 09:39
What an Outstanding work Glenn!  Congrats, seems that every little detail has been taken care of. Wonderfully built and superdetailed!. Standing-by for the painting/weathering phase. I hope you choose that matt greenish-fieldgray finish sported by the SLC preserved at the museo della scienza in milan. Supercool!
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 14 Jun , 2015, 11:16
What an Outstanding work Glenn!  Congrats, seems that every little detail has been taken care of. Wonderfully built and superdetailed!. Standing-by for the painting/weathering phase. I hope you choose that matt greenish-fieldgray finish sported by the SLC preserved at the museo della scienza in milan. Supercool!


I was considering painting it a dark gray (nearly black) that the artwork/pics originally showed... but may reconsider.

Do you know the FS number for that particular colour you mention, SG?
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 23 Sep , 2015, 09:14

Glenn, I apologize for the belated reply: I had completely missed that, I hope it's not too late for some tips
The SLCs were usually finished in two basic colours: black and dark green (I'd presume Regia Marina's antifouling green paint was used for practical reasons -i.e. readily avaiable in large stocks- but i am not 100% sure of it). It's very difficult to give you a precise information about the real colours. Anyway, the brand Model Victoria suggests a basecoat of Humbrol Black Green 91 for its SLC kit. I have checked some italian forums with outstanding navy modellers such as Luciano Rizzato (who posted some great pictures of his "Maiale" on his website http://www.navymodeling.com (http://www.navymodeling.com)): some modellers have tried a base of Humbrol 91, highlighted with Humbrol 149. Some others used Humbrol 77 as a basecoat. An interesting idea would be using the classic pattern that Francois Verlinden used to render the german field gray which is:
Base: slate gray 31+ black 33;
Drybrush: base+white 34+ french artillery green 179
Wash: base + black or raw umber
Final Highlight: french artillery green 179 + touch of grass green 80   
But i don't know if this finish is way too gray for a maiale. It Would resemble the "maiale" preserved in Milan's museum though.
The alternative is using the classic Lifecolor UA617 Antifouling Dark Green from LC's Regia Marina original color range which is probably the best choice + playing with highlights and shades.


By the way what's the state of the build right now?
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: GlennCauley on 22 Oct , 2015, 12:04
By the way what's the state of the build right now?

Thanks for the info, SG.   :)

I finished the build in early September, and entered my Maiale in CAPCON 2015 where it won 2nd in its category.
Here is the album:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152547472727127.1073741867.549717126&type=1&l=d4e44f17d7
I made my own custom shade of dark metallic green using Mr. Color 123 Dark Green + 28 Steel, and for the first time used oil paints for weathering & shading.
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: Capt Kremin on 22 Oct , 2015, 13:23
Hi Glenn,


That is a fine pair (the X craft as well) to add to your collection.


Regards
Jon
Title: Re: S.L.C. "Maiale" 1/35 man-driven torpedo
Post by: SG on 22 Oct , 2015, 14:46
Congratulations Glenn!
One of the most convincing maiale models ever seen! Very realistic, I love the worn-out final look.
Excellent result, Bravissimo!