Tores mailbox VIIC and VIIC/41 operation and technical details

[maillemaker]

I see your point of view but you are nevertheless deviating from the box with regards to the schnorchel casing recess, in that case I  would perhaps make the schnorchel lay- out correct as well, adding the missing deck exhaustbend and schnorchel shutoff valve both very visible on the stb front side of the tower casing, se my image below.

Yes, having seen this snorkel detail from the Simon's drawings you posted, I think I am going to attempt to add it.  It does not look terribly difficult.

Steve

[maillemaker]

Here is one fellow's work at moving the anchor well forward 7mm:

http://u-552.blogspot.com/2008/01/anchor-well.html

This is major surgery to the hull and would obliterate a lot of detail that would have to be added back in.  I'm going to live with the stock location. 

Steve

[tore]

Steve. The correction wasn`t too bad, I did it on my model. Below is a photo I made during drydocking of KNM Kaura ex U-995 in 1954 when we "dropped the anchor" for inspection which illustrate the chain well clear of the stb. forward hydroplane guard.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


Here is what the bow section of my 1/32nd scale (about 7 feet in length) OTW U-96 looks like...


Regards,
Don_

[Don Prince]

The U-96 tower is made from brass plate and brass rods - only the seats and and attack periscope shear are from resin.  It took over a week shaping the brass plate and using a butane torch to solder all the parts together.  The kit only included two flat brass tower sides and the two piece tower deck.  The rest of the parts had to be hand made by the builder (me)!


Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
Have you any idea how many hours you used building this model? It is huge what would the weight be?
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


It took 2 years of every other weekend and 2 years of my 5 weeks of vacation.  I figure about 1,400 hours and I will attach some building photos...


Regards,
Don_

[Don Prince]

again

[Don Prince]

The last photo shows the brass nuts holding the brass forward hydroplane to the hull.  Originally the fairings has only studs.  I threaded the studs and bolted the fairings into place and then covered the nuts with fiberglass resin to perminately seal everything into place..

[tore]

Don. You are a true U boat enthusiast having the stamina to spend almost every week end and vacation on a model project for two years.
 Seeing the shiny brass propellers reminds me of the VIIC propellers which I guess up 1942 were of a propeller brass alloy, afterwards  the VIIC propellers were made of a special steel. Submarine propellers are a special science, the VIIC propellers were not of a particular advanced design, they were susceptible to cavitation on the tip of the blades as well as towards the boss. The pittings were bad, but cavitation is noisy due to the implosions of the vapour bubbles.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


Several years before building U-96, I built a Me 109 Messerschmitt (48 inch wing span - 5 weeks to build) and a Focke Wulf 190A (54 inch wingspan - 6 weeks to build).  Both aircraft are made from pieces of white aspen wood (no knots) and not a kit; just weeks of sanding (scratch built)...


I was very interested in aircraft form my teen-age years until 2003; when I got interested in U-Boats. A Long time ago, I had a private pilot license and taught aeronautics to high school kids at the Civil Air Patrol when I was a college student. Going to work for the NCR Corporation and computers changed all that because I had to support a family.


Regards,
Don_

[karel]

The other smaller black wheel next to the periscope is the locking pin wheel for the schnorchel mast homing on the tower casing.

Tore. The other black wheel that you mentioned. I tried to locate it on panoramic pictures. I found bunch of black wheels near the periscope. Can you identify their purpose? Are they all tied to schnorchel mast control system?


Many thanks.
Karel

[tore]

Karel.
Identification control room valves. Below is an image which I guess should be the relevant valves.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hi Karel,


In addition - These are the images that Mr. Tore provided to me a while back.

Regards,
Don_

[maillemaker]

I have used a detailed Type VIIC schematic on the web to show what the keel looks like behind the bottom floods at the bow of the boat:



I used this to make a template to make a matching piece to put into the hull of my model.

I am looking for something similar for the stern floods.

Does anyone have a suitable picture?

Thanks,

Steve