NEW Torpedo Shutter info!!!

[Rokket]

Thanks to Robert Morgan, there's a heap more info on those pesky torpedo shutters, bow and stern. There are 3 major shutter styles!

NEW DOCUMENT HERE

http://amp.rokket.biz/am_1_72_gato_sets.shtml (AMP AM sets & Library sections)

The AMP AfterMarket torpedo set will now have 2 additional sets added to the range, each $9.95 (Valley, Spoon, Balao). The Balao masters are almost ready for casting, and the Valley are under construction. (Note that these names are almost arbitrary, and that "Balao" does not mean for JUST Balao boats).

Any AMP customers who bought a Spoon set and now need a different set may get the new set for half price.

(As a side note, just what the f$%&*#@-ing hell was Revell thinking when they stuck those fixed bits of plastic to the bow?)

[Division 6]

If you want even more confusion there are variances in the flat Balao style.
Some with solid flat ends and some with a little bit of roundness at the front.

Most of the variance is on the bottom shutter, even the hull where the tube door is has different shapes where some bulge and others don't.

Check pix of Kete and Pampanito in drydock and you will see what I mean.

The Kete even has small holes along the top edge of the door.


Eric...

[Division 6]

Looking though my files I discovered I had this pic of Cobia in drydock.
While most of the bottom is covered in junk you can clearly see the top shutter is the flat Balao style with holes across the top.
So I have no idea where Revell got those door designs from.


Right click and view image to see it larger.

Eric...

[devans]

They probably used the plan vault that the museum  has for the Cobia and picked an old plan. I have a copy of their plan list for the boat and it's big. I bought the dry dock plan from them years ago and got the plan list too. Funny thing, I paid $25.00 for the plan shipped to me and when Revell took an interest in the Cobia for a model their copy service prices took a steep jump in the up direction. If anyone's interested I can email the file, it's an excel file.

[Rokket]

I'd love a copy.

[Division 6]

Rokket another feature you might want to consider making is a PE piece for the flood hole plates that go right behind the tube doors.
It would be much cleaner than someone drilling out all those tiny holes.

Eric...

[Rokket]

maybe a drill template - would make it easier than destroying the bow and hiding the PE, but still clean results...

[aptivaboy]

I may have figured out where Revell got there bow shutter design, since it obviously dos not match their putative prototype, the USS Cobia. Go here, and checkout the photos of the USS Drum, especially the photos near the bottom of the page showing her bow. Apart from a few minor hull differences, those look exactly like the kit's shutters. If so, then Revell put Portsmouth shutters on an Electric Boat model! At least the two upper shutters appear reasonably accurate for an early EB boat, a couple of issues excepted - get rid of those horns at the shutter leading edges, etc. The plans I've seen of Tambor indicate that the lower concave, valley type shutter would be different for EB boats, with a small hull bulge around the tube muzzle, probably to accommodate the tube length. Photos support this.

http://www.drum228.org/history.html


Robert

[wildspear]

It looks like I have the correct doors for my Gato, I'll take a pair of "Vally" Stern doors when those are complete. I have started work on the door you sent me (been laid up a few weeks due to hand surgery). I just completed cutting out the molded on doors. Good thing I got on the site. I'll try to get some pics posted of my build.

[Rokket]

love to see the pix, wild! Started hacking away at chunks of plastic for the valley, and the balao are just getting a touch-up before mold making.