I very much appreciate the kudos and positive reenforcement from all of you gentlemen! Thanks!
I also will take this moment to say that if any of you have ideas, or suggestions as I go, I am more than happy to send
these to the planning offices for consideration!
I am in awe of the combined knowledge that this, and other boards show!
So... Here is a bit more work.
The Allies have stopped bombing over the New Year's Holidays and my labor force has gotten back to work.
Bringing out the calculator, delving into the ole' trigonometry, solid geometry, and quite a bit of trial and error
with paper patterns, I have started working on the off-axis truncated frustum that is the skin and framework
wrapping the forward "Schuss VIII" of the pressure hull.
Here you can see the drawing I generated. I marked it for where I wanted my cut-out, and with scale 10cm lines
to ease the placement of internal ribs and external frames.
Here you can see the frustum and internal ribs. The ribs are made from .015" sheet plastic, which I turned into welded t-bulb
girders by adding .010" thick, .060" wide evergreen strips to the inboard edges. These are quite flimsy to handle, but as I built
each one, and added them to the inside of my pressure hull, the entire structure became quite solid. :-)
You can see the start of the air bottles that sit outboard of the tubes, and the rudimentary start of the dive plane actuator motor.
You can also see the thin tan stretched sprue welds I added to the ribs where they connect to the pressure hull.
This might be overkill, given what will be viewable from the cut-outs, but it also serves the purpose of strengthening the connection
of the thin plastic, and ensures I have no gaps. I do not want to give this boat's crew shoddy construction! :-)
This is the Stbd. set of air bottles. They still need plumbing and valves and support brackets, as well as beefy hex bolts.
Question to the masses: Were the air bottles on the boats painted a different color, as high pressure bottles tend to have
done to them in modern times? On U-995, many are currently blue, but I believe that is a modern thing.
This shows the frustum tape-fitted, and the general placement of the air bottles and dive plane motor with the tubes.
It is naturally starting to get cramped in there - but I have a lot more cramming to do.
I will add lots of plumbing and electrical cable in the "hole" of the cut-out, and will of course add the interlocks, control rods,
and other mechanical stuff for the tubes. Also, I will need captain motors and drive shafts, and the setting gear for the gyros and such.
I also will have to start painting these interior parts, and the details as they are committed to the model.
It is my intention to add interior lighting, as I have seen done in some very excellent builds.
It seems to me that getting the right shapes, reasonable painting, and logical clutter will be the key.
In the pic above, the red lines show approx. where the exterior frame work will go. This will further constrict the view
of the interior in this section, but I feel it will add a sense of realism - as if the exterior hull and parts of the pressure
hull "magically" were removed for our viewing pleasure!
The white, round aircraft stringer is just a temp to hold that section of framing in place for me, but will not be part of the final build.
I have to draw and execute the support bulkheads under the pressure hull. These cradles will be visible from the oval free flooding
holes in the exterior skin, so they will be detailed. You can see the white "L" girders I have in place that they will mount to.
Ok - I am heading to the airbrush, to get working on the interior base colors.
Ciao and cheers Mates!
Christopher
