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The Dragonfish revisited. 14212712

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The Dragonfish revisited. 14212712

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» RC Drift Gyro for pitch control
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» Flight controllers as sub levelers
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» 868/915 Mhz as a viable frequency for submarines.
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» Microgyro pitch controller corrosion
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    The Dragonfish revisited.

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:07 pm

    You may remember the Dragonfish, my interpretation of a Cold War Concept sub that was never built.

    The Dragonfish revisited. 13480810

    Well, she's lain idle for a few long months in desperate need of some attention, but over these last few days I've put her back on the slipway and started a refit.

    She was never that good in the water, very unstable, so a comletely new wtc is to be installed, the ballast pump is coming out, and she will be rebuilt as a dynamic dive boat. That should make her a lot lighter to start with, and hopefully cure the nose heavy attitude she's always had from day one.

    I'm planning on using my Robbe F-14 radio, the original HiTec Optic 6 never did work properly for some strange reason, but the F-14 has worked perfectly in my Neptune, so it's going in the Dragonfish. Plus it's in a tray, which makes using it with arthritic hands and fingers a whole lot more comfortable.

    So, I have the new tube on order, I'm going to ask Ron Perrott to make the end caps for me, and so far I've remade the wire linkages for the rudder and the rear 'planes.

    More later as and when I've done more to it.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:12 pm

    And the redesigned ship's crest..

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:53 am

    The new length of tube for the Dragonfish's wtc has just arrived, and as a welcome bonus, the MMB end caps fit perfectly.

    Now I can crack on with cutting the tube to it's correct length and removing those silly 'ears' on the end caps.


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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:50 am

    Hi Richard
    Glad to see the fingers are allowing you to work on this little sub it look rather nice totally different I’m looking forward to seeing how you get on.
    Was it originally a kit?
    I put my mmb WTC in the kitchen sink before I started cutting holes in it glad to say totally water tight after 2 hours
    I know it’s a little of topic tom has asked me for a profile plan of my little fun sub in my profile picture.
    I want to convert a parts plan to PDF for everyone to enjoy so if anyone wants to build one they can print it off at home on a printer.
    The question is how do you load a pdf onto this site?
    Take care geof
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:09 pm

    Thanks Geoff...originally it was a Trumpeter Seawolf kit. The upper deck started off as the deck of a Trumpeter Kilo kit, cut off, shortened, fitted, sanded and filled and sanded some more to get the right shape. Periscope slots were cut into it, and all the radar domes and deck bits and pieces were all either from my odds box, or scratch built from styrene. The towed sonar pipe is a length of alloy tube, fitted into the bulge in the top deck.

    I need to change the prop later on, the boat should have had a seven blade scimitar style prop with anti cavitation tips.

    About the .pdf...we've had this before, and I never did work out how to do it. There must be a way, but I can't find it!
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:44 pm



    Cylinder marked ready for cutting to size...it sits nicely up to the forward brace bar, and allows plenty of room for linkages, prop shafts and couplings, etc.


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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:21 pm

    thanks for the reply on the PDF ill have to think of something.
    was the clear tube for your WTC from that ebay link you gave us?
    geof
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    Post  profesorul Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:43 pm

    HI,
    @RICHARD,
    I am so glad to see You are in much better shape!.

    I look forward to see what's coming up from You hands.

    MARIUS
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:57 pm

    Correct Geoff...less than 48 hours delivery and free postage too!

    Thank you Marius, very kind of you to say so.

    It's all cut to size and fits a treat, well pleased with my efforts today. Now, the hands are telling me enough...so I listen to the hands. Tomorrow I'll trim the the ears off the end caps, and then I can start on fitting out the cylinder.
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    Post  profesorul Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:13 pm

    I was about to say in the first place:not exaggerate.
    Take care of Your selfs and keep Your strength for long time.

    P.S. where did You get the Plexiglas Tube,(the link)and how much it was according with Diameter?.

    MARIUS
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:05 pm

    I've always got my acrylic tube from this eBay seller, Marius...he is very good, very reasonable prices, and extremely fast with his delivery.

    http://stores.ebay.co.uk/clearplasticsupplies
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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:20 pm

    do most people go out and get there own tube and just get someone to make the end caps?
    i take it the tube is pritty much standard size or do you give the people who are making the end caps the inside dimention

    take care geof
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:32 pm

    Most people do their own thing with cylinders, Geoff...if you have loads of spare cash you buy a ready made one easily, but those of us who need to watch the pennies make their cylinders.

    My usual method is to buy the tube to fit the boat, cut it to size, and then ask Ron Perrott or Mark at MMB to make the end caps for me. Make sure that you send whoever is making the caps the odd length of tube you've cut off, that way you get the caps to be a perfect fit, as the stuff does vary in diameter. Not by much, but enough not to seal.
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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:06 pm

    good bit advice mate i will remember that in future
    many thanks geof
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Feb 15, 2013 3:01 am

    Well, there was nothing much on tv, so I ignored my hands and cut off those 'ears' on the end caps. Little bit of sanding tomorrow...that's that job done.



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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:44 am

    looking good dont upset your hands to much
    (DON'T YOU EVERY SLEEP YOU POSTED THIS AT 3.01mAM HA HA )
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:22 am

    Thanks Marius...the hands are a bit sore this morning, but I've just cut out the tray to hold all the equipment, maybe that will do for an hour or so, I think.

    I sleep at all odd hours, sometimes during the evenings, sometimes during the day, sometimes during the night, but last night was a bit noisy outside and I kept getting woken up...I posted this on my Facebook page at just after 0300hrs this morning :


    "It's just turned three in the bloody morning and I'm wide awake, sat sitting here with a nice cuppa and smoke.
    For the last hour or so it's been like the film set of 'Madagascar' out front...there's been two foxes fighting and arguing, the owls have been going at it for the best part of half an hour, that lot set off a dog somewhere close, and to cap it all off, the foxes keep setting off the school security lights, makes it look like there's an electrical storm going on. (I live opposite a little village school)

    The first time for a while I've had my bedroom windows open(nice mild night here)and 'Apocalypse Now' starts up...all it wants now is for an Army battalion to come over at low level with the leading Huey gunship playing 'Ride Of The Valkyries' at full volume to complete the scene!"
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    Post  david f Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:54 pm

    Sounds like the only thing you need is a Hunt and a pack of foxhounds, Richard!

    David
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:13 pm

    Never had a night like it, David...I finally went back to bed around 0500hrs ish after things had quietened down. It was worse than an Iraqui war zone!
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:39 pm

    Today's job was to commence the fitting out of the radio and bits on the equipment tray...so far, so good. Still haven't sanded those ears off level though, maybe I'll do that tonight. The 9.6v 2200a/h battery pack fits nicely under the tray, and there's plenty of room for the motor. The servo wires will go under the tray as well, out of sight.



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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:06 am

    Just finished fitting the MMB watertight push rod seals...deep joy trying to get that microscopic O ring in the tube! Anyway, they are in, I'll give them a try, if they don't work I can always retrofit bellows.
    I must get round to sanding the remainder of those 'ears' off the end caps, that's a job for when the painkillers have kicked in.


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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sat Feb 16, 2013 3:03 pm

    Here go then..the MMB watertight push rod seals all installed and hooked up. I think they are a nice neat way of doing the job, easy to install, and reasonably cheap too @ £3.00 a pair.

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    Post  tattooed Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:49 pm

    looking good mate where do you get your o rings from as i need some for the biber
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:08 pm

    These came with the end caps mate, courtesy of MMB, they were originally part of the Sub Sonic kit. You can either buy O ring cord from various traders on Ebay and make your own, or buy them ready made from the same suppliers. I might have some 2mm cord somewhere in my boxes of stuff, I'll have a hunt and see if I can find it for you.
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    Post  acrowot (Geof) Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:08 pm

    i must say the WTC is looking great keeping a close eye on how you do it as the revell uboat has a similar WTC.
    how well do you think the water tight push rods are going to work they do look very neat and i have a couple for my uboat
    glad to see the medication is having a good effect letting you get back to building
    geof

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