The Ship Model Forum

by **CC Clarke** » Tue Aug 18, 2026 7:51 pm

I posed a question to an old co-worker in CT regarding the TA Stowage Tube supports. He was onboard Shark before going to SSN-21 and should know the answer.

Meanwhile, here's the revision.

The close-up on the stern plane(s) cutout is at the inboard axle entrance. There's an access plate on the port side for entry into the free-flood area for maintenance above it.

Printing three of the four proto hull sections is in progress. Photos tomorrow if they look decent.

by **FFG-7** » Tue Aug 18, 2026 1:57 pm

part of the hinge assembly?

by **CC Clarke** » Tue Aug 18, 2026 12:49 pm

I agree on the strut question Tom, since I have references for other classes that show them, but none for the 585's. I'm going to include it, but am loathe to add anything without a photo to back it up. I'll be printing the prototype tonight (15 hours) along with two other hull sections. I/144 scale is nice to work with because I can fit multiple hull sections on the printer's build plate. My current printer can print 7.5" high. My new one will print double that height, so I'll be able to print two complete hulls at once.

I did notice something I haven't seen in any of the drawings or pro-built models, but is clearly shown in photos: The stern planes have an extra "notch" in them on the inboard side.

by **Tom Dougherty** » Tue Aug 18, 2026 7:55 am

Very nice CAD work! It will be interesting to see the printed models.

Quick question: I see that the towed array tube has a single support strut? The Permit and Sturgeon modifications had tubes with two support struts.

by **CC Clarke** » Mon Aug 17, 2026 1:55 pm

Moving along to the next 3D printed hulls on my list, I figured I could kill two builds with 1.5 stones, using the bow and stern of the Skipjack to speed up designing the George Washington class (my first boat.)

I'm designing the Skipjack in two versions - the As-built , with a five-bladed screw, and the 70's version which included the BQR-15 / STASS towed array.
The lower hull is finished along with the topside detailing. All that remains is the sail and masts and antennas.

by **seaforce** » Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:08 pm

Thanks Tom Dougherty for your input :That was my first attempt to scratch build a propeller, the kit came with a three bladed propeller, I guess I have do better research and figured this out, and attempt another scratch build propeller. odd ball kit anyways, If I acquire any more Submarines it be in 1/350 scale, I might willing to buy aftermarket parts for it in 1/350 scale, I do have a revell 1/253 scale George Washington class still in the build stack, it came with a five bladed propeller so I keep that as is.

by **Tom Dougherty** » Wed Sep 20, 2023 6:49 pm

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the propeller should turn clockwise (as viewed from the rear) rather than counterclockwise. A better propeller might be one of Mike Fuller's 3-D printed propellers. These are not exactly the right scale (1/144) significantly oversized vs. the odd 1/228 (or so) Monogram kit. Possibly he might resize one if you contact him.

by **seaforce** » Tue Sep 19, 2023 10:33 am

Finally painted the skipjack, ended up painting the hull: gunship gray, upper hull deck and sail is mixed of oily black and black, lower hull is hull red, decided to add the 585 number to sail (I know the USN left the numbers off sometime during late 1960s, I wanted something on the model as to show what boat this is). kind of flipped the color pattern that appear on the box top, left edge, which show hull and lower hull all black with light gray upper deck and sail.

by **seaforce** » Tue Apr 04, 2023 10:27 pm

Thanks Tom Dougherty for the info; I picked up this monogram model of the skipjack few years ago, just decided now to build it, after glueing the two piece hull and the sail together, I was looking at it , said this thing needs some more work, after looking online mostly images, and the 1/72 scale moebius Skipjack photos online, plus, I have a copy of Norman Friedman's U.S Submarines since 1945, I decided to scratch build all the modifications.

by **Tom Dougherty** » Tue Apr 04, 2023 8:27 am

Nice work on updating the much older Aurora/Monogram Skipjack kit! That is the one with the �reactor hatch� which is one of those 1960�s features back when we all had only tube glue and Testor�s paints. The late Ken Hart did major �plastic surgery� to correct some of the subtle errors of that kit. I still have that, along with his drawings.

Curious as to why you didn�t start with the later Mikromir kit. More accurate although the instructions have a major error in the rudder placement. The rudders trailing edge should match the trailing edge of the stern planes; not the leading edges.

As to your question about the propeller. The original �speed prop� was on both the Skipjack, George Washington SSBN class and even for a sh time on Thresher. The broad, fan blade shape interacted abruptly with the wake of the rudders and stern planes. This resulted in the blades vibrating, giving off low frequency blade rate noise. Low frequency noise Carrie�s for great distances in the deep sound channel. It has been reported that SOSUS hydrophones (which were positioned in the deep sound channel) tracked the Washington SSBN with her original propeller all the way across the Atlantic on her initial patrol.

Bottom line is the 5 blade speed props were replaced in the early 1960�s with the 7 blade skew back propellers. The skew back gradually entered and exited the disturbed wake area. That and other features led to a significant decrease in blade rate noise. So, my best advice is that an �as built� Skipjack would have the 5 blade speed propeller, but one with the early towed array is 99.9% certain to have the 7 blade skew back version. I would recommend Mike Fullers (Mulsanne Mike) 3-D 1/144 as the closest match for your kit.

by **seaforce** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:14 am

Near end phase of building, an 1/228 Monogram SSN Skipjack, next step is to base coat and paint.

The equiptment-systems on top of the sail not glued down yet, not decided what systems to keep in the deployed mode, I dont like the cluttered look.

not sure of the dates the model represents, I added fwd sonar intercept reciever, aft active sonar jammer, and towed array, the seven bladed propeller, guessing this would be late 1970s or early-mid 1980s, base on photos from online.

by **Tracy White** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:15 pm

PM out.

by **Woodstock74** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 2:45 pm

Can someone who has the Moebius 1/72 Skipjack kit reach out to me (direct message me), I need a dimension.

by **razgrizbsg27** » Fri Oct 08, 2021 10:35 am

Yes exactly, I never knew what that was, I just guessed it might have been GNATs based on the description of it.

by **Tom Dougherty** » Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:09 am

And is GNATs the thing that was mounted on USS Cavallas�s bow?

Do you mean the large installation on Cavalla, as pictured here:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/334673816031009573/
https://www.history.navy.mil/bin/imageD ... .1280.jpeg

I know someone who was aboard when this was on bow. I�m not exactly sure of the function. It was only there for a limited period.

by **Vepr157** » Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:45 pm

razgrizbsg27 wrote:Ok, thank you very much! And is GNATS the thing that was mounted on USS Cavalla's bow? Cause its shaped exactly like what you described.

GNATS looked like this:

The "wart" on the bow of the Cavalla (and Sturgeon and apparently one 594) was a fairing over the mechanically-steered, high-frequency component of the BQH-4 sonar array. The other outboard component was a thick-line towed array, the predecessor to the TB-16.

Jacob

by **razgrizbsg27** » Wed Oct 06, 2021 8:50 am

Ok, thank you very much! And is GNATS the thing that was mounted on USS Cavalla's bow? Cause its shaped exactly like what you described.

by **Vepr157** » Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:14 am

The box had a hinged cover that exposed a set of rollers so that the array could be fed down through the tube. The array was stored wrapped around a set of portable stanchions on the diesel exhaust spine. I presume the tube that runs forward from the box is for the cable and the winch/drum is somewhere in a ballast tank. I'm not sure what the little dome aft is for, although it definitely wasn't PUFFs. Perhaps it was a later form of GNATS, which you will more commonly see as a football-shaped fairing on a short strut.

Jacob

by **Tom Dougherty** » Tue Oct 05, 2021 4:40 pm

Yes, the Skipjacks were refitted with 7 blade J screws. See photo in dry dock, below

by **razgrizbsg27** » Tue Oct 05, 2021 2:15 pm

I'm Building the Moebius Skipjack in 1/72, and I'm planning to portray her as one of the Skips late in their life, probably USS Shark or USS Sculpin. So that means at least to my knowledge, a Towed array, and some of the extra blisters on her deck (PUFFs maybe?) and possibly a 7 bladed screw? Although I'm not sure if all the Skipjacks got 7 blades later or not.

I'm planning to either 3d print or make out of plasticard the Box that reels the towed array, or if before or later in their lives it was just a tube that ran further up the hull and got reeled inside like a ballast tank or something, I have another aluminum rod I can run up the hull if that's the case. I'm also thinking I'll probably 3d print the extra bumps and pods on deck, but I can't find any plans that show them or a definitive explanation of what they are.

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