The Ship Model Forum

by **Iceman 29** » Thu Nov 05, 2026 3:22 pm

I remodeled the stack as I had planned for a long time. I only have one photo of the interior from a book I bought.

I think it’s not too badly represented, including the hinged rain and spray shield for the three turbo generators.

Then I drew part of the M2 Browning 12.7 machine gun. I downloaded the machine gun model—and only the machine gun—from Cult3D.
https://cults3d.com/fr/mod%C3%A8le-3d/d ... n-browning

I drew its mount and armor. I saved a little time, even though I have all the blueprints to draw it.

The concept:

by **Iceman 29** » Mon Nov 02, 2026 2:18 pm

I'm still working on the port side of the ship; I've finished drawing all the pipes, which was a lot of work.

Then, on the aft section that houses the turbogenerators, I made a lot of changes to the ventilation grilles and other parts—there were some errors. I didn't have many photos of that side, so the photos from Maquette Land were a big help.

As a bonus, here are some new photo renderings created with AI based on my drawing.

Weather: Strong Wind Advisory!

Dry dock. Created using Fusion 360's built-in AI.

by **Iceman 29** » Mon Oct 26, 2026 8:15 am

I gave ChatGPT a try, it’s pretty good with images, so I use it often for that.

I wasn’t disappointed with the result. Conditions: open water at 10 knots, calm seas.

It makes for a nice model kit box image.

by **Iceman 29** » Sun Oct 25, 2026 12:46 pm

Thanks, Jim.

It's designed for a scale of at least 1/144 (the smallest).

After a long break from drafting, I’m resuming the project with a brand-new Mac (M5 Pro) and a new 27-inch monitor. My 2017 27-inch iMac was no longer compatible with Fusion 360 as of April 2026—so much for planned obsolescence, even though the machine was still holding up just fine!

Well, I have to admit that in nine years, Apple has made some significant leaps in development. It will certainly save me time, though it comes at a steep price... Thanks, AI data centers!

I’ve looked for a blueprint of this winch gantry, but I think that’s a lost cause. I’ll have to work from photographs—I have quite a few—though figuring out dimensions and proportions that way is always tricky.

Thanks to Lionel for his help.

At least with the crane, I had something resembling a blueprint to get started.

Regarding this specific gantry:

• Primary role: It is used for the deployment and handling of the Variable Depth Sonar (VDS)—or *Sonar Propulsé à Immersion Variable* (SPIV) in French.
• Sonar operation: This sonar (a Thales TSM 2022 Mk 3 model) is mounted on a *Double Eagle Mk2* remotely operated underwater vehicle (designed by Bofors). The aft gantry allows for the safe launch and recovery of this underwater drone from the ship’s fantail (aft deck).
• Fleet-wide deployment: The integration of this gantry took place between 2000 and 2005. The *Andromède* was the first French Navy vessel to be equipped with it, and the *Persée* was the last, marking the conclusion of the modernization program for the CMT (mine-hunting) class of ships. The Double Eagle Mk II (developed by Saab) is a world-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) used for naval mine countermeasures. Integrated onto the aft deck of Tripartite-class minehunters, its operational mode relies on a precise technological synergy. Several models exist.

1. The PVDS (Propelled Variable Depth Sonar) Concept

Unlike expendable drones or fixed hull-mounted sonars, the Double Eagle Mk II functions as a self-propelled, variable-depth sonar system.
• Advanced scout: The vehicle operates several hundred meters ahead of the minehunter, allowing the host vessel to remain at a safe distance from potentially mined areas.
• Depth and angle adjustment: By housing the detection and classification sonar (Thales TSM 2022 Mk 3) directly in its nose, the Double Eagle allows operators to adjust the sonar’s depth—enabling it to operate beneath thermal layers in the water (which can disrupt acoustic waves)—and to optimize the viewing angle toward a target.

2. Propulsion and Piloting

The vehicle weighs approximately 360 kg and features a highly stable, hydrodynamic dual-hull design.
• Multidirectional propulsion: It is equipped with an array of electric thrusters—typically six for vertical and lateral movement, and four high-power thrusters for forward and reverse motion—providing six degrees of freedom. It can counter challenging ocean currents and navigate at speeds of up to 6 knots.
• The "Tether" (umbilical): The drone remains permanently connected to the MCMV (Mine Countermeasures Vessel) via a fiber-optic reinforced umbilical cable (often 1,000 meters in length). This cable provides an unlimited power supply from the ship and ensures the real-time transfer of sonar data and high-definition video feeds to the operations room.

3. Typical mission sequence

1. Deployment: The A-frame (gantry) on the aft deck picks up the Double Eagle Mk II and lowers it into the water in a stabilized manner.
2. Guided transit: The operator on board integrates the ROV’s path with the ship’s combat management system using waypoints.
3. Detection & Identification: The drone scans the seabed ahead. As soon as a suspicious echo is detected by its Thales sonar, the operator maneuvers the vehicle closer and uses its onboard floodlights and low-light television cameras to visually identify the mine. 4. Neutralization (optional): Although the French mine-countermeasure vessels (CMTs) primarily use it in "propelled sonar" mode for search operations, the Double Eagle platform can carry a neutralization charge or mechanical/explosive cable cutters to sever the mooring lines of anchored mines.

I don't have all the correct technical or visual information to do some specific things, but it's close to this:

That's almost finished for this equipment. Here it is in place on the aft starboard side.

I don't have a clear photo of what's under the green tarpaulin unfortunately.

Click twice for HD view.

Drawing of the retractable ship wings, rain watering piping, etc. I go into detail.

Very good detailed photos: http://www.maquetland.com/article-photo ... -sete-2024

by **JIM BAUMANN** » Tue Feb 24, 2026 6:00 am

much very fine detailing !

woking in two scales-not that far apart--can you upscale/downscael the prints OK?
Best wishes
JIM B

by **Iceman 29** » Sun Dec 21, 2025 6:00 pm

Hello Phil,

it's a folding platform for boarding with its typical ladder, for inflatables and divers.

No issues with Chrome, Brave, or Safari. False alarm.

by **DrPR** » Sun Nov 16, 2025 11:32 pm

What is the thing on the transom just to the left of the hull number? It looks like a vent, but it has cables and such attached that make it look like something that can be deployed into the ocean.

Also, if I double click n your photos I get full screen danger warnings of attempts to hack into my computer.

by **Iceman 29** » Sun Nov 16, 2025 12:34 pm

Thanks Phil!

I haven't drawn anything since then, just a few necessary but time-consuming adjustments before continuing.

Three HD views just for fun and motivation. And there you go!

Double click for HD.

by **DrPR** » Fri Nov 14, 2025 1:07 am

Very nice modeling!

Phil

by **Iceman 29** » Thu Nov 13, 2025 6:00 pm

The design of the decompression chamber is almost complete.
Click 2 times for HD.

by **Iceman 29** » Thu Nov 13, 2025 6:39 am

Drawing of the ‘Hyperbar’ block. It's not finished yet; I still need to draw a few pipes on the decompression chamber. I won't go into too much detail, as it's inside the room.

by **Iceman 29** » Mon Nov 10, 2025 5:34 pm

Drawing of the two rear masts, which normally support two 7.7 mm machine guns that will need to be drawn.

Also draw the hyperbaric chamber for decompression accidents involving mine clearance or combat divers. It is a removable container module. The drawing is not finished.

Behind the six doors, there are 12 cylinders with different percentages of oxygen.

by **Iceman 29** » Thu Nov 06, 2025 5:59 pm

Drawing of the rear deck bulkhead.

Schematic drawing of the rear winch. It took a lot of imagination to come up with a drawing that resembles this winch, as there was very little photographic information available. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have. It won't be very visible given the mass of objects around it.

by **Iceman 29** » Fri Oct 31, 2025 10:59 am

The PAP-104 ROV is complete.

In action with his twin, who has found his place.

by **Iceman 29** » Tue Oct 28, 2025 5:15 pm

Continuation of the drawing with the PAP-104 carriage. There are several versions, I chose this one manufactured in Le Havre by the Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et des Chantiers du Havre, a design that is not easy to achieve from a simple photo.

It's not finished, it's a draft, the traction system at the front of the carriage is missing, as well as quite a few small details.

It is, of course, made entirely of stainless steel, so it must be quite heavy. Note the four stainless steel leaf spring shock absorbers, which prevent the vehicle from vibrating at sea.

by **Iceman 29** » Tue Oct 28, 2025 7:57 am

Jim!

Taxiways for the two PAP-104s, still need to draw the wheeled cradles.

by **JIM BAUMANN** » Mon Oct 27, 2025 6:17 pm

WOW !
six hours well spent!¬

Bravo!

JB

by **Iceman 29** » Mon Oct 27, 2025 6:09 pm

Thanks, Jim, yes in two scale this time, 1/144 and 1/100

The PAP-104 (Poisson autopiloté/Auto-piloted Fish 104) is a French remotely operated underwater vehicle built by ECA Group and used for mine warfare.

As a robotics specialist, working closely with personnel from the DCAN in St Tropez who had the idea of a demonstrator for an underwater mine-clearing robot, ECA was also subcontracted by the Directorate General of Armament to develop the PAP (Poisson Autopropulsé Piloté), the world's first underwater mine-clearing robot. Development began in 1968 to meet the operational needs of the French Navy. The first PAP-104 underwater anti-mine robot was created in 1970. The DGA then ordered an initial batch of 10. This triggered the decision to establish ECA in Toulon in 1975, where the group's headquarters are currently located.

PAP robots became the benchmark in underwater mine clearance and were ECA's flagship products for 30 years, enjoying huge export success and sold under licence from the French Naval Construction and Armament Directorate (DCAN), making ECA the manufacturer that paid the most royalties to the DCAN during that period.

After a trial production run, the initial Mk2 production model was developed and delivered to the French Navy in 1977, followed by the Mk.3 export model. In 1983, based on a request from the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Mk4 was developed, increasing the operational depth from 120 m to 300 m. In 1986, the Mk5 was developed in response to new requirements from the Royal Navy. In the Royal Navy, early versions such as the Mk2 were introduced under the name RCMDS Mk2 (remote-controlled mine-disposal system).

By 2024, more than 500 units had been built and were in use by some 20 navies around the world. They carried out more than 30,000 operations in 1994 and 45,000 in 2024 in the Red Sea, the Falkland Islands, the Persian Gulf, etc.[2]

The eleven Tripartite-class minehunters in service in 2014 in the French Navy had 35 PAP-104s at that date[3]. They began to be withdrawn from service in the 2020s.

Characteristics

This model is used to eliminate mines detected by sonar. The PAP-104 itself is equipped with a classification sonar (Krupp Atlas AIS 11 high-frequency sonar) and a video camera for mine identification. It is controlled from the mother ship via fibre optics using a cable of up to 1,000 metres and operates up to 600 metres from the vessel. The propulsion system consists of an electric motor attached to both sides and an internal battery power source. It can be equipped with an explosive charge or an underwater grenade weighing between 96[5] and 126 kg[6] and two explosive mooring cutters. The device can be fired remotely or triggered by a CNC (Contre Nageurs de Combat) grenade[7] to deal with both moored and submerged mines. The Mk5 has an unladen weight of 570 kg. It can complete its mission in around 20 minutes.

A Mk6 version, introduced in 2017, is larger and has four electric motors. It is capable of manoeuvring in strong currents and can withstand harsh environmental conditions thanks to its high-powered propulsion capabilities. It can carry a heavy explosive charge, the NATO Mine Disposal Charge, Cutter.

Of course, no plans were found on the internet. As usual, we had to rely solely on photographs of the device. A good profile photo is a good place to start the project.

Almost 6 hours of drawing.

by **JIM BAUMANN** » Fri Oct 24, 2025 12:04 pm

Razor sharp work--as always

will this be made into a tangible model?

Onwards

JIm Baumann

by **Iceman 29** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 3:43 pm

Adaptation of the Zodiac tire design I drew for the SS Delphine. The specific “Marine” fittings are still missing.

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