Calling all Virginia-class (SSN-774) fans

[Tom Dougherty]

"Plans"?? No, the US Navy does not release plans of its current nuclear powered submarines.

Drawings we can do, though...

I have much higher resolution drawings than these, but I had to cut them way back in order to meet the circa 1995 dial up era 200Kb limit for posting.

[Tracy White]

circa 1995 dial up era 200Kb limit for posting.

Just as a FYI, the limits were more done for database size than anything. the message board isn't run on a server farm with gobs of storage and processor, so the larger the database gets longer things like backups and upgrades take. It's also why messages in the main forum auto-prune and delete after a set period of inactivity. I'm sure if the site made more / any kind of money these limits would be reconsidered.

[ssn705]

Can someone please make a VIRGINIA kit that is fully MIP'd so that we have something better than one of the first boats prior to commissioning? Gonna have to do a separate bow for the Block IIIs with the VPM and a flat-top towed array fairing....

Dave

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Can someone please make a VIRGINIA kit that is fully MIP'd ......

Well Dave, why wouldn't that 'someone' be YOU? Why wait for others solving your problems or desires? Do it yourself! If you believe there are others around with the same needs they will be grateful to you!

So take up the challenge YOURSELF. If you don't have the skills: learn them. But don't demand or expect someone to solve your needs.

Or stop asking such questions.

Maarten

[ssn705]

Can someone please make a VIRGINIA kit that is fully MIP'd ......

Well Dave, why wouldn't that 'someone' be YOU? Why wait for others solving your problems or desires? Do it yourself! If you believe there are others around with the same needs they will be grateful to you!

So take up the challenge YOURSELF. If you don't have the skills: learn them. But don't demand or expect someone to solve your needs.

Or stop asking such questions.

Maarten

Well I don't think I was demanding anyone do anything for me. It was more a hope that a kit would come out that would keep me from having to scratch-build something for once. For the record, I have have converted kits into TORSK as a fleet snorkel, CROAKER as an SSK, BAYA as Sonar test boat and TIRU as the first GUPPY III, among many others, so I have no issue with scratch-building. I'd just prefer, since I would like to do models of VIRGINIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, MISSOURI and INDIANA, that I did not have to do the same stuff over and over.

I am happy to do scratch-building for all of the one-offs I build, but it is it too much to hope a company that chooses to put a VIRGINIA kit on the market actually does it to show the way they look in service?

Dave

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

I am happy to do scratch-building for all of the one-offs I build, but it is it too much to hope a company that chooses to put a VIRGINIA kit on the market actually does it to show the way they look in service?

Dave

Seems we are then not so different! Scratch building is fun, but not when you have to repeat yourself umpty times. Example: correcting the banana boat shaped deck of all the AFV Clup Gato/Balao/Guppy kits. I have done now three of them and that's enough.

Yes, let's hope that one of the companies will do an updated Virginia. But I have little trust that these companies are reading this forum, let alone this post. Case of barking up the wrong tree. Remember the Arleigh Burke: for years we only had the much to be desired Panda kits, and only relative recently we got new, not necessarily better, but up-to-date kits available. So let's count our blessings, at least there is some reasonable good rendering of a Virginia, and it's already much better than Bronco's Seawolf attempt! (See other thread)

The only one who might hear us is Steve Larsen (ModelMonkey), who started this thread in the first place, and who might develop some 3D gadgets for the bow sonar. (Steve do you hear?) Dave, do you have the required drawings perhaps? Your username seems to suggest you're crewmember of the Corpus Christi, if I'm correct?

Btw, I noticed there are really nice thrusters available from Shapeways, considering to buy several for both some USN and RN boats!

[ModelMonkey]

...The only one who might hear us is Steve Larsen (ModelMonkey), who started this thread in the first place, and who might develop some 3D gadgets for the bow sonar. (Steve do you hear?) Dave, do you have the required drawings perhaps? Your username seems to suggest you're crewmember of the Corpus Christi, if I'm correct?

Btw, I noticed there are really nice thrusters available from Shapeways, considering to buy several for both some USN and RN boats!

I hear you, Maarten! I'd like to design an entire Virginia class boat for 3D-printing. There are some issues, the most serious being that the cost of the model, depending on the scale of course, would likely be considerable making for few, if any sales. Toms sketches may be enough to develop a reasonably, accurately shaped model. But I doubt anyone would buy it.

I could design a bow sonar with some help with research. Getting it to fit the complex curve of the plastic kit might be tricky.

Thoughts?

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Thanks Steve for the quick reply! I agree that an entire 3D printed sub would be way too costly.

But for a few key parts that may be quite different. As for drawings/references: I was hoping that Dave (SSN 705) was having intimate knowledge and could provide the details required for such an undertaking.

[Tracy White]

Thoughts?

My thought is that the general public doesn't know enough about what "MIP" means to care enough to buy a new series of kits in serious numbers and that your parts are the most likely successful option. Personally I think ship kit marketing leaves a bit to be desired and that things like years, operations, or mods should be included to help make them more distinguishable and better supportive of multiple runs. But I'm sure most of the Chinese companies would just re-run them with updated decals and call it good anyway....

[Blackbeard]

Just my two cents; what about scratch building the areas in question by making a master and then mold it and reproduce as many as needed?
Resin plugs would be cheaper than 3D copies, and who ever does this would certainly be able to cover their mold making costs by selling a few copies to the rest of us mortals? I'm not sure how detailed they would need to be but I do have friends in the armor modeling world (Alex Clark comes to mind immediately) that have used this technique to reproduce several variants of the same tank. Couldn't be that elaborate for a sinister black tube?


Kerry

[Tracy White]

cover their mold making costs by selling a few copies to the rest of us mortals?

How about the time & materials for the mastering? I'm not saying it shouldn't happen, just that there's a little more involved...

[Blackbeard]

You're absolutely right Tracy, just suggesting an easier COA. Just out of curiosity, how much difference externally are we talking about? I know of the newer VLS system but what are the other changes?

Kerry

[ssn705]

The VPM instead of VLS for a BLK III is the most noticeable thing. The fat-line towed array fairing also has a flat top instead of being curved. Only the forward most part is curved in cross section in BLK III. Other stuff is lost in scale. The bigger problem (imho) is that the Hobbyboss kit lacks the acoustic coating (MIP) on most of the hull. To fix that, I guess I am going to wrap the majority of the hull in plastic sheet. The compound curves in some places are going to be a pain.

Unfortunately I don't have drawings that can be shared.

Dave

[jcmackay]

Hello everyone,

A friend of mine has made me a dynamite offer to entice me to build him a model of the new submarine, USS Arizona SSN-803, which is under construction. I did some initial research and as you all know, she will be a Block V Virginia Class submarine, with a Vertical Payload Module, which stretches her out to 460 feet overall. Aside from a press release from General Dynamics with a sample illustration of a VPM, I've come up empty so far on what Arizona or any Block V boat will look like with the added module.

I know it is a bit early to expect much to be in the public sphere about Block V Virginia Class submarines, but do any of you have any suggestions for where I might look to get an idea of what I would have to do to Hobby Boss's Virginia Class model to make it resemble a Block V boat? I guess if I have to, I'll just add a section to the hull, but I'd prefer to have the model reasonably resemble the actual boat.

Thanks,

John

[Tom Dougherty]

Does this help at all?
https://thaimilitaryandasianregion.word ... submarine/
You could at least do some extrapolation from the above for the model.

[jcmackay]

Many thanks, Tom!
That is exactly what I was looking for! I've done quite a bit of scratchbuilding, so with those illustrations, I'll be able to cut the kit hull and insert a scratchbuilt VLM plug, which will be adequate for my friend.

Btw, you're probably curious about the 'dynamite offer' I alluded to; my friend offered to trade me a submarine US Navy clock if I built him models of the Tucson and the Arizona. It will be a nice addition to my collection.

John

[ModelMonkey]

Shameless plug.

[jcmackay]

Shameless plug.

Nice.

John

[razgrizbsg27]

Sadly OKB Grigorov has discontinued the 1/700 Resin Virginias, which were gorgeous, before I could get one. So I decided to make my own, I found a file on thingiverse and printed them, then added plasticard and spare parts from hobby boss kits, I think they turned out ok for 3d print mashups, awaiting paint at the moment.

[Tracy White]

Circling back on the class as I'm trying to create "the" authoritative list of what dangerous black tubes I want to build.

At this time to it looks like:
Block I/II SSN-774 through SSN-783 - Hobbyboss kit "as is" with the addition of AN/WSQ-9 on the stern planes for SSN-776 and later.
Block III/IV SSN-784 through SSN-801 - Hobbyboss kit with some rescribing on the bow to update VLS and possibly vents, flat topped towed sonar blister, and AN/WSQ-9.
Block V SSN-802 through about SSN-811 - At least a plug to lengthen the hull and add four more VLS as part of the Virginia Payload Module.

Comments / ways I am leading myself astray?