Calling all Russian submarine fans

[Timmy C]

For the WWII folks, Zvezda has announced a 1/144 Shchuka class sub for this coming year:

[Mr. Church]

It's in Russian, so non-Russians will have to make-do with turning on auto-translated subtitles, but an interesting little documentary courtesy of Russian State TV with some onboard views of the fitting out of the first Borei-A Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Knyaz Vladimir or Prince Vladimir:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULOdy8gSzj4

[Timmy C]

Zvezda's 1/144 Shchuka built-up photos now available on their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zvezda.ModelKi ... 1127723003

[Gernot]

It's in Russian, so non-Russians will have to make-do with turning on auto-translated subtitles, but an interesting little documentary courtesy of Russian State TV with some onboard views of the fitting out of the first Borei-A Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Knyaz Vladimir or Prince Vladimir:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULOdy8gSzj4

Great video!
And that is a pretty funny name, ironic or historical, or both? Russian Navy humour?

[Mr. Church]

I gather it is named after Vladimir the Great from medieval times:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33689641

'Russians celebrate Prince Vladimir the Great as the man who converted their country to Christianity'

So he is a significant historical figure in Russia it seems.

[Mr. Church]

"Three Russian nuclear submarines surface from under Arctic ice simultaneously for the first time in the history of Russia as a part of the Umka-21 Arctic expedition".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4SOXOE44ms

https://www.rt.com/russia/519310-nuclea ... merge-ice/

"The stunt took place near Alexandra Land, a large island and the site of the Nagurskoye military base, around 3,000km north of Moscow."

Looks like three Delta IV Classes. No pennant numbers or coats of arms visible, so not possible to identify which three. The article doesn't specify either.

[Timmy C]

It's one standard Delta IV, one Borey-A (there's only one, so Knyaz Vladimir), and the special ops Delta-IV BS-64 (has same sail as Delta IV, but lacks the missile hump, so the ice doesn't rise as high on the aft end of the sail).

[Mr. Church]

Indeed you are correct Timmy. I should have looked more closely!

[Mr. Church]

Interesting little documentary about the Northern Fleet's Akula Class attack submarines or 'Project 971 Shchuka-B' in Russian parlance. It's in English too which helps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L8pKSfJc88&t=4s

[Tom Dougherty]

For those interested in the Russian efforts in employing liquid metal (lead bismuth) in their submarine reactors here is a link to an interesting technical paper from the year 2000. There is also a paper on the US liquid metal reactor effort in the second nuclear submarine, SSN 575, Seawolf.

While liquid metals (sodium of SSN 575 Seawolf, lead bismuth of the Project 705 Alfa�s) offer advantages in higher operating temperatures and at the same time, lower operating pressures than pressurized water reactors (PWRs) they also bring another set of difficult technical challenges, described in these reports.

Russian lead bismuth reactor paper
https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCol ... 058476.pdf

Seawolf sodium reactor paper
https://ans.org/about/officers/docs/sea ... 051712.pdf

Tom

[Woodstock74]

Anyone know anything about the Ark Models 1/350 Golf and Foxtrot kits? I haven't seen much info online, seen some CAD, and they appear to be resin? Just can't figure out why they're priced so high.

CAD:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/news/img_ ... o.jpg.html

Parts breakdown:

[Tom Dougherty]

I was not familiar with this kit from Ark. I could only find a couple examples for sale on Ebay, and yes, those were very expensive!!! I see a few missing items but overall it looks very decent. I can�t tell if the missiles are separate items, nor if they are the R-21, carried in the Golf II or the earlier Golf I R-13 missile. The kit has the 722 squadron number and thus seems to be representative of the lost K-129, which sank in 1968 and was partially recovered by the Glomar Explorer in 1974. This was the squadron number assigned to the K-129 in Rybacchiy at the time. However, in all of the photos (screen grabs) I have from the Capture Vehicle of the K-129 wreck, there are no hints of the numerals 722 on what is left of the sail structure. Many photos of Soviet Golf II submarines do not have squadron numbers, so they may never have been there.
Unlike US submarines that have permanently assigned hull numbers, Soviet numbers shifted as submarines were assigned to different squadrons. US submarines do not have their numbers on the hull when deployed.

Coming up soon is a resin 1/350 scale line of the Project 629 Golf submarines from L'Arsenal. I have seen the test shots, and they include Golf I, Golf II, Golf III, the various modified missile test versions and the Chinese conversion of the Golf I for their own missile tests. I have not seen them available as yet on the L'Arsenal web site, and I don't know how they will be priced. I have a very detailed and large (like 2 feet by 4 feet) set of plans for both the Golf I (Project 629) and Golf II (Project 629A) submarines from a source that will remain nameless. I sent hi resolution digital scan files of both to Bruno at L'Arsenal.

Also available from Boris at Polar Bear Models in Severodvinsk is his resin 1/350 Golf II. He also offers the earlier, pre-conversion Golf I. He goes by "subsmodels" on Ebay, and has a complete line of Russian submarines in 1/350 scale resin, and his prices are very good. Shipping takes awhile to the US. The kits are a bit rough, with some seams to address, but can be built into a nice representation of the Golf II. It is a bit difficult to fit the three propellers into the tight spaces between the stern planes and centerline rudder. I used white glue to position and followed up with cyanoacrylate, applied with a wire to hold.

You can see photos of the Polar Bear K-129 model I built for former CIA engineer Dr. David Sharp at:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm.

Mike, I know I still owe you photos of my photo etch saw blades successfully removing your printed propellers from the printing stand. I will get those to you very soon.

Tom

[Timmy C]

To add, Hobby Boss also has a 1/350 Chinese Type 031 Golf SSB in injection molded plastic: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10667050

[Tom Dougherty]

But to be clear, the Chinese Golf I was modified to a two missile tube version to accommodate their SLBM test program. It is a one-off testing variant, never deployed and the hull dates back to the early 1960�s.

Tom

[Woodstock74]

Thanks for the responses, mainly curious about Ark. Not sure I see a Golf in my future, though were I, I'd be going the cheap Hobby Boss route (even if it's not correct for a Soviet Golf).

Working on Alrosa pumpjet as my latest 1/350 project:

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 100545.jpg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 100754.jpg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 100825.jpg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 121354.jpg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 121427.jpg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 122557.jpg

[Mixvs Minimax]

I got the Golf from Hobby Boss too and dont want to build the chineses variant. Therfore I am buisy to draw a Golf II sail for printing. The one shown above is a mix between Golf I and II. The flat end of the small sail on top of the sail belongs to a Golf II, the rest to a Golf I.

I also want to build my 1/350 kilo as a Alrosa too. But there has to be also the deck to reconstruct as well as the sail. This is the Trumpeter 1/144 style.

[Nino]

Working on Alrosa pumpjet as my latest 1/350 project:

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 122557.jpg

Mike, that is a real nice set for the conversion to Pumpjet.
(Where did you get the specs? If Russia, can I pass a question or two to your contact? Nothin' serious, just some curiosity about some stuff from 50 years ago.)

I have the Bronco Kilo and I will be talking with you about this set and a few others in the near future.

Thanks for all the great work on these props. Micro-saw blades work the best for the removal of the base. Takes awhile but worth it!
Tom will have the best pics of the process. If he still has access maybe he can use an electron microscope to show what happens when you try side cutters.

Jim.

[Woodstock74]

Working on Alrosa pumpjet as my latest 1/350 project:

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/models/S ... 122557.jpg

Mike, that is a real nice set for the conversion to Pumpjet.
(Where did you get the specs? If Russia, can I pass a question or two to your contact? Nothin' serious, just some curiosity about some stuff from 50 years ago.)

I have the Bronco Kilo and I will be talking with you about this set and a few others in the near future.

Thanks for all the great work on these props. Micro-saw blades work the best for the removal of the base. Takes awhile but worth it!
Tom will have the best pics of the process. If he still has access maybe he can use an electron microscope to show what happens when you try side cutters.

Jim.

No sources for any of this but a number of images grabbed out of a Russian forum and a drawing I found online which helped with the exterior lines. All the internals are MkI Eyeball and all the inaccuracies that entails.

There are still a ton of props to do yet of course, though lately I've been taking some time off being distracted by various things.

[Mr. Church]

Borei-A Class Knyaz Vladimir appeared at the Navy Day Parade at Kronstadt last weekend. Unusual to see her in the Baltic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4laBKrYsNOw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z409tXc4lZ8

Oscar II Class 'Orel' and Akula class 'Vepr' appeared also. So three nuclear submarines altogether.

Plenty of detail views (of the above water portion) of the features and markings on Knyaz Vladimir available online. Hopefully we see one in 1/350 in plastic.

Her (presumably demountable) ship's crest on her fin / sail has an interesting aluminium silver background plate. It looks to be just a straightforward paintjob or removable sheet on the previous Borei Class.

[ssn705]

Looking to scratch one of my Alanger DELTAs into DELTA STRETCH I. I have pictures, drawings, etc for everything I need to attack except for references that give me a clear understanding of the profile and shape of the bow. Anyone have something that can help (Polar Bear kit or OKB Grigorov D3 kit for pictures maybe)?

Thanks,

Dave