USSPermit3 - 1
USSPermit3 - 1
Table of contents:
1. Introduction 14. Cutting Out Holes
2. Background Information 15. Stern Planes
3. Class Specifications 16. Rudders
4. Recommended Tools 17. Sail Assembly
5. Recommended RC Accessories And 18. Sail Planes
Vendors 19. Circa 79 Towed Array Assembly
6. Recommended Materials 20. Mechanical Linkages
7. Plastic Part Preparation 21. Pre-Paint Preparation
8. Marking Out Where Everything Goes 22. Paint
9. Z-Cut 23. Detailing
10. Registry Lips 24.Trimming The Boat
11. Registry Clips 25. Credits
12. Drive Train 26. List Of Parts (BOM)
13. Hull Formers
1. Introduction
Thanks for purchasing your new model Permit class attack submarine! Your new highly-detailed
model is intended not only to provide many hours of quality RC running time in freshwater
ponds, lakes or pools, but is meant to be a fun and good learning experience while building it
as well. It can even serve as a fine static display model when not in the water. The whole
concept behind the design of this project was to provide the modeler with a kit that requires
very little, if any scratch building to complete it. In this way, even the more inexperienced of
modelers should have little trouble in assembling this model submarine.
2. Background Information
The Permit class of nuclear attack submarines was the result of the US navy’s need for a fast,
efficient, deeper diving, and most of all, quieter anti-submarine warfare weapon platform over
the previous Skipjack class. They were basically the prototype, which laid the foundation for
all nuclear attack subs used to this day by the U.S. The main features in which define this
“modern” attack submarine configuration are: The bow mounted sonar dome, which moved the
torpedo shutters back to amidships to the first time in sub design history. Mechanical “rafting”,
a design technique utilizing rubber washers to isolate vibrating parts from the main hull
drastically reducing the noise level produced from the boat. The whole package was wrapped
up in the revolutionary hydrodynamic teardrop shape taken from the results of studies of
whale’s bodies, and so successfully incorporated into the Skipjack’s hull.
The Permit’s hulls were larger than the previous class, and used the same reactor and drive
system, but didn’t lose any speed due to better design application. They also used HY-80 (High
Yield Strength – minimum 80 000 psi) for the first time resulting in deeper diving capability.
The first boat in the class was actually SSN-593 USS Thresher, and was lost in 1963 220 miles
east of Cape Cod while conducting deep diving sea trials due to a pipe bursting and shorting out
control systems. The result was a new program called “SUBSAFE” changing fabrication
procedures and standards, thus ensuring that this kind of terrible incident would be very
3. Class Specifications:
• Displacement: Surfaced: 3,540 t., Submerged: 4,200 t.
• Length:
o 278 feet
o 297 feet SSN-605
o 292 feet SSN-613-615
• Beam: 31’ 8”
• Speed: Surfaced 15 knots, Submerged 28+ knots;
• Operating Depth: 400'
• Complement: 143
• Sensors:
o Raytheon BQS-6A or -6B active/passive systems
o BQQ-1 and the Edo BQR-7 passive, conformal array
o TB-26 Towed Sonar Array
• Armament:
o Four 21" torpedo tubes,
forward
o MK 48 torpedoes
o UUM-44A SUBROC anti-
submarine missiles
o UGM-84A/C Harpoon anti-
ship missiles
o MK 57 deep water mines
o Mk 60 CAPTOR mines
• Ship Builders:
o 594, 595, Mare Island Naval Shipyard
o 596, 607, 621, Ingalls Shipbuilding
o 603, 604, 612, New York Shipbuilding
o 593, 605, 606, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
o 613-615, General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division
4. Recommended tools
This list is a compilation of “recommended” tools only. By no means are you expected to go
out to the store and buy everything you see listed here. There are always different ways and
different tools used to accomplish a task. Rather, it would be a good idea to acquire tools you
need only on an “as needed” basis
• Variable speed drill and assorted drill bits from 1/32” to 3/8”
• Rotary tool set with sanding disc, grinding attachments, and various other bits
• Small adjustable wrench
• Razor saw
• Airbrush
• Imperial Allen key set
• Hand clamps or spring clamps
• Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
• Exacto knife
• Utility knife
• Mini-file set
• Small hammer
• Bench vise
• Scissors
• Carpenter’s square
• Torpedo level
• Mini bubble level(s)
• Side cutters
• Tape measure
• Ruler or straightedge
• Face mask for paint and particulates
9. Z-cut
The Z cut enables the two hull halves to be connected together in a simple, yet effective
way. Two small machine screws are enough to hold the whole thing together!
• Begin by marking out on the bottom half of the hull 3” from the tip of the bow.
• Do the same with the top half but at 3.5” from the stern tip.
• Place the top half on the floor in a corner between two walls that you know is
square in your house with the stern point firmly against one wall and the side of
the firmly against the other.
• Take a block of wood with a hole centered at 3.5” from the bottom that is large
enough to hold the Sharpie pen in place.
• With someone holding the hull firmly in place, carefully and slowly run your block
of wood with marker in it along the wall marking out your cut line. Be careful not
to get any ink on your wall or floor!
• Repeat for the other half of the hull you marked out. Sand about a ½” on the inside
around where the pieces will be glued using 100 grit or lower sandpaper and then
clean with lacquer thinner. This allows for proper bonding for your epoxy adhesive.
• With both cut off ends sanded, tape the cut pieces to the other hull half firmly.
• Put the hull halves together and “dry-fit” them to make sure everything fits well.
You should only have a gap about the size of your razor saw between where you cut
the pieces.
• Use a couple of small drops of medium or thin CA, then sprinkle a little baking soda
to instantly catalyze the glue on the inside of the hull where the pieces meet. This
will tack them together in preparation for the more permanent fiberglass tape and
epoxy step coming up in a later step.
• Start with the bow and stern lips and clamp them into place with ½” protruding
with a hand clamp.
• Mark the lines out on the lips where they sit and then remove and sand behind that
line with 100-grit sandpaper and clean with lacquer thinner.
• Fit the starboard and port lips into place on the bottom half of the hull and check
for fit. You want to see 5/8” of the registry lip sticking up above the hull line and
you don’t want to see any gap between it and the hull.
• You might have to trim some length off each to achieve a good fit.
• Mask off all the surfaces that are not to be glued on the lips. It might be a good
idea to mask of the outside of the hull as well
Note: It is vitally important that you don’t get any excess glue curing on those
surfaces. If you have any squish out onto the tape, be sure to wipe it off.
• You can now glue all the pieces into place using your epoxy adhesive and clamp
into place with hand clamps.
• Once the epoxy is cured, you can now permanently adhere the bow and stern to
their adjoining halves using fiberglass tape saturated with epoxy along the seam
line inside the hull.
• Put the hull halves together ensuring that they fit well.
• On the bottom half put a mark ¼” back from the Z-cut edge
• On the top half mark a ¼” up from the stern Z cut edge. In this case you will not be
able to center the mark exactly on top of the hull, as there is a MBT detail that
lands too close. I recommend offsetting the mark so that when you mount the
screw it will look similar to the finished MBT vent and could pass as it’s twin
• With the hull halves still together in the exact position that they will be when
finished, drill a 3/32” hole where you marked both halves through both the hull
and index lip
• After the Epoxy has cured, remove the screws from the lips.
• Countersink the upper hull holes with a ¼” drill bit. Do not go too deep as you just
want the top of the screw head to be flush with the hull surface
• Fit the hull halves back together and you now will be able to fasten them together
by threading the machine screws into the now stationary nuts
Enclosed with the kit comes 10 carbon fiber spring clips. The purpose of these is to hold
the bottom registry clips tight against the upper hull for a tight, clean fit between the
halves.
• To begin, start by marking lines on the upper hull 3” from the stern cut-off and the
bow part that was glued on.
• Between those marks you can then mark out 4 evenly divided spaces.
• On these marks you can use your rotary tool to rough up the fiberglass in about 1
square inch patches about 1” from the edge of the hull lip.
• Rough up the back of the contact surface with your tool or sandpaper and clean all
the surfaces to be glued with lacquer thinner.
• You can now epoxy the clips into place and hold them there temporarily with
masking tape. When looking from the side of the hull you will want to see about ¼”
of the clip protruding past the edge
• Once cured, you can now fit the two hull halves together and check for fit
The drive train includes mounting the included forward bearing supporting bulkhead
and an aft 3/16” Oilite bearing that supports the drive shaft and lubricate it as well.
These are not your typical bearings as they sintered bronze bushing impregnated with
oil, a far more “maintenance friendly” configuration than ball bearings, but could use a
drop or two of oil before every run.
The propeller comes provided with a stainless steel setscrew that should be sufficient
on it’s own when tightened, to hold the propeller in place when running the boat.
However, this part is definitely something you don’t want to take chances with slipping
off when in the middle of a pond or lake. Some precautions you can take is to notch
the drive shaft where the setscrew contacts to make a ridge that the screw fits into
that will prevent the propeller from sliding off if the screw loosens. Another precaution
would be to scour the shaft where it contacts the propeller hub and then use small
amount of epoxy to create a permanent mechanical bond between the prop shaft and
propeller. You can even use a combination of the all the above procedures.
• Ensure that the prop hub fits properly on the stern of the hull by loosely
putting it into place. If the hub is slightly larger than the hull at that point then
you can block sand the taper down a little. Don’t take much off, maybe a
1/32” at a time until the prop hub and the hull match exactly.
• Gouge the 3/16 I.D. flanged Oilite bearing in x-type patterns around the
outside diameter of it using a triangle shaped file. Because the bearing is
impregnated with oil, we have to put these gouges in to give us a surface that
can be bonded to with epoxy in a mechanical fashion
• Place the bearing bulkhead as far to the rear in the bottom half of the hull as
you can. You want this part to be in just snug and not prone to moving. Don’t
put it in so that it is too tight that it starts to bow the hull out in any way. You
might have to also trim a little of the plastic to get it to fit around the hull
index lips that were glued on earlier
• Grease the 3/16” stainless shaft provided with the kit with Vaseline
• Fit the flanged end of the bearing so that it is flush, or even sticking out about
1/32” from the stern taper end
• When centered exactly, place a small drop of CA on the bearing and catalyze
with baking soda to tack into place.
• When the bearing is centered where you want it in the hull taper you can put a
larger drop of CA between the hull and bearing. It should wick around the
diameter of the bearing and you can fill with baking soda to make a seal.
• Tape the bottom of the bearing (with the greased shaft still flush in place and
wrap it up around the hull, sealing any gaps that might still be there. Keep in
mind this has to hold curing epoxy from leaking out
• Cut a hole in the tape to allow the drive shaft to go through
• With the shaft inserted, tape it to the bottom of the taper as well so no epoxy
can come out
• Measure from the back of the taper 1/2” in the middle of the bottom of the
hull and drill a 5/32” hole on this mark
• Lay wax paper on the floor and suspend the hull upright over the paper so that
the stern is pointing straight down. You can clamp or tape the boat in place if
you’re able to, so that it doesn’t fall over. Use modeling clay around the base
of the taper where it touches the ground to help seal in any epoxy that might
try leaking. For further piece of mind, put the taper in a small disposable cup
and rest on the ground to catch any leaking epoxy
• Mix and pour unfilled epoxy down the inside of the stern, you will know when
to stop pouring when the epoxy starts dripping out of the 5/32 hole. Let cure
fully before going to the next step.
• After the poured epoxy has cured, mark out a line where the bearing bulkhead
meets with the hull and remove the bulkhead.
• Scour the surface where you traced the line about half an inch on each side
with your rotary tool or heavy sandpaper and then clean with lacquer thinner
• Slide the bulkhead back into position, tack with CA in place and then put a nice
¼” fillet of filled epoxy around the joint and let cure.
Important note: When you are tacking the part down, be sure to not put any stress on the
shaft whatsoever. The purpose here is when the epoxy has cured the shaft should not bind
and be very easy to rotate. Any hindrance in movement can cause overworking of the
motor and cause excessive battery drainage and bearing wear.
Hull formers, or otherwise known as WTC saddles, pretty much do as their name
implies. They are basically a bulkhead that adds strength and rigidity to the light
fiberglass hull shell, and provide a way to mount your watertight container inside the
boat in perfect axial orientation.
• To locate and install where the WTC will go, your drive train should be
installed. This means the rear bearing has been suspended in cured epoxy and
the bearing bulkhead should be in place.
• Install the drive shaft with all its components: propeller and dunce cap should
be on with setscrew tightened. The shaft should be slipped through its
bearings, with the propeller flush to the hull taper end
• On each side of the bearing bulkhead should be a tightened 3/16” ID ring collar
that will allow approximately 1/32” of play if you try moving the shaft back
and forth
• At the end of the shaft is the universal joint coupling with its setscrew
tightened
• Cut the hull formers at the designated cut lines (It’s possible this might already
be done). The bottom formers are designated by the little wart located on the
side
• Place the WTC with the nylon dog bone connector in place in both the drive
shaft universal socket and the WTC universal socket. You should allow a little
play in the shaft so that the dog bone will be able to move freely.
• When you have the WTC in position, slide two bottom saddles under the WTC
roughly an inch away from each end and mark. The middle saddle will be
mounted when it’s time to install the WTC.
Note: Keep away from spring clips you installed earlier. You might have to
trim some of the formers to accommodate the registry strips that you
installed earlier in your build.
• Take the WTC out and draw lines where you want your formers to go, around
the whole half of the hull inside
• Take the formers out and grind and scruff the area that the formers will be
bonded to. A half an inch on each side of the line is more than sufficient.
Important Note: Be careful not to scuff too deep so that you grind through the
hull itself!
• Scuff the hull formers where they will connect to the hull and clean both
surface with lacquer thinner
• Tack the formers into place with small drops of CA in strategic places, just
enough to hold the former in place
• After the CA has dried, you can now apply a thickened epoxy paste (I
recommend West system 401 Adhesive filler) In a nice filleted bead around the
edges of the hull and the former that are in contact with each other
• You can now install all three of the top halves’ formers in the same way at
even spaces, but be sure to stagger them so as they don’t interfere with the
bottom formers as this will create problems with final hull fit
• To lock the positioning of the WTC in place first start by locating the 1/8”
registry hole (provided on the Subdriver 3.5 by D&E miniatures) on the bottom
of the ballast tank section.
• Insert the brass pin extruding from the registry part into the WTC hole and then
fit its female part to the corresponding male wart on the remaining bottom
saddle. Be sure to dry fit first to ensure fit
• Wick CA in the joint to adhere
• With the saddle taped in position on the wtc, fit the drive socket back onto the
dogbane shaft and put in place once again, marking out where the saddle ends
up on the hull
• Remove the WTC, scuff the area where the saddle will go and clean with
lacquer thinner
• Tack the saddle in place with a few drops of wicked CA and let dry
• Remove the WTC and epoxy fillets around the base of the saddle and let cure.
This should give a perfect fitting WTC every time you take it out for
maintenance and put it back in
• To hold the WTC in place, there is no limit to the options that one can take.
Some have used Velcro glued to the hull and had Velcro belts hold the WTC
down. You can drill holes in the top of the bottom cradles, thread bolts in and
run an elastic or small bungee hanging on the bolts cord across to the other
side of the cradle.
Note: You can always drill more holes in these formers to allow for water and
air flow passage later for better performance. When doing so, be sure not too
drill too big or too close to the inside edge, thereby weakening the bulkhead
• Mark out all the applicable flood holes on the bottom of the hull with your
sharpie marker
• Drill out the middle of each marked flood hole with a 3/16 drill bit
• Machine out the holes with your rotary tool using a grinding bit to get as close
to the line as you feel comfortable with. You don’t want to grind outside the
lines
• You can then finish up the holes by using different shaped mini files to clean up
the edges.
• For the top half of the hull we have to drill 1/8 holes in the middle of the
ballast tank vents if you are not going to apply the photo-etch details over top.
If you do plan on installing these details you can go a little larger with the hole
you drill, say up to 3/16. Do not apply the photo etch details yet though, as
you should wait until after paint to do this
It’s time now to start installing the fins, and we’ll start with the stern plane
assemblies. The proper installation of these is critical for having everything line up
cosmetically, and for proper function of the boat. The line where you glued the stern
piece onto the bottom hull half is your middle reference point where the center of the
stern planes should be mounted directly on.
• Begin by referencing your plans that came included with the kit by placing the
loosely assembled fins exactly where they are drawn out. You can use a 1/8”
solid shaft connecting the stern planes for help if you wish.
• The hull should have some light dimples cast into it where the shaft holes will
have to be drilled. Make some measurements to confirm exactly where the
shaft hole will be.
• Using a 5/64” drill bit, bore out both sides where the shaft markers are, then
rough up the area 1/8” around the hole with a file or your rotary tool
Note: The Circa ’79 add-on kit necessitates that the port stern plane stabilizer
is replaced with the special modified stabilizer that comes with that kit. The
procedure for installation of this piece is exactly the same as the base port
stabilizer. The only exception to this is the USS Barb, where the towed array
extraction fits on top of its already existent puffer fin rendering the add-on
kits’ extraction tube unusable
• Eyeball the orientation to make sure everything looks true, and when you are
happy with the fit, use a drop of CA on each bearing boss where touching the
hull to tack in place firmly.
• With the bearing bosses in place, you can now hold the model with the nose
pointing at the floor. Mark the middle of the stern plane stabilizer to the mid
point of the hull and then trace a black line around the shape of the part.
• Remove the plane assemblies from both sides and then rough up the areas
inside the lines you traced out. You can even grind out some “X’s” in the
roughed areas to help parts adhere to the hull
• Using some epoxy filled with adhesive filler (mixed to a peanut butter
consistency), assemble the planes on the 1/8” shaft once again and glue into
place. The key here is to use just enough adhesive to glue the parts on and fill
all the voids. You don’t want to get extra epoxy getting out over the hull
• Clamp the stern planes in position with there stabilizers using hand clamps and
small blocks of wood. This will keep the stabilizers true while the epoxy sets
• Fillet any adhesive that does come out around the stabilizer and the hull to
around a 1/8” radius and let the epoxy fully cure before installing the rudder
bearings
• With the epoxy cured, assemble the stern planes with the cap screws on the
outside threaded and the 1/8” shaft on the inside put into place.
• Cut a strip of 150 grit sandpaper the length of the sheet and the width the
distance between the inside of the hull and the stabilizer arm
• Flip the plane up just enough to be able to feed the sandpaper strip so you can
grab it from the other side
• Hold the plane down with slight pressure and pull the sandpaper through at the
same time. Repeat a couple of times with the sandpaper facing in, and then
flip over for a couple of passes on the plane itself. The plane should be able to
move completely without binding on the stabilizer
16. Rudders
Before you begin to actually install the rudders, a good idea would be to make an
alignment jig out of clear plastic so you can ease the installation of the parts and
ensure that they are perfectly perpendicular to the stern planes.
• Repeat the measuring process for the rudder shaft holes as you did with the
stern planes. Remember that the dimples represented on the hull are only
guidelines, so the holes might have to move a little for adjustment
• Take a firm piece of clear plastic. An old compact disc case cover that you
have lying around is absolutely perfect for our task
• Use your carpenter’s speed square to draw a “crosshair” directly in the middle
of the plastic cover
• Use a protractor to draw a circle 1 ¾” diameter in the middle of the crosshair.
If you have a hole saw kit for your drill you can use a 1¾:” saw for cutting the
hole out. If not you can carefully use a sharp utility knife to remove the hole.
In either case the plastic should be clamped to a piece of wood that’s roughly
the same size as it for backing and give stability when cutting so as not to
damage it.
• When your hole is cut out, file out notches to allow slipping the plastic jig over
the two stern plane-bearing bosses. Your black line should hit exactly in the
middle of the bearing holes and you can now reference the perpendicular line
on the clear plastic to get your rudder marks in alignment
• Drill out the holes with the 5/64” drill bit and scour the surface for 1/8”
around the hole.
• Put the bosses in place in their respective holes and slip a greased 1/8” brass
rod through both the planes and the bosses
• Slide you clear alignment jig over the stern as shown in the picture above and
line up the shaft.
• Once it is true with the stern plane and looks perpendicular when looking at
from the side you can now tack the bosses in place
• Put all the planes in place in their bearings and take a good look at how it all
looks together set up. This will be the only convenient time you will have to be
able to reposition the bosses if so needed. If you do, pry the bosses up with a
flathead screwdriver and begin the alignment process over. When you are
happy with their locations, you can then glue the gaps with small amounts of
CA and baking soda, building up the gaps in small layers.
• From the inside of the hull, fillet filled epoxy around the bearings (be sure to
clean any grease off first with lacquer thinner) where they protrude into the
hull. This will give the bearings the added support that they will need for
supporting the planes.
Note: The Circa ’79 add on kit necessitates that you use one of the provided modified sail
caps that come with that kit. This cap has a mini sail and a reconfigured mast/scope
layout that is more representative of the boat in this time period
• Dry fit the two sail halves together. Make sure there is no gaps or burrs between
where they fit. If they don’t, lightly run the edges over some 220-grit sandpaper
that is held flat on a table. Be careful not to take much material off
• Tape the halves together ensuring that they fit perfectly with no overhangs
anywhere
• Drop a few drops of CA down each crease to tack the halves together, and sprinkle
some baking soda to cure it instantly
• Place the sail in its designated hull marks and check for alignment compared to the
rudders and stern planes. If the sail deviates in any way you can hold down some
sandpaper tightly on the hull with your hand where the sail goes, and with your
• You can now bolt the sail to hull using the 6-32 stainless nuts and washers that are
provided
• While you still have access form the top of the sail, take this opportunity to epoxy
all joints from inside
• You now have to choose between the two sail caps - the open version or the closed
version. If you choose the closed version, you have to at least open one or two
holes of your choice to let air escape while your model is diving.
Note: Do not glue the scopes into place, as they have to be able to be removed
Note: the following scope rack assembly is designed to align and hold the masts and
scopes straight up and down and from side to side and should provide a loose fit that
provides easy install and removal. However, this assembly can be challenging for the
modeler just starting out. An option is to skip the rack assembly altogether and simply
“friction fit” the masts to their holes by removing less material around the holes when
them
• Fit together the three racks and pillars that compose the scope rack as shown in
the pictures above and below
• Check the scopes and masts for fit in the rack. You might have to do a bit of filing
and sanding to clean up extra flashing from the molding process.
• When all the scopes and masts fit strait up and down, you can now glue together
the scope rack using CA
• Glue the scope rack to the bottom of the sail cap that you wish to use using CA. Do
this with the sail cap and scopes in place and aligned straight on the sail with the
rack, pressed up from the bottom with a finger
• You can now glue the back end of the sail cap onto the sail itself, hold until the
glue dries and then glue the front down. Keep pressure on until the glue has dried
• Once tacked, you can wick in CA all along the seam of the cap to permanently
adhere the cap to the sail and fill with baking soda
The sailplanes provide your boat with the ability to control its depth, just like on the real boat.
You have the option to glue the sailplanes directly to the sail, but they have been designed to
function, as they have brass collars and setscrews molded right into them for attaching to a
rotating 1/8” shaft.
• Drill out the dimples on the sail that represent the where the shaft goes with a
5/16” drill bit.
• Assemble the two 5/16” brass bearings on the greased 1/8” brass shaft and then
slide the sailplanes on the shaft and tighten the setscrews. This will tell you if you
have any minor adjustments to make to the holes to get everything lined up
properly. A good thing to do is look at the sail from every possible angle, from the
top, front and back and with the sail tightened to the hull so you can compare it to
the rudders and stern planes to check for alignment.
• When you are satisfied with the alignment of the sail planes you can then tack the
bearings to the inside of the sail with CA and baking soda
• Epoxy the bearings in place, making sure that you don’t get any on the shaft or
inside the bearings
• Install the sailplane swing arm assembly that fits inside the hull, below where
the sail goes.
• Assemble the swing arm bridge mechanism, including the two V-brackets, 1
stainless steel socket cap screw and the hollow 1/8 shaft that slides over top of
it along with a control horn that tightens upon the hollow shaft
• Position the assembly so the shaft holes will line up with the shaft from the sail
• Mark where the swing-arm assembly contacts the hull and remove the assembly
• Roughen up the surface with your rotary tool where the marks are, and clean
with lacquer thinner
• Using epoxy filled with adhesive filler mixed to a mayonnaise consistency, glue
the assembly in place putting a nice fillet around the base of the V-braces
• When cured, you can unthread the stainless steel socket headed cap screw and
remover the shaft and control horn with the provided Allen key
The circa ’79 add-on kit (ordered separate from the base kit) comes with a solid resin
towed array fairing, it’s accompanying extraction tube and a GNATS sonar jammer
hump, all of which have to adhered to the hull and are not represented on the Circa
1961 drawings that are provided with the kit. These parts can be added to any
submarine in the Permit class that has the base length hull (Except for USS Barb). Here
is the recommended procedure for installing these extra parts on your model:
• Fit the bottom hull part (the part that contains the forward piece of the
extraction tube) so that the back edge of the tube is flush with the back of the
stern plane stabilizer. The forward piece where the tube flows into should be
flush with the edge of the bottom hull half.
• Holding the part with your hand, mark out on the hull where the fairing fits
• Remove the part and scour the surface where you marked and clean with
lacquer thinner
• Use filled epoxy to adhere the part in place and use masking tape to hold it in
place while curing
• Join the top half of the hull to the bottom and tighten hull screws
• Cut the bottom edge off the towed array fairing off with your razor saw. Refer
to the above picture for exact location of the cut
• Place the top part of the towed array fairing (the largest part) so that the part
you just cut off is flush with the top of the part you just glued onto the bottom
hull half
• The fairing should look uniformly straight looking down from the front of your
model. Tape in place and mark on the hull the location of where the fairing fits
• Remove the fairing and scour the hull inside the markings you just made and
the underside of the fairing that will contact the hull.
• Clean with lacquer thinner and epoxy the fairing in place and let cure.
• To complete the assembly, you simply have to slide the aft part of the
extraction tube into the corresponding hole on the fore part. File any flash off
the insertion tube to acquire a nice firm fit
Note: It is not recommended to glue the aft part of the tube in place, as you will
need to access the stern plane shaft screw. You can use a small amount of RTV
adhesive silicone to hold the part in place
• For installing the GNATS sonar jammer begin by finding the centerline on the
top of the top hull half. This can be achieved by running a flexible straightedge
between the middle of the aft escape hatch and the upper rudder mid-point
• Measure ()” from the edge of the rear Z-cut. This will be where the aft point of
the sonar jammer hump will be located
• Mark out the outline of the sonar jammer hump
• Scour inside the markings, and clean with lacquer thinner
• Use filled epoxy to secure the part in place. Ensure that it is mounted upright
by using the rudder and the sail as a reference.
• Begin by assembling the stern planes to their stabilizers. Push the provided greased
1” long by 1/8” shaft from the outside of the bearing boss until flush with the
outside edge
• Put the stern plane in place and tighten the stainless steel socket headed shaft
screw from the end of the plane. If the screw feels like has too much resistance
screwing in, check to ensure that the screw has a clean path through the bearing.
• From the inside of the hull, use your pliers to force the shaft into the stern plane.
Tap on the end of the shaft with you pliers if it needs a little more force
• Bend the end of a 1/16” or 3/32” brass rod into a “S-bend” configuration and fit it
though the horns’ control hole. Also, you can bend the metal arm of the control
horn down around 30 to 45 degrees so as to allow free movement in the hull
• Holding the control horn with the needle nose pliers, slide over the stern plane and
tighten setscrew and repeat the previous steps for the other stern plane
Note: When tightening the setscrew on the plane or controls horns with setscrews, you
might want to groove the shaft that they are connected to by using a file. This gives
the setscrew a better surface to bite into a provide a tighter connection
• For the sail planes’ control linkages, remove the sail from the hull and remove both
planes and 1/8” shaft.
• Create a shaft using 1/16” or 3/32” rod with S-bends starting at the middle points
of where the sail shaft goes and the pivot arm mounted on the bottom side of the
hull where the sail is mounted (see picture below)
• Slide the rods’ S bends into the holes on their control horns. This has to be done
before the horn is installed in the sail
• Hold the control horn with your needle nose pliers and place in position in the sail
(Ensure that the setscrew points down so you can access it from the bottom of
the sail)
• Slide the 1/8” shaft through the sail bearing, through the control horn and then out
through the other bearing.
• Tighten the set screw when the shaft is centered in the sail
• Slide the pivot arm shaft through the control horn. Slide a second control horn as
well. This second horn will accept a push rod from your choice of activation,
whether it be from the WTC itself or a forward mounted waterproof servo motor
• Tighten the setscrews for the control horns. You can position the second horn
perpendicular to the sail control horn for optimum location.
• You can now install the sailplanes ensuring that they line up perfectly and have a
small gap between them and the sail. You can even put a small stainless steel or
Teflon (size #6) washer in between the planes and the sail to maintain that gap.
You can now tighten their set screws when you are happy with the placement
Note: All the planes should move freely without binding, as any hindrance in movement
can cause overworking of motors causing excessive battery drainage and put undo strain
on bearings and shafts! If there are any clearance issues in the rear cone concerning the
linkages, try swapping the rudder U link to control the stern planes and use the separate
control horns on the rudders.
When wet sanding, use a bucket of warm water with a few drops of dish soap mixed in
for to cleaning the sandpaper with. The soap helps in preventing clogging of the paper.
Also, when changing to a finer coarse sand paper, be sure to change the water out in
the bucket every time you do so. By doing this, you eliminate any particulate captured
in the water which could scratch your finish
Wash the parts with clean water between every step in sanding
• Right now would be a good time to install appendages like the mushroom anchor
either CA or filled epoxy so it can be blended to the hull
• Using 400-grit sandpaper, wet sand the entire hull and its parts and pieces so that
the glossy finish is now dulled. Primer will adhere better to the dull surface than to
a glossy one
• Take a good look at your model as it now stands. It should be 100% assembled, but
it will have scratches and dings from the construction process that need to be
filled, and joints that need to be blended together to create a “seamless” look.
Mark or circle any areas that need attention with a Sharpie marker.
Important Note: If you plan on using hobby paints and primers use a pencil and not
a Sharpie marker for this task as the black ink will show through the final finish
• Fill in any gaps or large scratches with the two part polyester filler mixed per the
manufacture’s directions. You do not need a lot of filler, just enough to fill what
needs to be filled. You can mask off parts nearby where you filling with masking
tape to prevent extra filler from adhering to where you don’t want it to.
• Once cured, sand with 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out the filled sections and
remove extra filler
• Fill small scratches or pin holes found in the hull finish or from the last step of
filling with the air-dry putty. Again, use only enough to fill the blemish. Too much
22. Paint
• A few things you might want to consider before you paint your model. First,
you might want to trim your boat first, just in case you get any scratches or
dings in it from that process. Second, be sure of what details you want to go on
(like photo-etch hatches and such) that you want the same color as the hull are
put on and primed. Third, read the paint manufacture’s application
instructions carefully so you know what to expect in terms of how many coats
to apply and how long you have to wait before applying additional coats. To
keep the natural metal look of the MBT vents you want to put them on after
you have painted, but before the final clear coat is installed. Here are a few
tips that will help you achieve a stellar paint job!
• The best method of paint application is to use an airbrush or automotive type
of paint gun. If you don’t have these, then spray balm from the can is your next
option
• Try to avoid using a brush altogether to avoid getting streaks or imperfections
in the paint.
• Pour your paint through a strainer when loading you gun or airbrush to remove
solid contaminates that could ruin a paint job.
• When spraying, always hold the gun or spray can perpendicular to the surface
you are painting.
• Go with multiple light coats as opposed to heavy coats to eliminate runs.
• Overlap each pass by about a quarter of the width of each pass.
• Don’t stop at the end of the pass, but spray past the end without letting your
finger off the trigger and then come back preventing unwanted, uneven paint
build up.
23. Detailing
Here is where you add those finishing touches that add so much to the look of your
model. You can add stainless steel MBT vents and grating to the sail and hull using the
provided photo-etched detail sheet. Numerical and letter markings can be applied to
the model using dry transfer decals. And, for the more advanced of modelers,
weathering can be added as well. All of this should be done after the paint job has
been done, but before the clear coat(s). Here are a few notes on installing some of the
details
• When installing your photo etch metal pieces it is a good idea to scour the back
of the metal photo etch sheet with 120 grit sanding block (not with enough
pressure that you disconnect the pieces from the sheet). Also scour the surface
that is being glued to. A proper sized diameter drill bit work great for this task,
especially for the MBT vents and capstan tops
• When installing the metal flag masts, drill a hole through the hull where the
mast is supposed to go that is just large enough for the mast to pass through.
Grease the mast and put it through the hole. Use epoxy clay or putty to hold
the mast in position and to create a mast mount that adheres fast with the
hull. You can now put the mast in place or remove as you wish
• Dry transfer decals really make the boat stand out. Your plans show exact
location on the boat where the decals go. However, in the real world numbers
like those on the sail weren’t even permanent as they were held on when in
port with magnets and taken off when on patrol. A good idea for draft marks is
• White metal pieces such as cleats and capstans should have their bonding
surface roughed up with sandpaper, or ultimately if you want to paint the parts
as well, given a short dip in Ferric Chloride (acquired at Radio Shack or The
Source By Circuit City) to chemically create porosity in the surface to better
accept glue or paint. Of course, the surface being glued to should be scoured
as well.
• Zincs can be installed as well after the paint job, be sure they are painted and
have the bonding surfaces scoured first before doing so. CA is sufficient to
adhere these to the hull
• Begin trimming by attaching your lead weight below the ballast tank inside the
hull. You will want to locate it as low in the hull and centered to the middle as
possible, while avoiding covering the drainage holes
• Attach strips of foam on the inside of the top hull section, but only up to, and
not over the designed water line
• Let the adhesives dry if they have to before going on to the next step. Keep in
mind when placing the foam of where all the components like WTC cradles,
registry clips etc. are placed so that the foam doesn’t interfere with the fit of
the hull halves
• Every bit of weight counts towards the trim of the boat (or lack thereof), so
you want it as close as possible to actual running weight. Assemble everything
in the model as if you were going to run it. This includes the WTC with all it’s
servos electronics blow tank filled with airbrush propellant, control linkages,
and battery. I recommend using maybe one or two masts installed in the sail
for running and for location purposes on the pond. Perhaps the functioning
hollow-tube snorkel if you are running an air pump (snorkel system) and the
• Attach a small level to the top of the model right at the mid-point line. This
small level is used to tell you if the boat is orientated properly in the water.
You can permanently mount this level on the inside of the hull later as it will
come in handy when setting up your pitch controller. This also alleviates the
need to compensate for weight if removing the level. These little levels can be
acquired at hardware stores in the tool section probably labeled as “line
levels”
• Put your boat in the water and turn it over.
• Gently rock it back and forth to let all the air out of the ballast tank along with
any other nooks and crannies that could trap air in the submarine. Wipe off any
tiny bubbles that have formed on the hull surface as well
• Turn back over so that the boat is in its natural orientation.
Note: The goal here is to basically only have the cap part of the sail sticking out
above the water. This means you have slightly positive buoyancy allowing the
boat to eventually surface if you run into trouble in the real world.
• Add strips of foam under the elastic bands in the stern and the bow as high in
the boat as possible (not over the designed water line) to level the boat out. If
the model is sitting too high in the water add weight to the elastic bands below
the ballast tank. If you think that you already have enough weight, you can try
re-orientating the foam’s position. The farther it is located to the outer
extremes of the boat, the more of a buoyant reaction you will get from the
same amount of foam. If you have more foam than you need, you can break off
small chunks of foam at a time to achieve the proper level. This stage is also
crucial to how straight the boat actually sits in the water.
• Command a blow from the wtc from your radio and see where the water line
ends up on the boat. If you are close to where the designed water line should
be then your boat is good to go. If it is sitting too high in the water you will
have to add neutrally buoyant material to the ballast tank to adjust for this
and then go through the trimming procedure all over again.
Note: When the boat is in transit in the water you will not be able to tell where
the line is, the extra trouble of going through and trying to get a perfect waterline
might not be worth it
• When the boat is trimmed out remove from the water and keep a mental note
of where the foam and weights are located, or better yet, take a picture with a
digital camera of the locations
• Remove all the foam and weight and let dry out along with the hull
• Attach all the foam and weight inside the hull where it was located on the
outside held by the elastic bands. The boat should almost be trimmed. You
might need to add a little weight or foam here and there to make up for the
weight of the adhesives used to tweak things up a bit.
Note: All bodies of water have compositions that differ slightly from each other.
The water in your bathtub will have less dissolved solids but more chlorine than
say your local pond, thereby causing slight density changes. Your model will most
likely require small modifications from location to location.