Subs on the brain...

Task Force 57 · 26-02-2008

Ok, Time to beg some borrowed wisdom from all you sub jockies out there!

Im now set on my course to purchase a large sub kit... the question is :

Is it worth the extra 5 hundred + pounds to buy a fully enclosed tubular control cent for my new sub with all the trim, ballest, compressors, control servos ect ect ?

As a newbie to subs im kinda leaning towards the outlay as id hate to wreck a great build with bad internals and a final boat that is incapable of diving (or, much more importantly, surfacing!!!!).

Any thoughts or strong feelings would be very much welcome.

Mankster · 26-02-2008

Hi, What sub do you have in mind. Are you planning on buying a hull and and fitting it out yourself or a full kit with a diving system?

Task Force 57 · 26-02-2008

Im kinda thinking of either a engels type IX or the other option I have seen is a coooooooool casting (shell plus sail plus a bit of detailing only)of a soviet oscar class at 68" overall at a cost of 600 pounds! (actualy 1200 dollars from a californian hull maker)

My thinking is "perhaps" buy the engels kit with all the trimmings but im very concerned about my lack of experiance issue with subs...the Oscar i can buy, build and detail then have the spare cash to buy a pre assembled control/ballast/tanks/servo's/motor unit in a plastic o ring tube.

any thoughts?

Mankster · 26-02-2008

Well if you want an Oscar II, I'd reccomend the Scaleships one which sells for about half that. I'd even go as far as saying that the buying the hull and then a premade, kitted out WTC would be easier to build that the Engel Type IX, Would probably be cheaper too. Looking at your gallery, you wont have much trouble going down either route.

Task Force 57 · 26-02-2008

My thinking entirely... Im cool with basic R/C on surface units but the whole trim/ballast, dive safe-guards and all the other mind numbing electronic gizmo's and dohickies make me think that a pre-built, fully enclosed unit is the way to go.

Im looking into a range of hull manufacturers to try to scope out the best deals... when you consider import duty and trans atlantic postage im sure a US stockest will be cheaper (I should have purchased one months ago and shipped it with the rest of my stuff...must get new crystal ball).

Mankster · 26-02-2008

AFAIK there is no import tax in the States for toys and models

Task Force 57 · 26-02-2008

WOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!

No IMPORT Duty?

THANK YOU!!!!!

Guess im putting in a few info requests to engels germany and to westies...

subzero · 27-02-2008

Steady man, steady. Your heart might do something your wallet might regret

Task Force 57 · 27-02-2008

Lifes tooooo short to have regrets...besides, whats the point of going on in this mundane universe with-out the smell of epoxi and the rasp of file on pvc?

hrrrrrrm, perhaps i ought to ask john to add a philosophy board to the forum:

"I build there-fore I am?"

Anyway...just checked out the links pages on the subcommity web pages, found some cool links to good WTC suppliers and might have found a chap that can do very affordable hulls for oscar, seawolf, typhoon, trafalgar class nuke boats.

will keep you all posted.

Task Force 57 · 15-03-2008

Im sooooooo sorry, I just had to do it... my surface ship addiction got the better of me and the rest, as they say, is history.

I kinda spent over my budget and failed to get a submarine.

You may now whip me to within an inch of my life... but as the soon to be plank owner of an empress class CVE, what can i say?

It just sang to me...