This weekend I decided to do more work on the Gato Submarine. Now I am starting to realise how big this job to build the model is, let alone the WTC which I am thinking about and starting to plan in tandem.
I have been working on the stern module today trying to get the rudder and aft planes in a working state. I have followed the video made by a kind soul on the internet which I am finding very helpful. To make them fit properly has resulted in a lot of filing and reshaping particularly on the rudder. All of the edges were interfering all over. After a considerable amount of adjusting, they now fit and work perfectly. A hole was carefully drilled right through the height of the rudder to allow for a shaft to be inserted for operation. Small holes were also drilled through some waste material to produce two running bearings for the rudder shaft.
There has had to be a considerable amount of material removal inside the stern module halves to allow for the planes and rudder to work. This was done using a burr in the Dremel and files. Great care was taken not to remove too much and go right through the part.
I am having a little problem with warpage of one of the stern halves. You can see the gap between the parts in one of the photographs. It might be that they will glue together without incident if I fix them well with bands during curing. Does anybody have a cunning plan to straighten this part before gluing?
I have purchased the propeller shafts and tubes so further work on this module will continue when they arrive, probably towards the end of July.
I have now purchased my chosen motors. They are MFA 360. I have also ordered the raw materials to make the motor mount and servo trays. I wonder if I have to put the usual three suppressors on the motors if running a 40Mhz transmitter.
Next time I am going to work on the bow planes. I will have them working and retracting. I bought the gears for the retracting mechanism today but have found them to be too big on diameter to fit two side by side in the bow module. The gears are perfect in every other way so I think I will reduce them to quadrants which should fit nicely. More cad design work for me I think.

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Just a small update today as I have been spending most of my available time on the Dusseldorf.
Over the past week I have glued the two main fuselage halves together and then tidied up the joints.
There is a lot of interest in Submarines in the USA and one particular modeler has created some very helpful video blogs of his build. I have been watching these which has taken up several hours. I am now getting an idea as to how difficult this is going to be.
Within the videos, you can see a very useful stand has been constructed to aid the build. I just had to copy it using toilet overflow parts. The sub rotates nicely on the rollers.
I have to try to find some materials for the retracting bow planes next which I think will be my first real challenge. Next update might take a few weeks.😀

I am about to start the most ambitious project to date. This one will be running alongside the three others currently on the go, The Police Boat which is nearly completed, The Dusseldorf Fire Boat which is well underway and the PTB upgrade.
My intention is to change this Revell model into a static dive radio controlled Submarine. I am lucky that Martin555 has agreed to help whenever I get stuck which will be invaluable since he has already almost completed the same.
I started by purchasing the model from Amazon for less than £50. I have also purchased the water tight tube for the electronics. I will make the end caps and sealed internal plugs from some 80mm diameter nylon I had at work. It will now come in handy that I am a toolmaker and have a considerable array of machines at my disposal.
I will turn the plugs next week and find suitable o rings.
I have started to prepare the hull. There is an enormous amount of work required to adjust the standard kit. A lot of cutting and drilling.
I have prepared the split lines and glued in the alignment pegs.
I have ordered suitable shafts and propellers from the USA. They should be here in a couple of weeks.
Next job is to stick the two halves together and start the cutting.

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