Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ 1:72 combat submarine, How to treat a combat submarine

[E. N.]

Hows this for an idea....
Have all subs have the top third of their hull(excluding the bow and stern) sheeted with 1/32 balsa or balsa windows in the plastic hull. The subs are the wet hull variety but have an air pocket in the top of their hull that makes them able to float but still submerge. They can be dynamic or static divers except that they have to sink without the air pocket. And to make it more realistic the sub may have a penetrable bag in the top of their hull that is hooked up to the gun pressure system so if their hit and start to sink they can emergency blow the bag to rise to surface and keep from sinking. But this makes them an easy target on the surface so they have to run for home or, if their brave enough, try for a counterattack.


EN

[Tachikaze]

We have thought of that what you have to look at is that the subs will run either as a dynamic diver or a ballasted ship. If you have the ship set up so that this air pocket in the sail and upper hull is a component for its ability to remain surfaced, then how do you retrieve this ship if it fills and the ship sinks?
Submarines are very difficult to keep on an even keel. You would have a better chance of keeping a dynamic diver on an even keel than that of a ballasted ship, but you motors better be good enough to pull that extra weight up as the ship floods.
What we have thought of that might work is a very small area that fills up either on the port or starboard side of a ballasted ship. As this area fills it will shift the weight of the boat and it will list, this would be the indication of a crippled or sinking submarine, one that can not remain on an even keel.

[E. N.]

Have a switch on your radio that releases a float and line like on the ships. Also have the air pocket in a compartment so it cant move around upsetting the balance.

[Paleozoic]

Have a switch on your radio that releases a float and line like on the ships.

But if it is underwater, you wont see it sinking, until it is too late, you might lose signal. So it has to also be set off via loss of signal.

[E. N.]

You could use pcm failsafe and preset it release the float in case of signal loss. That is, if you dont mind spending a lot of money.

[baratacus]

all it would require is one channel and one servo.

[E. N.]

You could also put a small device in the top of the air compartment that deployed the float if it sensed water.

[baratacus]

yeah that would be so much easier, just a couple electrodes, when the water starts coming in, it jumps the circut and your float deploys. Great thinking!

[Gascan]

yeah that would be so much easier, just a couple electrodes, when the water starts coming in, it jumps the circut and your float deploys.  Great thinking!

Subs can sink or get trapped underwater without springing any leaks. Personally, I'd think a submarine "failsafe" device that detects loss of radio signal, then does something. If you can't find it, just turn off the radio. Subtech has something made specifically for that. I think its too bulky for 1/144 subs, 1/72 has more room.

[baratacus]

that would be good for a sub to have, but i was just talking about for the hit indicator floodable compartment.

[E. N.]

You could have both systems. The radio one as emergency backup.

[Gascan]

In the WWCC, the advantage of a sub is that you can dive out of the danger zone, not escape vision altogether. However, you must sacrifice speed to get that ability.

Pros: submerge to escape

Cons: very slow, lightest armor, can't attack when submerged, extra complexity, vulnerable when hit (can't dive, flooding will interfere with submerged running)

It seems like a fair trade-off to me. One hit anywhere and you can't dive. Without diving, a sub is just a slow target. Unless there were problems hitting subs when they were surfaced (they DID need to surface to shoot their cannons, right?) having a special weapon that only attacks one kind of ship (hedgehog) when the target can't retaliate seems entirely unfair. A fair game is a fun game. I believe that if you disallow hedgehogs, subs might reappear. After all, subs played a huge part in both wars, so why should they be excluded?

After that, a captain should be able to do what he wants to his ship. My personal preference would be to have just a failsafe device to deploy an emergency float with a blast of air (like a cannon, but with a float...) to help it on it's way. Having a water sensor on it's own is not enough (subs can be lost at sea without taking on water, I've seen it happen), and having one in addition to a failsafe just seems redundant and extra complexity. We are talking about submarines, which are inherently complex, but the more you have, the more that can get screwed up

And a question: How did subs do when attacked at close range, as if they were a normal ship? Were they hard to hit, normal, or a fat juicy target?

[UmiRyuzuki]

And a question: How did subs do when attacked at close range, as if they were a normal ship?  Were they hard to hit, normal, or a fat juicy target?

I laid a set of mines during one of our games that included submarines.
I trapped a small four piper USS Ward in the tangle of string and bobbers.

When I attacked the Ward, One of the submarines attempted to take advantage of my preoccupation with the Ward and surfaced to attack me. I backed away from the submarine, but I also got stuck in the "mines". I started using my rotating front turret to fire on the sub, and the Captain started yelling for assistance.
It seems his submarine could not move or turn fast enough to get out of range of my guns.

So it would seem that as surface combat ships, they would be better night fighters where they can hide in the dark. Rather than be visible and vulnerable on the surface during the day.

Hey, that is just like WWII tactics.

[Gascan]

Thats one thing I love about this forum over the Biggun email discussion group, you guys have tried just about every little special device that most biggunners only think about. You always have a story to tell. I could easily see myself building and battling in 1/72 if I every live near a club.

[UmiRyuzuki]

Thats one thing I love about this forum over the Biggun email discussion group, you guys have tried just about every little special device that most biggunners only think about.  You always have a story to tell.  I could easily see myself building and battling in 1/72 if I every live near a club.

Well you do know Gary Powel, I assume....