CSS HUNLEY

I love it! You got it right, right down to the 'flush' rivets. You, sir, did your homework. A wonderful job.

And you old r/c model airplane flyer's will appreciate the rudder linkage -- remember those old escapement type actuators we used on single-channel radios? Same set-up as what the HUNLEY employed.

David

Thank you for your kind words David but I really must say that most of the research was borrowed from the friends of the Hunley,and the drawings I used came from M.Crisafulli,and where constantly updated as more was known and uncovered on the Hunley,I had the advantage of some first rate information and drawings,the only part that caused me a problem was the spar itself,but more info has become available in the last few months,which seems to bear out my interpretation,ie:the spar moved up and down and the explosive charge was attached to the spar,and there was no spike,which has now been confirmed,I remember seeing your version in marine modelling many years ago and admiring it do you still have it.
Nigele

Absolutely marvellous work, Nigel...I'm looking forward to seeing it at Norwich.


Richard

nigele(ADMIN) wrote:Thank you for your kind words David but I really must say that most of the research was borrowed from the friends of the Hunley,and the drawings I used came from M.Crisafulli,and where constantly updated as more was known and uncovered on the Hunley,I had the advantage of some first rate information and drawings,the only part that caused me a problem was the spar itself,but more info has become available in the last few months,which seems to bear out my interpretation,ie:the spar moved up and down and the explosive charge was attached to the spar,and there was no spike,which has now been confirmed,I remember seeing your version in marine modelling many years ago and admiring it do you still have it.
Nigele

The earlier HUNLEY effort you refer to was a collaboration between me, Steve Reichmuth, and the eventual owner of the model. As you know, that work was based on the flawed Alexander drawings that had made their way into the popular press some twenty years after the event. So, on that model, the hull-to-length ratio was wrong, as were the weapon, rudder actuator schemes, and so many other smaller details.

My task on that job was to take the raw GRP hull pieces and work out the final detailing, appendages, paint, and weathering. I also developed and integrated a viable 3.5" WTC.

Surprisingly, the model behaved very well on and under the surface -- providing I kept the boat below a critical speed submerged. At a scale speed, remembering that this was a man cranked propeller, and accounting for the Froude Number ( scale speed appears much faster than what we are pleased to consider 'scale' speed), if I kept the underwater speed under 3mph, I had complete control about the pitch and yaw axis. Above that speed, and the boat would porpoise on me.

What you have done with the spar mechanism is both smart and well executed. Your attention to detail and application of your considerable skills is laudable.

David

First a couple of shot's to show the real life size of the boat,the figure is 4 3/4" High,which is very nearly to scale.

This is the forward piston tank,note the three socket head screws,the two on the outside hold the end cap to the chassis,the one in the middle holds the piston to the rod.
This dive unit is a little different to the norm,it is a twin piston tank one on each end of the cylinder with one drive motor in the center,and one piston control board,the drive shaft for the pistons runs up the center of the chassis in bearing blocks,which also hold the two halve of the chassis together,the shaft itself has one right hand and one left hand thread,allowing the piston's to work as a pair,the threaded rod does not enter the piston,on each end of the drive rod there is a plain sleeve one end of which has a thread cut in it to connect to the piston,the other end has either a right hand or left hand thread to connect to the drive rod and is drawn up or down the thread when the drive shaft turns,this was done to facilitate the removal of the end cap with the piston still attached to remove the dive unit from the tube easily,the other problem is that this is a single propeller boat with the rear tank in the way of the drive line,so the motor drive has to be beyond the rear tank,I hope the pictures explain better than I am able so have a look.
Nigele.

Front end cap and piston tank,note center bolt in piston.

Forward tank and end cap,piston can be seen with white seal.

Removal of end cap and piston tank,only requires an allen key.

Undo the two outer screws,these hold the end cap tank unit to the chassis.

Undo piston retaining screw.

And there you have it the the whole thing come of just as a normal end cap,you can now see the plain sleeve that the piston fits on,the piston has an undercut for the shaft to fit in,it also has an o ring fitted in the undercut which seals it to the plain rod.

The end of the chassis,showing the plain piston rod,note the guide to stop the rod turning,and the seals on the end cap screws.

Nice work there, boss...that looks really good.

Oh, and the new crew for the Hunley have signed on, their bags are packed ready, and they will be leaving town en route to their new home port tomorrow on the fast steam ship HMS Post Office. Stand by to receive them. That is all. Carry on.

From left to right,piston tank drive motor and transfer gears,bearing block,dive plane servo,rudder servo rotary,underneath you can just see the guide for the rear piston looks like a pointer this is use for the limit switches,two micro limit switches,rx,and at the back a 10k linear pot,this is attached to the other side of the piston guide (pointer)

Read end cap and piston tank,various rod and cable exits.

Rear piston tank,drive motor in same tube,note the flood holes for the piston tank just behind the firewall that separates the motor housing from the piston tank.
the long rod is the rotary rudder shaft its magnetic and has cancellations to drive the rudder shaft.

Motor room end cap showing the seal,coupling which has silicon tube over it to keep it in position when connecting it to the shaft in the boat,and the motor power cables,
a better look of the rudder coupling.

A general look at the chassis.