opertion petticoat

Yeah the main differences in in the lumbar holes, anchor placement and fairwater.

Than you have to decide on what time for each boat you want to depict and what other modifications where made and what paint scheme it has at that given time.

Lumbar holes differ between ship yards than as the war went on each sub would get modified for faster dive speeds.

Fairwaters got modified and chopped down, weapons would get replaced moved or omitted. 

Also don't forget the flood openings on the bottom and the exaust pipes on the side as these where left off the model.

Deck storage tubes where often moved, added or removed.

Assorted other items would be added or moved, radar was upgraded.

The doors on the sides of the fairwater need to be removed since they are only on the museum boats to keep the public from entering and getting hurt.

Best places I have found for modifications are SubCommittee and AMP forums. 

SubCommittee is by far the best site for info on the Fleetboat that I have found. 

Sub Pirates in no longer readable unless you are a paying member.

Not that they ever had anytyhing of intrest to read anyway accept for a couple build ups. 

SubCommittee has a section called the Fleetboat Dock that is just for Fleet Boats. 

AMP has some aftermarket items in the works like accurate torpedo doors.

There are the AM parts mentioned that I posted a link to earlier also Nautilus Models Fairwater sets as well as laser cut wood decking (can't find the link) and PE detail sets and deck guns at White Ensign. 

Eduard does PE for the Gato.

Almost all the WE and Eduard kit's can be found at Squadron. 

Eric... 

mkeatingss wrote:

You've got a Balao. The only exterior differnce between Gato and Balao are the flood ports and flood valves.    The main differences between Balaos and Gatos are some minor tank size, and location, changes, and hull thickness. There'd be more differences between individual boats than between the two classes.     You're biggest problem, will be if the boat you want, is a Portsmouth or Mare Island boat. Then you'd have to move the anchor to the port side. But the Bream is a EB boat so no problem there.    You can change the Gato into a Balao by thinking "This is a Balao."

They're not listed on the Nautilus website http://nautilusmodels.com/GATO.htm but James @ Nautilus has (or had at the IPMS Nats last summer) a series of replacement limber holes for the different construction yards for the Gato/Balao.   They are laser cut sheet styrene.  Cut out the kit turtle-deck side and replace with the new pattern section.   Nautilus also has a series of replacement conning towers to get you anywhere from the enclosed CT of the as-launched Gato to a fully cut-down tower on a Balao.  

   You've got a Balao. The only exterior differnce between Gato and Balao are the flood ports and flood valves.

   The main differences between Balaos and Gatos are some minor tank size, and location, changes, and hull thickness. There'd be more differences between individual boats than between the two classes.

    You're biggest problem, will be if the boat you want, is a Portsmouth or Mare Island boat. Then you'd have to move the anchor to the port side. But the Bream is a EB boat so no problem there.

   You can change the Gato into a Balao by thinking "This is a Balao."

   Now, if you want to do a Tench, there is one main change (other than flood ports and valves). The line from the bow tip to the chin and from the chin to the keel are straight lines on the Tench boats. And the chin is sharper. On the Gatos and Balaos the lines are slightly convex curves. A little sanding, filling, and reshaping, and your Gato is a Tench. I've already done that to my Gato. It's tedious, but not difficult.

Mike K.

Was just digging through one of my note books and found the answer to what sub was used in the TV Series.

USS Roncador  SS-301 Balao Class.

Eric... 

Thanks for the links.

I actually harvested those pix some time ago.

I've been looking for every WWII sub site I can find for the last 2(?) years trying to decide on which boat to build since getting my Gato.

The Bream was actually launched about the same time and from the same yard as the Cobia that the model is based on. 

It would be nice if Revell made a 1/72 Balao based on the Pampanito. 

There was rumors of another boat coming out but it probably won't happen since they sell far more Type VII U-Boats than Gato's. 

Partly due to the price and it's a big model at 52". 

Eric... 

Division 6 wrote:

Yeah it was the Pampanito.   Run Silent, Run Deep was the Bream (Gato)(for the docking scene near the beginning) and Redfish (Balao)(for the rest of the film) Destination Tokyo Wahoo(?) (Gato) If you can find them there are a few sites that list what subs where used in which films. The Redfish was also used in Disney's 2okLutS and a few other films.   Since I basicly don't want to scratch build most of the sub I plan to build my 1/72 as the Bream, only problem is there are almost no pictures of her from WWII.   Eric...

hey Eric--

This may help you with the Bream....not too much there from WWII but hopefully something here will help.

http://myweb.cebridge.net/myron/photos/bream/Album1/index.htm

here is a closer shot of the conning tower, so you can see the armament layout, etc etc.  This pics was taken in either 1944 or 1945:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0824307.jpg

Yeah it was the Pampanito.

Run Silent, Run Deep was the Bream (Gato)(for the docking scene near the beginning) and Redfish (Balao)(for the rest of the film)

Destination Tokyo Wahoo(?) (Gato)

If you can find them there are a few sites that list what subs where used in which films.

The Redfish was also used in Disney's 2okLutS and a few other films.

Since I basicly don't want to scratch build most of the sub I plan to build my 1/72 as the Bream, only problem is there are almost no pictures of her from WWII.

Eric... 

I think it was the Pampanito out of San Fransico  I think they towed her around. Also a Balao class.

Doug

Thanks for the info.  It looks like either way I have to find a Balao.

Would you know what type they used in Down Periscope?

IIRC it was a Balao class as well.

I've only found one site that listed which sub it was about a year ago.

Just did a search but can't find anything. 

The movie actually used 3 subs.

SS-285 Balao (pink), SS-393 Queenfish (grey & black) and SS-311 Archerfish (beginning and ending scenes).

All where Balao class 

Eric...