Revell 1:72 Gato Class Build Questions

Found this interesting picture of the Pomodon (Tench Class) being stripped down to be converted to a Guppy configuration.

Eric... 

Found a pic of the canisters inside the Silversides.

Eric... 

 I'm not a submarine wiz, all I know is what I see in movies or read in Sea Clasics Magazine, so I'll ask.

What were the bottles for, breathing air or to blow out the balast tanks ?

I would like to build a RC sub sometime.

thanks

Just found the answer on the Pampanito virtual tour.

The air flasks that contain impulse air used to eject torpedoes.

If you plan to build an RC than I would suggest the Subcommittee forum, although you now have to pay to be on it you can still read the RC construction section.

If you plan to build the Revell 1/72 Gato than you can get everything at Caswell. 

Dang, I forgot about the torpedos.

Promissed myself I wouldn't learn nothing today, but did anyway.

Building an RC sub has been a thought with me for some time, just might get it done in a year or so.

Thanks

This is the bow section of a 1/32 scale(nine feet, nine inches) USS BOWFIN model at Pearl Harbor. This is model is incredibly detailed throughout. Note that the mechanism controlling the the bow planes penetrates the forward part of the pressure hull by the torpedo tubes and that when retracted, the upper part of the plane has deck structure visible inside of the streamlined casing.

An interesting bit of info on the air bottles.

The impulse flasks, forming part of the impulse air system, are steel cylinders, dome-shaped at each end. One of the domed ends is flanged and is provided with a port which connects to the impulse lines. There is an impulse flask for each torpedo tube. The six flasks that are mounted in the superstructure above the forward torpedo room are approximately 5 feet 10 inches in length and 16 inches in diameter; the four flasks mounted below the after torpedo room deck are approximately 5 feet 3 inches, in length and 18 inches in diameter.

 Also Wildspear posted some new pix of the Silversides including a few nice pix of the forward area with the bottles and rigging out machinery.

Eric...