Bob the Builder

Engel's boats are quite sophisticated, with dual piston-styled ballast tanks that allow for precise control over depth keeping. If you're ever looking to spring for a complete RC submarine package, Engel has a superb reputation for service and quality. I don't own one of their kits (yet), but I hear only good things from those that do. They have a US supplier at www.subconcepts.com.

The thing to remember about the bigger RC boats is that they are a far cry from the simple 'pool toy' dynamic divers. A complete kit, with all the electronic bells and whistles, can easily set you back in excess of $2000US. Scratchbuilding can save you a bit, but unless you're big into electronics, you'll still be springing for all of the electronic gear, which is the expensive part. Scratchbuilding a WTC may save a bit of money as well, but unless you know what you're doing, getting your gear wet will bring real tears when it needs to get replaced.

I guess what I'm saying is that patrolling the deep is not for the faint of heart, or the inexperienced. I suppose a good question to ask yourself before your maiden voyage would be "If I were a submariner, would I sail on that thing?"

DazDaMan

I notice on the subconcepts site there is a gallery containing images of Math Vos's whitetip reef shark...

Captain Nemo12

Hi guys,

I've been prowling the SubConcept site a lot in the past few weeks, it appears to me that Frank has cancelled the SubShop, every time you click on the link, it just goes to the Submarine Building Services page. I wish there was another supplier close to North America, the Engel gadgets sometimes make my mouth water!

DazDaMan

OK, quick update...

I'm progressing with my drawings - so far I have the side view and plan views done, but no real details yet except where the wood is removed for the radio/ballast areas.

I've also come across a company who sells back-issues of model magazines, and guess what's in one of them?? That's right, an article on building a working shark! I'm going to buy a copy of that....!

speedygonzales

dazdaman keep use updated sounds like a good project

DazDaMan

Magazine on its way....

DazDaMan

I've just had an article about an R/C shark-fin mailed to me, which although it's not quite what I'm after, it still looks interesting!

Captain Nemo12

Any descriptions?

DazDaMan

From what I can remember, the fin is actually mounted on two "Surfer" hulls, which are weighted down so that the whole rig disappears below the surface and the fin (made of foam, I think) keeps it bouyant.

It was commissioned for a BBC film shoot in Costa Rica, presumably to show a bullshark swimming in a river.

I also just had an e-mail from a shark expert who kindly sent me some scanned shark images showing a great white in a sort-of 3-view. If I'd had them before, it would have taken a lot of hard work out of it!!

Captain Nemo12

good for you! For more refenrences, grab a stack of National Geographic magazines and browse everything from underwater creatures to new species, should be an interesting place to look!

DazDaMan

Here's a page I've been looking for for AGES with a couple of sharks on it. One is Math Vos's 6-footer, the other I'm not sure about, but it appears to be more like a shark-shaped sub, than a shark model (if you get my drift).

http://www.ubootkoeln.de/Koeln98/Katalog.html

Captain Nemo12

Really Nice! I like the yellow subs a lot, the RC ray looks almost real, was it made from a real ray's ...........body?

DazDaMan

I take it you mean the horseshoe crab-thingy? Very unusual subject!!

DazDaMan

I picked up a new toy today - a little battery-operated model shark that will sink when filled with water! Almost like an r/c shark, just without the r/c....

Captain Nemo12

so basically, when you put it in the water, as the water gradually increases in the sub or shark, it dives automatically? Or does it have a surface system too?

DazDaMan

No, the water acts more like ballast - you squeeze the shark to bring water into its body and the more is in it, the lower down it sits. If you fill it right up it'll go forward and sink quite quickly, as though it's gonna spring up and attack! But it doesn't come back up...

If interested, I'll post a couple of photos of it.

Captain Nemo12

Hey, why not!

DazDaMan

Coming to a monitor near you...

DazDaMan

Well, unfortunately some dumbass (dunno who that could be! ) forgot to pick up the digital camera from work, so here's a rather cruddy webcam shot.

When I get the digi-camera, I'll be able to post some 'action' photos...!!

Captain Nemo12

Cute little toy! I have one of those motors that come attached to submarine toys sometimes, the one I got was from 1/350 U-boat model (my first submarine model! ) you can turn the body of the motor side ways and the rudder acts as a diving-plane! Here's an idea, you can use the two diving-planes (the fins) located on the sides of your Rc shark as stabilizers, operate them by separate servos each. Sometimes, when one diving-plane is up the other is down, the sub can do a rollover or bank, you also use the planes as rudders when the sub banks!

DazDaMan

Math Vos's 6-footer shark operates a similar way, and I often thought of it myself, but didn't want to over-complicate things too much. Mind you, I suppose with a computer-mixer on the transmitter, this might be capable?

I actually found an article about a guy who built a dolphin with a working TAIL!! Pretty good, and I suppose the basic idea would be to turn his whole propulsion unit on its side??

DazDaMan

OK, here are the shots I promised!!

The first shot shows the model "dry" (unflooded), while the second shows the difference when some water is squeezed in!

Shots 3 and 4 show "Bath Shark" doing his best "Bruce" impression!

DazDaMan

Another couple.

1) Bath shark submerging rather rapidly!
2) Bath shark looking for a way out!
3) A balsa wood mock-up I built a couple of years ago, now used mostly for paint experimenting. This one is weighted with several 1/2 ounce lead weights, and sits a wee bit below the surface.

Captain Nemo12

Cute pictures, I suppose you can use a channel mixer yeah, I've asked a question about channel mixers a couple of months ago when I was discussing the mechanisms of X tail planes on RC Subs, it's sort of like the V-tail plane, you use a mixer to control 2 servos at the same time with different functions without wasting a channel unnecessarily.

DazDaMan

It's certainly something I might consider for the shark - great whites aren't the kind to simply stroll along at the surface, so I was keen to emulate that with a rolling, snapping shark!