# Submarine Cutaway Models



## geekchris (May 9, 2016)

Hello,
I am wondering if anyone has good suggestions for cutaway submarine model kits? I have one of the old Renwal 1/200 scale ones (SSBN 608 Ethan Allen, to be precise) and I have been thoroughly enjoying myself. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for other good kits of a similar type? I have seen the Revell Type VII U-Boat, and don't particularly like it do to the inaccurate size of the command room and lack of officer's ward or quarters. Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Back about 2 years ago Revell, which owns the old Renwal brand, reissued the George Washington under the Renwal name.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Renwal George Washington is, for the most part, the same as the Ethan Alan kit with different decals. While the real subs were different classes, Renwal ignored that and reissued their kit in various boxes with only minor changes.

Revell did a couple cut away U boats. Their old U47 while a bit simple, still makes up into a nice model. Revell's newer cut away Type XXI is a better kit. Revell also did their own cut away George Washington, which is smaller than the Renwal version. Like the Renwal kit, Revell's is largely conjectural inside, but a nice kit none the less.

There are some resin interior kits from CMK for the Revell 1/72 Type VII U boat


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## geekchris (May 9, 2016)

djnick66 said:


> There are some resin interior kits from CMK for the Revell 1/72 Type VII U boat


Do you mean These?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yup that is CMK... There may be others or more. I never really looked. The CMK sets are the most well known.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

I just put in an idea for a new tool of this kit (Andrew Jackson/Ethan Allen/George Washington) in the Moebius Wish List section if anyone's interested. Add your names to the wishlist too and maybe one day we'll get a new tool of this nice but past it's sell by date kit.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The problem is that the old kits of the subs are still rather sound on the OUTSIDE. And the interior of the old nukes is still largely classified. So yeah, you could get a new kit but the interior will still largely be guesswork. Even areas of the Nautilus are classified, or at least were before equipment was removed or cordoned off from public access


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

djnick66 said:


> ...the interior of the old nukes *is still largely classified.* So yeah, you could get a new kit but the interior will still largely be guesswork.


Wouldn't it be cool to have an Ohio or Los Angeles class in a cut-away! Or a Russian Typhoon class? Hell, to even see the damn _SCREW_, ya gotta have Top Secret clearance! Sheesh! :freak:

Doug


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

The specific shape of the screw is considered a military secret- they spent years developing it to perform efficiently and silently- why hand out the result of all that work for someone to reverse engineer the thing...

I loved my old cutaway sub- it was during the sixties and I have no idea which one it was. It would be fun to day to build one and really detail it up inside- IIRC the original had lots of empty spaces you know were packed with equipment. Even if the interior was just conjectural it would be a fun build!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I had a blast building my Rewal kit reissue. The Renwal kit is rather large compared to the Revell George Washington. Most of the Renwal issues have a solid, hinged, hull side, but a few versions had the hinged side molded in clear. Revell's kit originally had a solid, removable hull side (that never fit well). Later versions of the Revell kit simply had holes cut in the side so that when you glued it in place, you could see the interior. IN the end, the Revell solution is cleaner as you need to dress the edges of everything on the Renwal kit.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

djnick66 said:


> The problem is that the old kits of the subs are still rather sound on the OUTSIDE. And the interior of the old nukes is still largely classified. So yeah, you could get a new kit but the interior will still largely be guesswork. Even areas of the Nautilus are classified, or at least were before equipment was removed or cordoned off from public access






I'd say the outside of the kits are pretty inaccurate from the photos I've seen. Plus the detail just isn't refined or up to modern standards at all. Maybe the interiors are still classified but maybe that's only small parts.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

Radiodugger said:


> Wouldn't it be cool to have an Ohio or Los Angeles class in a cut-away! Or a Russian Typhoon class? Hell, to even see the damn _SCREW_, ya gotta have Top Secret clearance! Sheesh! :freak:
> 
> Doug





It would be cool but unlike older subs I think the Ohio class would probably be pretty much off limits when it comes to most of the interior. A model manufacturer probably wouldn't get anywhere near the interior of a Typhoon.


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## zike (Jan 3, 2009)

Even on a museum boat like NAUTILUS, only the forward compartments are open to the public. Most of the engineering spaces are still off limits.

One thing that the old plastic cutaways consistently ignored was ballast tanks. Probably about a third of a sub's volume is devoted to ballast tanks and flooded areas. I always thought it would be cool if some aftermarket producer made components for the Moebius 1/72 Skipjack. Modelers could supply the sub kit and materials for bulkheads but they could purchases things like 1/72 scale reactors, condensers, turbines etc and fit out the sub as they wanted. You might just want to show the reactor so you could buy a resin reactor and cut a hole in the kit...but if you wanted to show more of the interior, you could buy more components (and cut a few more holes).

The old kits were neat but a cutaway would really be even more effective on a big model like the Skipjack.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Not sure where I read the info but Russian Typhoon class subs are made of 2 inner hulls side by side with an outer hull.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

irishtrek said:


> Not sure where I read the info but Russian Typhoon class subs are made of 2 inner hulls side by side with an outer hull.


That's what I remember...

I think my cutaway had a solid clear side to the sub, not sure if the missile tube fired or not. I haven't thought about it in years but it was fun.


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## geekchris (May 9, 2016)

I'm fairly certain all the intelligence reports the CIA had on Typhoons from when they were first being built have been declassified, and are available at the US Library of Congress....I believe that was how Tom Clancy got his information for Hunt for Red October. It may still be largely conjecture, but at least it would have some pedigree to it.


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Oh MAN! I'm gettin' fired up now! We got some sha-_weet _toys and craft they ain't tellin' us about. The newest sub runs on some exotic power/drive. We got stuff that goes deep and _fast!_ I can't keep up with it all. Not sure I even _believe_ some stuff...

I _love_ the idea of a cutaway sub model! And that Typhoon class _intrigues_ me...

Doug


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Ya know what would be EPIC? A cutaway Seaview. Either one. That 1:128 jobbie-do. I got deck plans. It would take some work. Anyone thought of that? 

Doug


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

I have seen a cutaway Seaview before- it was in one of those fan enthusiast publications I picked up at a convention in the 80's. They had scratch build the whole sub (about 4' long IIRC) and opened up the port side.

The filming sets for the most part can be made to fit inside the hull- the only serious fudge required was getting the Flying Sub access hatch to line up with the FS Interior.

It would be great if Moebius issued a special edition cutaway version of the 1/128 kit...


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Getting the Flying Sub access hatch to line up with the Seaview interior I thought was solved. See here:










Doug


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Only problem is that in a couple of episodes they carry a fight through the connecting hatch showing that the dorsal entrance is directly below the floor hatch in the observation nose.


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Richard Baker said:


> Only problem is that in a couple of episodes they carry a fight through the connecting hatch showing that the dorsal entrance is directly below the floor hatch in the observation nose.


OOPS! Not good. Oh well! LOL! Another GOTCHA for Irwin Allen! (chuckle)

Doug


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## terryr (Feb 11, 2001)

irishtrek said:


> Not sure where I read the info but Russian Typhoon class subs are made of 2 inner hulls side by side with an outer hull.


I read there were 3 hulls. 2 large ones side by side, and the command area is a small one above and between them.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

terryr said:


> I read there were 3 hulls. 2 large ones side by side, and the command area is a small one above and between them.


Just did a google search and found some photos of Typhoons under construction but only 1 photo indicates a 3 hull configuration.


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Hmm. I gotta check this out. That Typhoon is scary big! I'd love to see one fully restored! Imagine...like the Queen Mary! Or at least a tourist attraction! Wouldn't that be cool? The Russians truly hit it out of the park with that beauty! Glad it was just a showpiece! LOL!

Doug


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Just saw this- a 55" 1/48 German DKM Type VIIC U552 U-Boat with a clear side showing an interior.
Link: (Scroll Down) 
Trumpeter North American November 2016 Releases

Text:
"6801 1/48 German DKM Type VIIC U552 U-Boat (New Tool)

The German Type VII submarines were the most common U-boat Germany used throughout WWII. Modelled after their earlier WWI designs, the German Type VIIC boats were created in 1933 as a new method of attacking enemy ships. They became the go-to weapon for the German U-boat force, with 568 commissioned in the last five years of WWII. It differed from the model before it with the addition of active sonar and some mechanical improvements that made it longer and heavier than its predecessors. At 220-feet long and with a submerged speed of 8.7 miles per hour, the VIIC U-boat was one of the most devastating weapons in the German arsenal during WWII. The first U-boat of this size ever created in plastic model form. Kit consists of over 1,100 parts, including a one-piece hull and photo-etched parts. The completed kit is over 55 inches long and features a clear starboard side hull for viewing the interior detail."


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

THAT ain't gonna be cheap!


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

C'mon! You _know_ you _want_ one! Oh yeah! 1/48th! I bet BIG coin, too!

Doug


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Some US vendors have the kit listed at under $400 but I think Hobby Search has it at $600 or $700


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