# turning the Trumpeter 1/144 seawolf into a virginia class submarine.



## subtoair

Awhile back I thought about making a 1/144 scale Trumpeter Seawolf submarine into a longer Virginia class submarine. I had one Trumpeter 1/144 Seawolf on hand for a few years. To do the Virginia class sub I had to buy one more Trumpeter Seawolf model,to do the extra length needed for this project.


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## subtoair

Two of these kits were brought.


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## subtoair

After looking at the stock kit,I decided wanted to make the newer longer tomahawk bow cluster assembly used on the later Virginia class boats.


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## subtoair

To do this a longer bow is needed. To do this the sail had to be moved back 1/2 of a inch from the front of the sails location.


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## subtoair

A new rubber was made to cast a new sail base.


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## subtoair

The stock sail base was sanded off the top hull. Body filler was applied,and primer was sprayed on the hull. A straight line was made to make sure that the new cast Sail base would set straight on the hull.


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## subtoair

The front of the sonar tube was also moved back like in the pictures of the real boat.


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## subtoair

The stock sail needs a lot of work to make it more accurate. First the sail needed to be a little taller. Strips of plastic were super glued to the bottom of the sail to give the needed height.


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## subtoair

The stock sail needed to be taller,and the top of the sail needed to be sanded more to make it more round.


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A picture after the sail was made taller and the top rounded,to give it more of a scale look.


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## subtoair

This shot shows the difference between the stock sail,(left picture) and the new raised and sanded sail (right picture)


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## subtoair

All of the 6 sonar domes were sanded off the bottom of the hull to make way for the new designed units.


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## subtoair

New sonar housings were cast from a mold.These will be added to the hull in there right locations later on.


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## subtoair

The bow was the next thing to be changed.The stock bow was close but a little to pointed. Body filler was added to bring the bow into more of a scale look.


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## subtoair

The next step is to make the sub longer,like the Jimmy Carter. The length of the real sub is four 400 feet long. So a 8 inch long piece of hull was needed for model. I started by wrapping a 2 inch wide sandpaper around the front hull piece. A fine tooth saw was used to cut the hull in half. I then glued a piece of 3 inch wide .30 plastic strip inside the cut opening. This would insure a even fit between the front hull and the rear piece of the hull,that would be matted up.


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## subtoair

Here is the rear section of the hull being cut with the sandpaper wrapped around the hull,to insure a even fit. In the back ground is the front of the hull ready to be glued to the rear section.


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## subtoair

With the extra length added,really made the sub a lot longer.


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## subtoair

Body filler was applied to the hull to even out the seams.


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## subtoair

A picture of the hull with some gray primer sprayed. A lot more filling and priming is needed.


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## subtoair

I needed to fill and sand all the seams around the boat, This toke a lot more time than I thought it would!


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## subtoair

I wanted to make the hull as smooth and even as possible,so I can make a fiberglass mold. Then I can make more kits of different states in the future.


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## subtoair

It toke a lot of time to true up the hull. I had to block sand the model then then add more filler and primer to fill in the low spots. After hours of work the hull was true and straight.


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## subtoair

After the hull was finished with primer,new scribe lines had to be replaced. I used 3M tape to out line the areas that needed to be cleaned out.


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## subtoair

Scribe in new lines.


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## subtoair

Hull lines now cleaned and replaced.


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## subtoair

I decided to start building the forward 10 missile hatches on the top front of the hull. First a center line was drawn down the center of the top of the hull.


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## subtoair

Drawing in the missile hatches.


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## subtoair

Using the template to scribe in the hatch lines.


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## subtoair

On most models the hatch lines are just scratched on top of the hull,and left as that. On this model I wanted the looks of the Sound dampening hull coating. To do this, the hatch area had to be lowered to look like the hull has the tile coating. The area was masked off were I needed to make the cut.


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## subtoair

Making the cut with a dremel tool,with a very small bit.Then a fine tooth saw was used.


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## subtoair

The hatch plate is lowered and glued in the right place in the hull. By looking at pictures on the net, The seams were filled around the hatch area,and sanded on a angle. More work is needed,but it is getting closer to the look that I wanted.


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## subtoair

The completed area.


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## subtoair




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## Richard Baker

You are doing an amazing job with this!


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## subtoair

Thank you the nice complement Richard! It is a fun project to build. I have a long ways to go on the detailing,but to me that,s the fun part.


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## subtoair

Finally back to this project! After looking at the scratched in missile lines I decided to cut some .010 strips of plastic to show up the missile hatches more. These were sanded down so they were almost flush with the hull.


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a picture of the primed area, The two square holes toward the back of the missile hatches,are were the two screen grates will be installed later.


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## subtoair

The gate screens being made,to be installed later.


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## subtoair

I have been having trouble posting,so I hope this works? A shot of the screen gates installed.


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## subtoair

It seems to work,so I can post more pictures.


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## subtoair

Back to work on the sub project. Its raining outside,so it is a good day to post a few more pictures. I have been checking out a lot of pictures of the sub on the internet,and I mean a lot! Trying to find all the detail that I can find to try and make this boat as accurate as possible. Because once the molds are made I want all the detail captured, if possible. The poppet ballast tank air valves were then made,along with the head bolts for extra detail like the real subs air valves.


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## subtoair

This shot shows more detail added.


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A little gray primer sprayed on the hull,to show the detail.


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## subtoair

After taking a couple of weeks away,and doing other things,I finally got back to the sub project! I wanted to make the torpedo doors next. I did not want to just scribe in the doors,but wanted to build them like they are shown on the real sub. After looking at a lot of pictures on the internet,I found out that the doors were mounted on steel raised blocks. They were also set on the hull with the sound dampening hull tile built around them. This would take a lot more work than just to scribe the doors on the hull, A lot more!! I will show the completed doors first,then the process on how I did it. Hope you viewers like it.


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## subtoair

A little later I will show on how I did this.


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## subtoair

To get the hull tile affect,I laid silicone rubber over the areas were the torpedo doors were. I then laid up fiberglass in the molds. With this completed,a template was laid on the area were the doors were located. Holes were then cut in the hull.


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## subtoair

The two sections that were made from fiberglass were out lined with strips of plastic. They were then sanded on a slight angled to get the tile effect.


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## subtoair

the inserts were then primed with grey primer.


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## subtoair

The inserts installed in the hull.


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## subtoair

The inserts installed and filled and sanded smooth to blend in with the hull.


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## subtoair

Had a little time this Sunday to post a couple of pictures. After looking at a few more pictures on the internet,I saw were there seem to be a couple of water vents on the side of the hull. I molded a couple of the vents and applied them to the locations on the hull. But I am not really that that happy with the looks of them. Photo etch vents are really needed in these areas. If I do make a few kits I will have to get someone to make these parts,or learn to make them myself. They would look 100% percent better.


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## subtoair




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## subtoair

I decided to change areas on the sub,for a change of pace. The long tube that goes from the front of the sail,on the right side to almost the full length of the hull.I was told is a towed array? anyway it needed more detail such as the tile covering and hold down tabs,and a new safety rail. I did this by making a thin half round tube,and then adding the detail. A rubber mold was made to make around 14 sections. These will be glued along the full length of the tube. This picture shows the process of applying the cast sections. This pictures shows the tube being applied,and is in a rough state.A lot of sanding and filling is still needed.


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## John P

Yes, towed array housing. It's reeled out from the aft end.


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## subtoair

Did a little more work on the sub this week. To me the stern looked to much like it was going to a point. I decided It needed to have a little more of a curve in it. I added body filler to the stern to give it a little more of a curve like the real boat.


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## subtoair

After the primer was spray on.


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## subtoair

The towed array housing sections were glued down the full length of the hull. This added the needed detail to the housing. The safety track was laid down today,but needs to be sanded and cleaned up tomorrow. Here are a few more pictures.


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## subtoair

Sorry about the double post of the last two pictures.


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## Milton Fox Racing

subtoair said:


> Sorry about the double post of the last two pictures.


Fixt! Shoot us a PM next time and we can take care of them sooner. :thumbsup:


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## subtoair

Thanks Milton fox racing, I will try and remember that time that it happens. I have not got much done on the sub project for the last few weeks. but I did get one the sonar array side units made. I will need 6 of these to go around the lower part of the hull. A rubber made was made to make the needed 6 arrays. This will make the labor of building each piece by hand, a lot easier!


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## subtoair

I had made 6 sonar arrays. last week. I did not like the looks of these units when they were mounted. on the hull,so 6 new complete sonar arrays were made that looked more accurate.


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## subtoair

A line was marked on the full length of the hull,were the new sonar arrays would be mounted. I studied the launch of the Virginia class subs on you tube. This showed me the location of the sonar units on the boat.


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## porschespyder83

excellent job my good man


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## subtoair

Thanks for the nice complements, porschespyder 83 The next detail to build is the chin sonar array. Have to go to the internet to look up some more pictures!


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## subtoair

The chin array was the next piece to be made from scratch. I looked at some pictures on the internet to give me some idea and size of the array. A plate with some body filler was made.This was then put into a lath and turned down. Then a rubber mold was made to captured the detail.


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## subtoair

Body filler was added to the lower part of the nose. This was then sanded to the shaped needed.


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## subtoair

After the chin array was sanded and primed.


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## subtoair

Not the best shot of the sub,but better ones will come later.


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## terryr

subtoair said:


>


That's where they keep the Flying Sub.


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## subtoair

Being a Seaview fan also,I never really thought of that!


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## subtoair

The top hull escape hatches were then turned down on a lathe. These were then glued into the there locations on the top of the hull.


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## subtoair

The middle hatch is used for special forces operations.


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## Malmklang

Looks amazing! Such a realistic model, you did really a cool job!


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## Milton Fox Racing

Any updates or new photos on the build process? :lurk5:


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## subtoair

I Am just getting caught up with work,so I plan on getting back to the sub project next week. I really appreciate all the nice complements that the viewers gave me. More progress pictures soon.


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## subtoair

Well I am back! I finally got caught up with build another model,now it is time to move on to something new . I got the Virginia sub off the shelf,and again started to do a little work on it. I started to build the front diving planes,and started installing them on the boat. The first thing was to find the right locations on the boat on were to install them. After I did this I used the stock kit front diving planes. I wanted to make this model to be built for rc control.So brass shafts were fitted into the diving planes. Later I will make a rubber mold to cast new planes with brass shafts installed. With almost of the hull details fitted on the hull.I will soon make a mold to make fiberglass hulls. This picture shows the diving planes just sitting on the boat. Tomorrow, i will putty the planes mounting areas with filler, to blend every thing in for a clean look.More later!


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## subtoair




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## ClubTepes

Great work. Keep posting


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## subtoair

Back to the project over the weekend. I finished sanding the front diving plans mounting areas smooth,and fitting the planes in there places.


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## subtoair




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## subtoair

When redoing the hull all of the ballast tank intake water intakes were removed. On other models I use to take thin plastic and mark out all the square holes,and then carefully cut and fill out all the holes,a lot of work and time!! I decided to place plastic strips on double sided tape,placing them with the correct spacing. Then super gluing the strips together. This worked great saving a lot of work and time! Then the pattern was taped to the bottom of the hull. I carefully scribe the ballast holes on to the hull.


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## subtoair




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## subtoair

The rear hatches were reworked over the weekend. After seeing some close up pictures of the three hatches, mine did not look right. I cut all three down, then added putty to make more of a blended slope from the top of the hatch to the bottom of the hull. A torpedo loading hatch was scratch made to fit behind the sail. The picture is not the best,I will try and post new pictures later.


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## subtoair

With the detail finished,the only thing was to mold the main hull. It has been a long project,and I was thinking of putting it back on the shelf and working on it in the future. I knew if I started to mold the the main body and pull out a new fiberglass hull. it would give me more interest to complete the boat. So I decided to mold it. Here are a few pictures of the mold making,from this week.


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## subtoair

Here is a picture of the hull covered with epoxy resin. Only the top hull was done first.


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## subtoair

The completed top mold made.


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## subtoair

The hull mold was now turned with the bottom of the hull the up. A three piece mold had to be made. This would allow for the bottom of the molds to be easy to remove,capturing all the detail. This picture show the parting board down the middle of the bottom,from which two molds will be made.


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## John P

I had no idea you were going to use this as a casting master, I thought you were just detailing the kit! Interesting!


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## subtoair

This hull model, or plug as they call it will make other fiberglass hull parts for RC or display models in the future if I want some. Then it will be time to upgrade the rear control planes and rudders. Also the jet pump will have to be changed to look more like the real pump used on the sub. The sail will need a bigger change, with more details added. At least there are a lot more close up pictures of the sail on the internet. I really like detail, so the sail should be fun. The rear jet pump will be a little harder. I will have to find some good close up pictures if possible ,so a lot more looking on the internet will be needed. This picture today show the last side of the hull being molded up yesterday. The only thing left will be to add the wooden legs,so the mold halves will stand up on a table. Other wise the mold is done.


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## subtoair

The plug is waxed in four time then buffed to a high shine. Then PVA is sprayed on for more ease of getting the mold of the plug. Here is a picture of the PVA sprayed on the plug.If sprayed right it should dry to a super high gloss on the plug,like done here. The parts that will come out of the mold then should be nice and smooth with a high shine. The first pull of the new model coming out of the mold is kinda like Christmas! I will post more pictures when I pull out the new parts next week.


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## subtoair

Well back to the molds that I built last week.I pulled out the plug from the new molds,as seen in these pictures.


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## subtoair

Gray gel was brushed into the wax molds.and then fiberglass cloth was laid in on top of the gel coat.


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## subtoair

The fiberglass cloth laid into the molds,Next will be pictures of the new parts that were pulled from the mold,the final kit parts.


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## subtoair

The new sub hull parts!


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the inside of the hull parts.


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## subtoair

The hull halves fit together just for the pictures. More clean up of the seams will be done later.


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## subtoair

I thought I would give a quick up date on the sub project, I have been waiting for a new SD card for my camera,and I just received it yesterday. I have been working on making a new pump jet the last couple of weeks and now I can start taking new pictures to post soon.


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## whiskeyrat

Really awesome work on this! Itching to see the final product!


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## Milton Fox Racing

+ one


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