Uboat model skin thickness...
 

Hi guys, well i have been thinking i would like to make a 1/35 scale u boat.

I have the ribs and "keel", designed which i wish to print out and will then cut out of perspex. For the hull material i was hoping to use beer/soda cans

Ok, now i am not even sure this would work, but ....

I have a 1/72 scale revell model, so if my thinking is right, i should design the ribs and spine it so the length is basically double?

(1/36 scale?)

Does any body know what the outer hull thickness was IRL?
Any idea what it would be at 1/35 scale?
Would beer/soda can thickness be applicable?

Any help or pitfalls to this idea would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Thor

The skin of the Revell 1/72 scale U-Boat is without question way over scale. The pressure hull of the captured U-570 was found to be 0.88", or roughly 7/8" thick amidships, tapering to 0.63" at the ends. The outer hull thickness is not mentioned, at least not that I could find in a hurry, but the skin on most battlships is not more than 1/2" thick, and on destroyers not more than 1/4" thick. If the outer hull was 1/4" thick then the 1/72 scale hull should only be 0.0035" thick, or one tenth of one millimeter, which might be right for a beer can.
http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-570BritishReport.htm

A 1/4" plate reduced to 1/35 scale 0.007" thick, or about 0.18mm. Beer cans should work, but you'll need strong framing, maybe brass scale I-beams. The actual pressure hull frames were 7.75" T-beams, which in 1/35 scale would be 0.22" or 5.6mm. These are available online or can be ordered through hobby shops.

If I were to build something that size and it was meant to be a static display model and not RC, I would be tempted to construct a complete interior, leaving one side open. The main reason I have not purchased either Revell's U-boat or Gato class fleet boat is that I would not be able to resist the temptation to do that anyway. Online hobby shops have cast resin compartments and crew figures for the Type VII, and taken together they cost a small fortune, not to mention the etched brass fittings available.
Check out this thread for a modeller who is truly dedicated.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=123846

Oh, and good luck with this and if you decide to go through with it please be sure to keep us informed of every step.:sunny:

Cheers Steve.

Yeah, i will keep you guys abreast of developments, although i reckon the project will be a few years.
My problem is i have too many projects on the go, lol.

In between restoring old bikes, i still have a titanic build, another revell 1/72 u boat etc

I know what you mean about building the inside, but all the pipework is quite daunting, especially in the control room and wngine room, what with all the knobs and doodads.

First step is to get a mate of mine to print the ribs and keel, then cut em out of ABS plastic and see where i stand.

One of the nice things about alot of projects is they temper my impulsiveness as i can go back to other projects, whilst putting a particular "problem" on a back burner.
Tx again
thor

Not your problem alone. My modelbuilding is currently limited to wargaming pieces, but I have a backlog of those I want to get done. Then there's working on my own tabletop naval game and my friend's 3D airwar game, and...well, you know the rest.

Restoring old bikes? I have a hard enough time getting motivated to ride the one I have.

Yeah. The details will keep you tied up forever, if not kill you outright. Check out the SH4 forums. You'll find a thread in which a member has created a complete, and I mean complete interior for the Type II. It's a masterpiece of digital modeling, and he's been at it for years and it's still not quite done.

That's a good start. Since they probably won't be seen, make 'em good and sturdy.