1/72 Scale Los Angeles Class Submarine Build, Part VII

Time has been at a premium lately due to the home remodeling project but I have managed to sneak down to the workbench and make some progress on the submarine.  This is a section of the TASS hump being installed on the hull.  TASS stands for Towed Array Sonar System, which is basically a series of hydrophones in a rubber tube which is trailed behind the submarine.  The TASS was carried in the long hump when not deployed.  All the 688 boats carried TASS, but the first few boats were not commissioned with the system and had it added later.  It turns out that the outer diameter of 3/4″ PVC has the correct curvature for the TASS hump in 1/72 scale, so this was formed by shaving off an appropriate section with a band saw.

The sail is now permanently attached using superglue and bronze rod pins.  The seam is blended with Perfect Plastic Putty.  On the earlier boats the forward diving planes were mounted to the sail.  Later boats moved the planes to the forward hull and made them retractable to make it easier to punch through Arctic ice.

I have begun adding the various surface details to the upper hull, following the Greg Sharpe drawings.  The four “H” shaped fittings are retractable mooring cleats.  Some details are made from thin plastic sheet, others are scribed into the hull.

It’s getting closer.  I was hoping to have work completed in time for the Louisville show on the 18th but that’s going to be pushing it.

Part VIII here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2019/05/10/1-72-scale-los-angeles-class-submarine-build-part-viii/