Today, I pack up the remains of my modeling tools and supplies. In seven days we will be moving to La Veta, Colorado. By the time we get into the new house and unpacked and I get my modeling bench set up it will likely be near the end of this month. I intend to resume work on the Hunley kit and get it finished on on display. I may then finish the 1/72 Revell U-Boot Type VIIC and display them together. The Hunley should be small enough to sit on the deck of the U-Boot.
At this point, I have not decided what kit to start in the new house. I am leaning toward one of the Wingnut kits or perhaps the 1/32 Tamiya Spitfire IXc. I'll need to get a few resin detail parts from Roy Sutherland for that one though. Whichever it is, I also plan to keep one of my orpahn kits going toward completion at the same time. My skills are better now, so I can do a good job on the Eduard Bf-110C I've had since Anaheim. I also have the Dora and the new Oeffag to build as well. That's part of the fun though; planning what kit to build next.
I am leaning toward making plans for and scratch building one of the Confederate ironclads, perhaps the CSS Palmetto State. I don't think this would be too hard, especially if I used pre-cut strip styrene for the armor plating and bought a few canon barrels. Something to think about. I admit to being fascinated by Blackmore's huge USS Monitor kit, but that one will have ot wait for a while.
At this point, my main modeling will be via the internet and various history books.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Hunley: Rigging the Spar and Torpedo
There is scant evidence on how the spar, torpedo and supporting tackle were set up and rigged on the H. L. Hunley. William Blackmore has adopted a rigging system based on research materials, which I have not seen, and on the actual boat now in Charleston at the Clemson Research Institute I believe. I think some of this remains speculative. That the torpedo was carried at the end of a long spar mounted to the Hunley's bow, and that the torpedo was designed to separate from the spar after being attached to a ship's hull by means of a wicked harpoon-like point as the boat reversed and backed away is established. What has not been conclusively shown is where the spar was attached to the bow - top or bottom - and how the spar with torpedo was supported while the boat was underweigh to render it relatively stable and secure from currents and course changes of the Hunley.
I think the most plausible theory holds that the spar was mounted to the bottom front edge of the bow on a strap that was attached there for that purpose. It evidently could swived up and down, a necessary mechanism for attaining a proper angle to the curving hull of an enemy vessel. A shorter spar, or boom, was attached to the upper front edge of the bow extending forward over, and in line with the spar carrying the torpedo. From this, supporting line and perhaps chain could have been rigged to the spar mid point for support.
There is a notch on the Hunley's bow, front edge just below the peak of the bow. What purpose did this serve? My view is that this was an anchoring point for the end of yet another metal support member, a firm brace attached to the bow and spar for additional carrying strength and support. With this in place, and at the speed possible with the boat, a maximum of perhaps four knots, this may have been sufficient structure to carry and deliver the torpedo successfully.
During the recovery of artifacts from the boat certain components were found in situ where the commander, Lt. Dixon, was stationed, that may have been components of a simple battery. The Confederates had the capability and equipment to detonate mines, or torpedoes, electrically. The USS Cairo, a river ironclad, was sunk by what is now believed to have been an electrically detonated torpedo. Recall that what were then called torpedoes would these days be more properly termed mines. So, it is possible that the Hunley was equipped for this kind of detonation as well. Not conclusive, but the battery artifacts makes this a likely proposition.
For modeling purposes then, I will construct this portion of the boat and the torpedo delivery system as I described above. At this scale I may not include separate electrical detonation wires, but I will have to see how that looks when I get to that part. The other big question is how the upper spar, or supporting boom, was attached to the bow. Probably more speculation will be called for.
I think the most plausible theory holds that the spar was mounted to the bottom front edge of the bow on a strap that was attached there for that purpose. It evidently could swived up and down, a necessary mechanism for attaining a proper angle to the curving hull of an enemy vessel. A shorter spar, or boom, was attached to the upper front edge of the bow extending forward over, and in line with the spar carrying the torpedo. From this, supporting line and perhaps chain could have been rigged to the spar mid point for support.
There is a notch on the Hunley's bow, front edge just below the peak of the bow. What purpose did this serve? My view is that this was an anchoring point for the end of yet another metal support member, a firm brace attached to the bow and spar for additional carrying strength and support. With this in place, and at the speed possible with the boat, a maximum of perhaps four knots, this may have been sufficient structure to carry and deliver the torpedo successfully.
During the recovery of artifacts from the boat certain components were found in situ where the commander, Lt. Dixon, was stationed, that may have been components of a simple battery. The Confederates had the capability and equipment to detonate mines, or torpedoes, electrically. The USS Cairo, a river ironclad, was sunk by what is now believed to have been an electrically detonated torpedo. Recall that what were then called torpedoes would these days be more properly termed mines. So, it is possible that the Hunley was equipped for this kind of detonation as well. Not conclusive, but the battery artifacts makes this a likely proposition.
For modeling purposes then, I will construct this portion of the boat and the torpedo delivery system as I described above. At this scale I may not include separate electrical detonation wires, but I will have to see how that looks when I get to that part. The other big question is how the upper spar, or supporting boom, was attached to the bow. Probably more speculation will be called for.
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