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Scale: 1/350

Recommended for:

  • AFV Club 1/350 scale  USS Gato class Submarine, 1941
  • AFV Club 1/350 scale  USS Gato class Submarine, 1942
  • AFV Club 1/350 scale  USS Gato class Submarine, 1943
  • Blue Water Navy 1/350 scale Gato class submarine, 1943
  • Toms Modelworks 1/350 scale Balao class Submarine

 

This model fairwater is intended to help convert your Gato class submarine model into one of 122 World War Two-era Balao class submarines, successor to the Gato class.  The Balao class had a differently shaped fairwater (sail/conning tower) than the earlier Gato class although the hull was externally nearly identical.  

 

This model has features specific to USS Lionfish SS-298 as it appeared circa 1945 with lengthened "cigarette deck" aft.  Lionfish is presently preserved as a museum ship.  Some details appear differently today.  This model can be adapted to other boats of the class with similar features. This model was designed based on US Navy drawings.  

A fairwater for USS Balao SS-285, with a different periscope shears and mast configuration, is also available.

The Balao fairwater is not the same size and shape of a Gato fairwater, it is much shorter at the aft end.  Some adjustment of your plastic Gato kit's deck part such as scribing planking will be necessary for best fit.

 

This model does not include:

  • railings or stanchions (too fragile to print)
  • periscopes or antennas (use your kit's parts)


Click here for excellent submarine references from NavSource.


Although details varied widely between boats, the persicope shears and radar mast configuration depicted by this model, or similar, is believed to have been fit to the following Balao class boats, among others:

  • SS-289 Capelin
  • SS-290 Cisco
  • SS-292 Devilfish
  • SS-293 Dragonet
  • SS-294 Escolar
  • SS-295 Hackleback
  • SS-298 Lionfish
  • SS-299 Manta
  • SS-301 Roncador
  • SS-302 Sabalo
  • SS-304 Seahorse
  • SS-306 Tang
  • SS-307 Tilefish
  • SS-309 Aspro
  • SS-310 Batfish
  • SS-324 Blenny
  • SS-329 Chub
  • SS-332 Bullhead
  • SS-337 Carbonero
  • SS-341 Chivo
  • SS-342 Chopper
  • SS-394 Razorback

 

© Model Monkey LLC.  This 3D-printed item may not be copied or recast.

From military.wikia.com: "The Balao-class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122[5] units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato-class, the boats had slight internal differences. The most significant improvement was the use of thicker, higher yield strength steel in the pressure hull skins and frames,[6] which increased their test depth to 400 feet (120 m). Tang actually achieved a depth of 612 ft (190 m) during a test dive,[7] and exceeded that test depth when taking on water in the forward torpedo room while evading a destroyer.[8]

"Museums: Eight Balao-class submarines are open to public viewing. They primarily depend on revenue generated by visitors to keep them operational and up to U.S. Navy standards; each boat gets a yearly inspection and a "report card". Some boats, like Batfish and Pampanito, encourage youth functions and allow a group of volunteers to sleep overnight in the crew's quarters. The following is a complete list of Balao-class museum boats:

  • USS Batfish (SS-310) at War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma
  • USS Becuna (SS-319) at Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • USS Bowfin (SS-287) at USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Honolulu, Hawaii
  • USS Clamagore (SS-343) at Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
  • USS Ling (SS-297) at New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, New Jersey
  • USS Lionfish (SS-298) at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts
  • USS Pampanito (SS-383) at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco, California, which played the part of USS Stingray in the movie Down Periscope
  • USS Razorback (SS-394) at Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock, Arkansas"

1/350 USS Lionfish SS-298 Fairwater, 1945

SKU: 350-Lionfish
$12.00Price
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