Ever Get That Sinking Feeling?

[herrmill]

Ever get that sinking feeling when you take out a new model?

A buddy of mine sent these to me & I wanted to see if anyone here can comment on the background & circumstances on how & when this occurred. Based on the length of the salvaged boat deck, I'd estimate its 1/100 scale. Guess the builder didn't think that a double bottom, bilge pump or additional floatation was necessary.

Chuck

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/50f27906.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/f06f7f7f.jpg

[MILLERTIME]

I didn’t see no iceberg.

[MILLERTIME]

Watch out for the giant!

[toesup]

For a film?... documentary?...

[herrmill]

If it was me, I'd need plenty of ice along with a good single malt to rid some of the sting! I already told Kmot the builder should have at least used epoxy to glue down that deck.

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

Of the Two model that I know of that have had issues, both six footers, the builders
drilled in all the port holes, but didn't back them with anything. One did a good job of
flooding the hull, the other took water in high winds, and had to jump in, swim out and catch it before it went down.

:(

[Ironman929]

Let me guess, maiden voyage right out of dry dock. Figures! :D

[Mule One]

Don't tell me he used "White Glue" all around...

[tigerbay]

My immediate instinct.
Because it has 4 funnels, and there is somebody on hand with a wet suit, I think it may have been a deliberate sinking as part of a re-inactment.

[dostacos]

just showed the picture to my wife, she asked, "does it come with it's own iceberg?"

she also keeps referring to my new drydock as THE POOP DECK!

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

My immediate instinct.
Because it has 4 funnels, and there is somebody on hand with a wet suit, I think it may have been a deliberate sinking as part of a re-inactment.

But then wouldn't the forward funnel have fallen off? :p

[herrmill]

I've asked my friend to do some digging so we get the real scoop on this sinking.

I remember seeing a thread on modelwarship where a German builder lost his new scratchbuilt WWI torpedo boat while on a club outing & had to hire a diver to salvage it. After repeated dives, they were only able to retrieve the bridge which had taken him 9 months alone to build! Talk about a bummer! :eek:

[MUG1982]

Given that it IS Titanic that is sinking....and going down by the head like you would see in the movies, it looks like a planned sink. I just dont get why its in the broad daylight.

If I am gonna go through and film or take pictures for a reinactment, I would do it at night with a lighted model. Perhaps this was more or less a rehearsal sink to make sure the model would "behave" Though I wonder how much that hull weighs.

The thought that it just "coincidentally" sank just like in the movies seeming soo close to shore and at the right angle for profile shots just doesnt seem right to me. :rolleyes:

[MUG1982]

But then wouldn't the forward funnel have fallen off? :p


Umi, I'm like 99% sure the forward funnel broke away while the bridge was awash...another 5-10 minutes in comparison to this scale. Perhaps they wouldnt test all the features of the sink on a trial during the day...

I wonder, you could use a servo connected to one of the lines on the forward part of the stack to pull it down and then it just hangs there over the side...

Either way it would be cool to get more detailsand perhaps a video too.

[AndyKunz]

Given that it IS Titanic that is sinking....and going down by the head like you would see in the movies, it looks like a planned sink. I just dont get why its in the broad daylight.

The magic of modern films. You can make the lighting anything you want. Getting rid of it is a lot easier than adding it in.

Andy

[tigerbay]

It might not be a sinking for a movie, but for a local weekend show. So daylight would be normal.

[Predreadnut]

If you are going to sink a large model ship, sink it in shallow water. Just ask one of the model warship combat captains how heavy a large model gets when its full of water.

[johnmca72]

If you are going to sink a large model ship, sink it in shallow water. Just ask one of the model warship combat captains how heavy a large model gets when its full of water.

I've had ships sunk more times than I can count, & have had to hire a diver more than once.

I recall a few years ago, someone in a warship combat club in California built a model Titanic for just exactly the sort of exhibition as has been speculated for this one. His came complete with scale iceberg, & the ship was even rigged to break in two as as it sunk! I haven't seen any video of the event, but I'm sure it's around somewhere...

JM

[herrmill]

I received details of the sinking from my friend last night:

1. The builder, a Frenchman in his 60s, built this 1/100 Titanic in two sections, the front half with ballast tanks & the second half with a sealed compartment containing the electronics. It was designed to breakaway just like the real ship as it took its final plunge.

2. While on its maiden voyage, all went as planned with the bow dipping into the water & stern rising dramatically with the props exposed as shown in the above photo. So far, so good & the owner is quite happy with his work.

3. Unfortunately the wind picked up & blew the model out into deeper water. With both props & rudder out of the water, the owner had no control & shortly thereafter lost signal as the second "watertight" section apparently was already taking on water.

4. An inflatable containing a man & his son was nearby & called in to assist, but they were only able to grab the forward half of the hull before it went under. Owner was somewhat distraught at this point.

5. A diver was called in afterwards to salvage the wreck & it was retrieved in two sections. The upper deck was meant to be removed for access which is why it separated during sinking. No word on the current condition or when it she will sail again.

Chuck

[graphixman]

The second photo could be from another disaster movie, "Godzilla takes a Holiday" :D

Oh well it was funny when I thought of it.

[MILLERTIME]

Maybe more like this?

[herrmill]

I received several more photos but was asked not to post for fear of upsetting the owner since it was a rather sad affair to witness.

One taken several minutes into the sinking from another angle on the port stern quarter shows the rescue raft in the distance as Titanic sinks deeper into the lake with a large scale Type VII uboat cruising on the surface between the two. The second shows her settling into the lake with the upper decks flush with the surface.

To paraphrase Walter Lord, it must have been An Afternoon to Remember.