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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The only text I can find on this fascinating topic, August 13, 2001
Modelling of radio controlled submarines that actually dive and run underwater is such a fascinating aspect of the RC hobby, and until accidently running into the field while surfing the internet, it never occurred to me that the radio waves would penetrate water enough to make it work. Or that people would run a boat underwater where they can't see it. But it does work and people do do it.Unfortunately, this hobby is very much a do-it-yourself, scratch-build pasttime. There is no such thing as "almost ready to fly" as in RC airplanes. In fact, there are few kits of any kind, it appears to me. And Model Submarine Technology is the only book I've been able to find on the topic. Most of the information is passed on face-to-face, and through newsletters and the internet. This book discusses all the aspects of model submarine design: sealing, through-hull fittings, depth control, attitude control, etc. It contains enough equations to allow you to design your own model submarine. In fact, you could use them to design a full-size sub! The book even contains circuit diagrams and PC board layout for an electronic attitude controller. Be warned, however, that this is a British translation of a German text. (In fact, be warned that all Traplet books are British.) The sentence structure seems odd at times, and I'm not sure if that's from an attempt to produce a more word-for-word translation of the German, or if it's due to the translator's British English, which just sounds somewhat unusual to this American reader. Some of the variable names represent German words and didn't get translated, and the typesetting of the equations has errors in places. Furthermore, the book refers to components that may not be available to the American reader, and, of course, doesn't discuss the limited number of kits and model submarine components that are available in North America. Note that the book description indicates that the book discusses scale torpedos, among other topics. However, the author is apparently a strong pacifist, and his only discussion of torpedos is that he refuses to discusss them because, "it is all too easy for children - in particular - to "play about" with such gruesome machines and thereby lose sight of their devastating intent and capability." "I don't wish to be associated with that," he further states, and maintains that, "the primary purpose of submaries - even military ones - is to provide under-water transport over long periods and distances, and these vessels can therefore be categorised principally as a means of travel." Hmmm. I don't see too many underwater oil tankers, though. If you have the skills and patience to experiement and scratch-build a submarine model, or if you're just fascinated in the technology and physics, this may be the only book you find despite its few flaws. Otherwise, you may want to consider another hobby.
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by Chris Jackson
by Carsten Heintze
by Harry Bohm
by David Westwood
