MODELSVIT USS PERMIT SSN- 594 CLASS Installation guide

USS PERMIT
SSN- 594 CLASS
Model Submarine Hull Kit in 1:72 Scale
Assembly Instruction
Manual

Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
Table of contents:
1. Introduction
2. Background Information
3. Class Specifications
4. Recommended Tools
5. Recommended RC Accessories And
Vendors
6. Recommended Materials
7. Plastic Part Preparation
8. Marking Out Where Everything Goes
9. Z-Cut
10. Registry Lips
11. Registry Clips
12. Drive Train
13. Hull Formers
14. Cutting Out Holes
15. Stern Planes
16. Rudders
17. Sail Assembly
18. Sail Planes
19. Circa 79 Towed Array Assembly
20. Mechanical Linkages
21. Pre-Paint Preparation
22. Paint
23. Detailing
24. Trimming The Boat
25. Credits
26. List Of Parts (BOM)
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Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
1. Introduction
Thanks for purchasing your new model Permit class attack submarine! Your new highly-detailed
model is intended not only to provide many hours of quality RC running time in freshwater
ponds, lakes or pools, but is meant to be a fun and good learning experience while building it
as well. It can even serve as a fine static display model when not in the water. The whole
concept behind the design of this project was to provide the modeler with a kit that requires
very little, if any scratch building to complete it. In this way, even the more inexperienced of
modelers should have little trouble in assembling this model submarine.
2. Background Information
The Permit class of nuclear attack submarines was the result of the US navy’s need for a fast,
efficient, deeper diving, and most of all, quieter anti-submarine warfare weapon platform over
the previous Skipjack class. They were basically the prototype, which laid the foundation for
all nuclear attack subs used to this day by the U.S. The main features in which define this
“modern” attack submarine configuration are: The bow mounted sonar dome, which moved the
torpedo shutters back to amidships to the first time in sub design history. Mechanical “rafting”,
a design technique utilizing rubber washers to isolate vibrating parts from the main hull
drastically reducing the noise level produced from the boat. The whole package was wrapped
up in the revolutionary hydrodynamic teardrop shape taken from the results of studies of
whale’s bodies, and so successfully incorporated into the Skipjack’s hull.
The Permit’s hulls were larger than the previous class, and used the same reactor and drive
system, but didn’t lose any speed due to better design application. They also used HY-80 (High
Yield Strength – minimum 80 000 psi) for the first time resulting in deeper diving capability.
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The first boat in the class was actually SSN-593 USS Thresher, and was lost in 1963 220 miles
east of Cape Cod while conducting deep diving sea trials due to a pipe bursting and shorting out
control systems. The result was a new program called “SUBSAFE” changing fabrication
procedures and standards, thus ensuring that this kind of terrible incident would be very

Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
unlikely to happen to any submarine after the loss. Although there were 14 boats altogether in
the Permit class, very few of the boats, if any, were identical to each other. Some examples
of this were: SSN-613 USS Flasher, SSN-614 USS Greenling, SSN-615 USS Gato all had 10’ longer
hulls and a longer sail for added SUBSAFE machinery, SSN-621 USS Haddock had a long sail but
regular Permit hull, SSN-596 Barb was the only ship of the class with “puffer fins” added to the
sides of the stern plane stabilizers, and probably the most noted of the class, SSN-605 USS
Jack, is the only American nuclear submarine ever fitted with contra rotating propellers upon a
single axial drive shaft. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the US navy added a towed sonar
array to the all the boats requiring a fairing be added to the hull. A GNATS sonar jammer hump
was added to stern as well as the sail was reconfigured to accept a improved BRD mast and an
observation periscope. Even the added modifications were not built to a standard, and could be
found to have variations from boat to boat.
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Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
3. Class Specifications:
• Displacement: Surfaced: 3,540 t., Submerged: 4,200 t.
• Length:
o 278 feet
o 297 feet SSN-605
o 292 feet SSN-613-615
• Beam: 31’ 8”
• Speed: Surfaced 15 knots, Submerged 28+ knots;
• Operating Depth: 400'
• Complement: 143
• Sensors:
o Raytheon BQS-6A or -6B active/passive systems
o BQQ-1 and the Edo BQR-7 passive, conformal array
o TB-26 Towed Sonar Array
• Armament:
o Four 21" torpedo tubes,
forward
o MK 48 torpedoes
o UUM-44A SUBROC anti-
submarine missiles
o UGM-84A/C Harpoon anti-
ship missiles
o MK 57 deep water mines
o Mk 60 CAPTOR mines
• Propulsion System: one S5W
nuclear reactor, two Westinghouse
steam turbines, one propeller
15,000 shp.
• Ship Builders:
o 594, 595, Mare Island Naval Shipyard
o 596, 607, 621, Ingalls Shipbuilding
o 603, 604, 612, New York Shipbuilding
o 593, 605, 606, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
SSN-594 CLASS Page 5 of 43
o 613-615, General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division

Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
4. Recommended tools
This list is a compilation of “recommended” tools only. By no means are you expected to go
out to the store and buy everything you see listed here. There are always different ways and
different tools used to accomplish a task. Rather, it would be a good idea to acquire tools you
need only on an “as needed” basis
• Variable speed drill and assorted drill bits from 1/32” to 3/8”
• Rotary tool set with sanding disc, grinding attachments, and various other bits
• Small adjustable wrench
• Razor saw
• Airbrush
• Imperial Allen key set
• Hand clamps or spring clamps
• Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
• Exacto knife
• Utility knife
• Mini-file set
• Small hammer
• Bench vise
• Scissors
• Carpenter’s square
• Torpedo level
• Mini bubble level(s)
• Side cutters
• Tape measure
• Ruler or straightedge
• Face mask for paint and particulates
5. Recommended Electronics and WTC
These are the electronics and the “guts” that you will need to make you boat a fully functional
RC model. Here are the websites of recommended vendors who carry these items. Most, if not
all the required equipment can be sourced from these places:
www.caswellplating.com
www.mikessubworks.com
• 3.5” WTC (D&E Miniatures 3.5 Subdriver recommended)
• 4-channel radio and receiver - It’s always a good idea to get larger capacity radio (6 or
8 channels) for extras that you might want to add to the model later. Retracting
periscopes, dive planes and even torpedo systems are all examples of this. Polk’s
Hobbies makes an excellent 8 channel setup for our purpose, for a very reasonable
price.
• Electronic speed control
• Failsafe
• Pitch control module
• Rudder servo motor
• Stern plane servo motor
• Sail plane servo (optional)
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• NiCad Rechargeable battery(s) and charger

Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
6. Recommended Materials and Consumables
• Pencils
• Dishwashing abrasive pads
• Sharpie marker(s)
• Masking tape
• 1 hour setting epoxy adhesive
(minimum)
• Thin Cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA)
“superglue”
• Baking Soda
• Pink or blue foam
• Cardboard
• High quality filling and sanding
primer (Dupont Nason Ful-Fil or Fill
‘N’ Sand acrylic lacquer)
• 100,220,400,600,800 grit wet and
dry sandpaper
• Air dry glazing putty (Nitro-Stan or
Evercoat)
• Polyester auto body filler (Evercoat
with miracle sanding)
• Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors
• Paper Dixie cups for mixing
• 12” of 1/8” diameter brass rod or
tube
• Abrasive dishwashing pads
• ‘Woodland Scenics’ Gothic 45
degree white small numbers
• ‘Woodland Scenics’ Gothic 45
degree white large numbers
• ‘Woodland Scenics’ Gothic 45
degree white small letters
7. Plastic Part Preparation
The first thing you’ll want to do when you open the packaging for you new submarine is to
look over all the parts to make sure they are all there as per the bill of materials that is
included. You also want to inspect for any damages that might have occurred during the
shipping of the package. Once you’ve looked over everything and are happy, the next step
will be to clean off all the pieces in warm soap and water to remove any amine blushes or
mold release and the bathtub is the perfect place for this. Keep in mind that the mold
release (PVA) on the fiberglass parts has not been removed purposely to provide a little
more protection to the surfaces for the shipping process. Gently scrub all the parts with
your dishwashing abrasive pad and a little soap so that all the greenish PVA film comes off.
It is important to get all of it off, as any coatings such as filler or paints will not adhere to
the plastic. Also, give all the plastic parts a light scrubbing to clean off any impurities,
which might affect paint or glue adhesion. Remove any seam lines and flashing from the
plastic parts initially scraping it off with you Exacto knife and then cleaning it up with some
220 sandpaper. Finishing doesn’t have to be perfect yet, but all seems and flashing that
interfere with the fit of parts has to be removed. Final finishing and cosmetic filling should
be left to when you are getting ready to paint the boat.
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8. Marking Out Where Everything Goes
A good idea before you start cutting and drilling is to mark out where everything goes. You
can start by taking your Sharpie marker and drawing in all the scribed details in the plastic.
Doing this makes everything easier to see and work with. This will also be able to help
prevent losing any detail in any later steps of your build. A good idea would be to take
your machinist’s scribe and deepen some of the scribe marks in the hull if you want them
to stand out a little more.
9. Z-cut
The Z cut enables the two hull halves to be connected together in a simple, yet effective
way. Two small machine screws are enough to hold the whole thing together!
• Begin by marking out on the bottom half of the hull 3” from the tip of the bow.
• Do the same with the top half but at 3.5” from the stern tip.
• Place the top half on the floor in a corner between two walls that you know is
square in your house with the stern point firmly against one wall and the side of
the firmly against the other.
• Take a block of wood with a hole centered at 3.5” from the bottom that is large
enough to hold the Sharpie pen in place.
• With someone holding the hull firmly in place, carefully and slowly run your block
of wood with marker in it along the wall marking out your cut line. Be careful not
to get any ink on your wall or floor!
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• Repeat this procedure for the top hull half at your 3” line. Carefully run your razor
saw along the line making a groove or “path” that will allow easier cutting, giving
the blade a path to follow when doing your main cut. This is essential to getting a
clean line with the least amount of material being removed.
• Repeat for the other half of the hull you marked out. Sand about a ½” on the inside
around where the pieces will be glued using 100 grit or lower sandpaper and then
clean with lacquer thinner. This allows for proper bonding for your epoxy adhesive.
• With both cut off ends sanded, tape the cut pieces to the other hull half firmly.
• Put the hull halves together and “dry-fit” them to make sure everything fits well.
You should only have a gap about the size of your razor saw between where you cut
the pieces.
• Use a couple of small drops of medium or thin CA, then sprinkle a little baking soda
to instantly catalyze the glue on the inside of the hull where the pieces meet. This
will tack them together in preparation for the more permanent fiberglass tape and
epoxy step coming up in a later step.
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Permit Manual rev-1 5/22/2008
10. Registry Lips
This kit comes supplied with a bow, stern, port and starboard fiberglass registry lips that
will help hold the two hull halves together tightly in conjunction with the provided carbon
fiber spring clips.
• Start with the bow and stern lips and clamp them into place with ½” protruding
with a hand clamp.
• Mark the lines out on the lips where they sit and then remove and sand behind that
line with 100-grit sandpaper and clean with lacquer thinner.
• Clamp back in place.
• Fit the starboard and port lips into place on the bottom half of the hull and check
for fit. You want to see 5/8” of the registry lip sticking up above the hull line and
you don’t want to see any gap between it and the hull.
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• You might have to trim some length off each to achieve a good fit.