Russian Typhoon Submarine

Part 4c - Reactor Intakes, Limber Holes, Keel

	The reactor intakes were made from a piece of Celtec material by cutting them out with a band saw. They were then filed and sanded to shape before being bolted to the lower hull. The patch of square limber holes in the hull (just aft of these) will be scribed and not drilled!
You can see in this pic (and the pic above) that I used 2 pieces of masking tape to mark the lines for the lower hull limber holes. With a pencil, I drew a line in the middle and then measured for the additional ninety-eight (98) holes. This brought the total number of (visible) holes in the hull to 357! Authenticity dictates that these holes should be squared off, but I haven´t decided yet to do that. They are hard to see when the sub is out of the water, so I may just leave them circular.
	I began the holes with a very small drill bit to ensure they were lined up correctly. Then, I enlarged them with a larger bit, taking time so as not to chip the fiberglass. The masking tape also helped eliminate chipping.
With the lower limber holes now drilled, it was time to manufacture the center keel. I elected to use a piece of aluminum for the inside and a cut piece of wood (from a 2" X 4") for the outside. After cutting the aluminum to length and the wood to fit, I clamped them together and drilled mounting holes. I then placed the aluminum on the hull, marked it for the holes and drilled them. The two pieces were then bolted to the hull, with the bolt heads being countersunk.
	I used Bondo® to fill the bolt holes, and then manufactured the aft piece for the keel. It was made from a piece of Celtec material by cutting it out on a band saw and then filing and sanding to shape. As with the keel, this piece was also bolted to the hull from the inside.
Here is a pic of the finished product with the Bondo® sanded smooth.
	Here is a pic of the forward end of the keel and the additional limber holes. The wood will receive several coats of fiberglass resin before priming and painting.
Here is a pic of the inside aluminum rail and the bolts/nuts. The excess bolts were cut off using a Dremel™ tool. Next Step - Part 4d - Painting the Hull

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