Author Topic: torpedoes  (Read 6569 times)

Offline croesch

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torpedoes
« on: July 17, 2008, 04:39:55 PM »
We are completing our new museum building and working on the displays.  One project is restoring the cut-away Mk 14 torpedo.  It is missing the gyro steering gear and depth controls.  But a cursory inspection of one of our intact torpedoes indicates that it has the missing parts.  So I plan to remove the access panel over those parts, remove the parts, and install them on our cut-away display torpedo.  But I am just a doctor so I don't really know what I am doing.  Any suggestions?

Charley Roesch
croesch@comcast.net

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: torpedoes
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2008, 10:56:33 PM »
Hello Charlie!

Well, unlike cutting into people, you'll face a lot less blood, but remember, the parts should be interchangeable... as long as your two fish are both the same Mark and MOD!
The only qualified Navy torpedo man who still has some experience with these weapons is our good friend Bob Pallat (Cleveland)... if you run into problems, I can provide a phone number of email.  Save the parts in coffee cans (what we did with out Mk. 14s).  Good luck!

And say hello to Bob for me.

Paul Farace
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Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Lance Dean

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Re: torpedoes
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2008, 11:06:06 PM »
Dave Grayson was kind enough to send me photos of the USS Becuna.  They have this nifty cutaway of a torpedo (not sure what kind of torpedo it is).

Looks like they have a lot of copper in them....

edit:
What I forgot to say was that maybe someone of the Becuna might be able to give some advice, possibly.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2008, 11:12:06 PM by Lance Dean »

Offline Lance Dean

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Re: torpedoes
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2008, 03:08:49 PM »
I received a photo CD from Dan Odenweller who was a docent at the USS Pampanito.  I'm attaching some of the photos of their cutaway torpedo.

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: torpedoes
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2008, 12:42:17 AM »
Lots of brass, copper, and such inside these marvels of engineering (and sometimes very bad engineering)... our restoration crew put each piece through a buffing wheel with some polish... the result was the cutaway fish looked like a jewel box!  It has begun to patina a bit (thankfully?), but it sure looked pretty (and unwaponlike?) when it was new in 1995!.

Problem with Mk. 14 cutaways is that they mostly are big 3,000 psi air tanks! The BECUNA cutaway in the ATR was being employed as a coat and lunch stowage box when I visited in 1998.  :knuppel2:

Here are some shots of our cutaway 14 in the FTR.

Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: torpedoes
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2008, 09:42:01 PM »
Nice pictures, Paul.  It definitely has that lived in look.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



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