Aligning the hull halves is The Most Important Step, otherwise you will be puttying,sanding, and scraping which can ruin the fun. However, there are no alignment pins on their hull halves and this can be a tough situation for a modeler unless you have experience with it. In fact, Micro-Mir has more classes of US Subs in 1/350 than any other manufacturer. Very nice kits and lots of USN subs to choose from. WarshipGuy brought up the Micro-Mir kits. Riich makes an LA class flt I and flt II VLS and flt III Improved HobbyBoss also makes a 3-in-1 LA class kit covering SSN-688/VLS/688I versions. Some current Plastic kits covering the latest classes of US Subs in 1/350 scale:ĭragon make an Ohio SSBN class and the Florida SSGN Courtesy of Keva Wolfe.I imagine you might want to wait to see what boat your grandson gets assigned to before buying, BUT, depending on your experience with Submarine models, you may want to try your hand at one now.

Cranes on the barge help to raise and release the subs for the testing runs. The barge has complete computer data systems to track the test results and send the information back to the main computer. Navy test barge in the middle of Scenic Bay on Lake Pend Oreille.: One of the barges used by the Acoustic Research Development teams during the testing phase of the model submarines. The Advanced Electric Ship Demonstrator (AESD) is a Zumwalt class destroyer with a unique tumblehome hull. This sub-scale surface vessel was added to the fleet in 2005. The Sea Jet surface vessel.: The Sea Jet.

Parts of the hull can be replaced to allow for different tests. It is the largest unmanned sub at the facility. This submarine is a 110 ft long, Virginia class vessel that was named by elementary student at the Athol school near Bayview. The Cutthroat model submarine.: The Large Scale Vehicle (LSV-2) Cutthroat. The field to the right of the picture is part of Farragut State Park where the Farragut Naval Training Base hospital was located. This area is the deepest part of Lake Pend Oreille reaching a depth of over 1,000 ft. The south end of Lake Pend Oreille and Scenic Bay.: Scenic Bay, Lake Pend Oreille. The steep, tree-lined banks surrounding the bay also aid in reducing noise. Media Images Model submarines in Scenic Bay of Lake Pend Oreille: Normally the model subs are run during the night when the lake is quiet which aides in the testing of the acoustic ability of the subs. When you venture to the shores of Lake Pend Oreille near the southern end under the cover of dark to watch the “submarine races”, that may be literally what you see. The mystery that surrounds the activities of the center adds to the local folklore and history. The ARD has been an important part of the community of Bayview for many years. New concepts and ideas are tested here before being added to the fleet vessels. The data is gathered, analyzed and adjustments made where needed on the vessels. These vessels are monitored during the tests by strategically placed hydrophones and recording devises on the lake bottom and shoreline. They also have two larger model subs: the Kokanee and the Cutthroat. The center has a fleet of ¼ scale models: Dolly Varden, Kokanee, Pike, Whitefish, Steelhead. The steep tree-lined shoreline the constant chilly temperature at 100 ft (39 F) the flat, muddy bottom and little boating activity during the night makes this lake the perfect testing ground for acoustic (sound) studies on the vessels. There is also a 4 mile wide channel running up the center near that area. Lake Pend Oreille is 1,150 ft deep near the southern end. The mission of the ARD is to help provide the Navy with a quiet running submarine at the least amount of money.

Soon after establishing the facility, the Navy found Lake Pend Oreille was the perfect testing area for acoustic related aspects of the submarines. The center was originally part of the Farragut Naval Training Station in 1942 just south of Bayview, Idaho. “They are doing secret maneuvers in the middle of the night.” “They have a full-sized nuclear submarine there.” And my favorite: “They stirred up the ‘Paddler’!” (The monster that lives at the bottom of the lake). Many rumors have been sparked by the activity at the Naval Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD). Idaho? Yes, for over 65 years the south end of the lake has been the premier testing ground for acoustic development of the Navy’s submarines. Textĭuring the middle of the night the small scale, unmanned sub glides through the cold, dark waters of Idaho’s deepest lake, Lake Pend Oreille. Idaho gained it's first submarine fleet that is still active today. When Farragut Naval Training Station was built near Bayview, Idaho in the 1940's, the soldiers were not the only new arrival.

Virginia class submarine model