Scale: 1/180
 
Recommended to help build a Balao class submarine from:
Revell 1/180 scale USS Flasher SS-249
Revell 1/180 scale USS Growler SS-215
Revell 1/180 scale USS Lionfish SS-298
 
This model fairwater is intended to help convert your Revell Gato class submarine model into one of 122 World War Two-era Balao class submarines, successor to the Gato class.  The Balao class had a smaller and differently shaped fairwater (sail/conning tower) than the earlier Gato class, although the hull was nearly identical externally.  This model has features specific to USS Balao SS-285 as it appeared during 1945.  The model can be adapted to other boats of the class with similar features.
 
A fairwater for sistership USS Lionfish SS-298 is available separately.
 
Although sometimes boxed and marketed as the Balao class submarine USS Lionfish SS-298, the Revell kit is a reasonable representation of the earlier Gato class submarine, not a Balao class submarine.  The Revell kit was originally released in 1971 as the Gato class submarine USS Flasher SS-249 (click here) and later as Gato class submarine USS Growler SS-215.  In 1988, Revell re-released their Gato class kit erroneously marketed as the Balao class boat USS Lionfish SS-298.  The real USS Lionfish has been a popular attraction on permanent display as a memorial at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts since 1973.
 
When Revell marketed their Gato class kit as USS Lionfish, they did not change any of the parts.  Revell simply changed the box and the instruction sheet.  The kit inside that box has the original Gato class fairwater which does not represent the features of a Balao class boat.  Its fairwater is simply wrong for any Balao class boat.

The Balao fairwater is not the same size and shape as the larger Gato fairwater.  The Balao fairwater is much shorter in height and length, especially at the aft end.  Some adjustment of your plastic Gato kit's deck part such as scribing planking will be necessary for best fit.
 
This 3D-printed model was designed from official US Navy drawings.  
 
This model does not include:
railings or stanchions (too fragile to print)
periscopes or antennas (use your kit's parts)

© Model Monkey LLC.  This 3D-printed product may not be copied or recast.

Although details varied widely between boats, the persicope shears and radar mast configuration depicted by this model is known to have been fit to the following Balao class boats:
SS-285 Balao
SS-286 Billfish
SS-287 Bowfin
SS-288 Cabrilla
SS-291 Crevalle
SS-297 Ling
SS-308 Apogon
SS-311 Archerfish
SS-319 Becuna
SS-321 Besugo
SS-383 Pampanito
SS-384 Parche
SS-402 Sea Fox
SS-404 Spikefish
SS-409 Piper
SS-413 Spot
SS-415 Stickleback
SS-426 Tusk
 
For excellent submarine references, click here.

From military.wikia.com: "The Balao-class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato-class, the boats had slight internal differences. The most significant improvement was the use of thicker, higher yield strength steel in the pressure hull skins and frames, which increased their test depth to 400 feet (120 m). Tang actually achieved a depth of 612 ft (190 m) during a test dive, and exceeded that test depth when taking on water in the forward torpedo room while evading a destroyer.

"Museums: Eight Balao-class submarines are open to public viewing. They primarily depend on revenue generated by visitors to keep them operational and up to U.S. Navy standards; each boat gets a yearly inspection and a "report card". Some boats, like Batfish and Pampanito, encourage youth functions and allow a group of volunteers to sleep overnight in the crew's quarters. The following is a complete list of Balao-class museum boats:
USS Batfish (SS-310) at War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma
USS Becuna (SS-319) at Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
USS Bowfin (SS-287) at USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Honolulu, Hawaii
USS Clamagore (SS-343) at Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
USS Ling (SS-297) at New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, New Jersey
USS Lionfish (SS-298) at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts
USS Pampanito (SS-383) at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco, California, which played the part of USS Stingray in the movie Down Periscope
USS Razorback (SS-394) at Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock, Arkansas"