top of page
K3 005.jpg
K3 017.jpg
K3 011.jpg
 19-03-2016.   U27 (K3).    19" Long.          Steam Powered / Clockwork Diving Submarine.     

The U27 bit is my designation because its the 27th sub ive built, the K3 bit is the boat on which it is based. This one was really tricky! but great fun to do as you have probably gathered its a tad different in as much as it runs on the surface using steam power and will dynamic dive under clockwork power.The conning tower is removable but the aft section is hinged to light the burner. Going from fwd to aft in the middle pic is the LPG tank first, it is refillable through the valve on the top. Next is the clockwork winding tube, behind that is the ballast tank vent. The burner is fed via the copper tube from the fwd tank and sits just under the flash coil.The grey strip under the burner is a ceramic mica composite heat shield it protects the hull from radiated heat.The whole area is submersible and the gas is re-lightable as soon as she surfaces. Total stonker in the water and this summer im doing a video of some of the boats in action! Just remember playing with compressed gas is dangerous! and as soon as my eyebrows grow back ill be reporting myself to the health and safety executive. On a final note its 100 years ago that the Admiralty commissioned the real K3 and the whole idea was an utter disaster killing over 150 brave submariners! On a lighter note , mine works brilliantly! 

bottom of page