The Basic Hull
Once the bulkheads were ready and laid along the keel, it was now a matter of 'skinning' the hull. There are various methods to achieve this, such as planking, however I decided to simply apply balsa vertically from the deck to the keel, placing the grain of the balsa longitudinally to prevent splitting and assist in following the contours of the frames.
Before doing this I inserted longitudinal pine strips along the outer edges of the frames (bulkheads) to give the basic hull shape, and provide a 'surface' on which to glue the balsa sheeting (these can be seen in the photos below)
Here are some details shots of the bow and 0 deck. The stand alone bulkhead you see will form the taper towards the raised front seawolf launcher ...
Here is the taper completed and you can now see the raised deck for the launcher. I've also started to apply the deck. This portion of deck is inclined towards the launcher, and that is why it has been applied separately.
Once the decks were on, it was time to mark the position of the super structures and cut out access areas to the inside of the hull.
