--Originally Posted 12/9/10--

I posted this query on HyperScale Ship Chat and got no response. Maybe someone here has a clue. Here goes..."Beginning to build the Revell 1/144 kit of the Type 206A submarine and am already stumped. Can someone explain the rationale behind the "sculpted" bow planes on this boat? According to the instructions, it appears that only one plane is to be deployed at a time. This would lead me to wonder if the planes are designed more for steering underwater than diving/surfacing? Or is it possible that one plane is utilized for diving and the other for surfacing? And the manner in which these planes are shaped like an aero-(or aqua-)dynamic "airfoil" would seem to favor a turn to port (left) when either are deployed. I am in hopes someone can explain the actual performance of these planes and either confirm or refute my understanding of their function. Links to any pictures of these planes deployed would be very helpful also. Thanking you in advance, I remain chilly and confused in Orange Park, Florida."