Whether deliberately or not, Don, in this post more than any other so far you've created something that reads like the spook-sub novel you could write: starting off seemingly about Jimmy Carter, then apparently moving on to his 688 boats ("One boat for everything."), but then back to Parche and forward again to the SeaWolfs, finally circling back once again to Carter - the reader doesn't know where the story is going to wind up (but ends up with a pretty good overall picture of everything)!

All this is the kind of interesting back-story that I didn't know, one day long ago in the '80s when a Navy guy (security I'm sure) on a San Diego bus gratuitously offered to get me into Point Loma, to stare point-blank at a Sturgeon-class boat, docked there. (At least, I think she was a Sturgeon: as I recall the hull was nowhere near long enough for a 688; the sail too big for a Permit - about which I've always had the impression they were so especially secret that I never would have been allowed that close to a Permit, anyway.) In any case I'm sure that boat, whoever she was (painted all jet-black), was at that very same moment also looking back at me, performing yet a tiny bit more "intel": snapping some good, clear mug shots, for subsequent "Commie-Looking Spies Analysis".

Which background check I assume I passed - as shortly thereafter I was offered, a full Master's Program FellowShip for Marine Remote Sensing at the University of Delaware - which of course I took - though it did represent a "transfer" away from the west coast and back east! Plus, some 5 years later, at my Thesis Defense of my newly-invented satellite-mapping technique, the intel community returned the original "favor", with the appearance of a mysterious guy (the only other person interested, besides my professors - and who refused to reveal who he was(!)), to watch/listen intently, to my presentation. You're Welcome.

But (of course) I digress. The real topic of interest is: Don, when you say the Hobby Boss SeaWolf's accuracy is only "fair", are you talking about inaccuracies of any major features such as, for (a common and likely) example, the shape of the nose cone? Or perhaps the bow hatches/vents/fittings layout? Because, from a quick look at (just for starters) NavSource, it appears sufficient references are available for me to design fixes for those - particularly in 350-scale, when ready - for any kit(s) needing it. (BTW, there is also a Chinese - mfr: "CN", IIRC - injected-mold 250-ish scale "SeaWolf", but it is basically a pantographed-up DML 688, with just the SeaWolf/Virginia "shoe" added to the base of the sail, and little, if anything, else.)

Again, great submission - yet more to think about, regarding Jimmy Carter, and what he actually did and didn't do, while president - for another great Sunday Morning musing, over coffee: Thank You, buddy!


Cheers,

- Matty