The things people ask.
Iron Keel is pre-launch, so many of these answers are works in progress. Anything missing? Ask.
The first Virginia-class kits are targeting Summer 2026. Subject to the usual development realities, but that's the working plan.
The fastest way to hear the moment anything ships is the Notify Me list.
Pricing will be set when the first production runs are ready. It'll reflect the engineering in the kit, not the big-box plastic-model market.
An Iron Keel kit has roughly 10–20 parts. The structural hull is a PVC pipe that comes pre-cut to length; the rest of the work is fitting the printed bow, sail, stern, and control surfaces onto precision couplers.
Assembly is closer to putting together a piece of furniture than building a traditional 300-part plastic kit. A first-time builder should be able to finish in an afternoon — it's a great family activity.
Super glue or CA glue, sandpaper, and a hobby knife cover the build itself.
For finishing, you'll want primer, paint, and decals — chosen by you to suit whichever boat, paint scheme, or style you're going for.
The PVC core cut to length, the 3D-printed detail parts (bow, sail, stern, control surfaces), the precision couplers that bond the printed sections to the core, and assembly instructions.
Kits ship unpainted and unprimed on purpose. We took away the hard part — the hull structure — so you get to create. Pick your boat, your paint scheme, your decals, your level of detail. The finish is yours.
Three hull diameters are in active development: 3", 4", and 6". The 6" size produces a Virginia-class model roughly five feet long.
Different sizes suit different spaces — a bookshelf, a mantle, a dedicated display cabinet, or a wardroom wall.
Yes — the kits are designed with RC in mind. The hull is built to accommodate RC components, including watertight chambers for electronics.
A removable top hatch is included by request, or you can cut your own — whatever fits your build. Iron Keel doesn't ship the RC electronics themselves, but the kit is ready for them.
All three. An Iron Keel kit can be a shelf display, a toy, a working RC submarine — or all of the above over its lifetime. The choice is completely up to you and your skill level.
The hull is durable enough for hands-on play, accurate enough for a display cabinet, and engineered to handle RC conversion when you're ready.
Custom and commemorative builds are part of what Iron Keel is developing. Hull numbers, specific paint schemes, and original features (like our Cribbage Payload Module) are on the roadmap.
If you have a specific boat in mind, reach out directly.
No. The Navy's Virginia program runs through Block V. Block VI is an Iron Keel original — our own variant line for custom hull numbers, commemorative paint schemes, and features the real boats don't have (like the Cribbage Payload Module).
It's a fictional continuation of the Virginia family, not a Navy designation. Models built from the Block IV flagship kit, on the other hand, are accurate to the real boat.
Virginia-class and Columbia-class are the current focus. Additional classes will follow as the fleet grows — and as demand from the Notify Me list makes itself known.
The Keel Core System is the build method behind every Iron Keel kit. It uses standardized Schedule 40 PVC drain pipe as the structural core for the long straight hull sections, with 3D-printed parts designed to fit around it and provide the outer hull shape, transitions, and details.
The result is a stronger, more practical, and more repeatable submarine kit than a fully 3D-printed hull. The full engineering breakdown lives on the Keel Core page.
Building around a standard pipe core instead of printing the entire hull means:
Because the system is built around commonly available standard pipe sizes, the kits are practical to produce and straightforward to assemble — no need to solve the hull structure from scratch.
Pedro Sanchez — a military buff and submarine enthusiast working out of a single workshop. More on the About page.
r/Military3DPrinting is where every update, test print, and problem gets posted first. It's the most active place to watch the fleet come together.
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Get in touch →Iron Keel kits aren't shipping yet. Drop your email and we'll let you know when they are.
No spam. Ever.