- For the fore and aft dive planes on a submarine, do they work like elevators (as in airplanes) or do they work like ailerons?
If able to work like ailerons the sub can then make a banked turn. Or the sub can be trimmed to "reverse" bank so as to remain vertical while making a sharp turn underwater.
- Do the dive planes work in tandem, that is both are defelected at the same angle at the same time, or do they work independently?
If working in tendem the hull would be able to remain horizontal while going deeper in a dive I presume. If the front dive plane is steeper than the back planes the sub would move forward and dive in like a fish. On the other hand having the front and rear dive planes work independently would allow the sub to be dynamically trimmed should the stern happen to dip lower during underwater maneuvers.
I had never though of asking these questions until I thought of motorizing the Revell 1/72 U-Boat. And come to think of it I am surprised that no one has motorized this model yet. The model's size certainly lends itself to such a conversion. The ROBBE U-boat