SSN-775 pumpjet under construction pic

[anonymous]

USS Texas PCU-775 (future SSN-775).

USS Texas PCU-775 (future SSN-775). Photo by Northrop-Grumman/Newport News Shipbuilding. I would concider this image generic for all the early Virginia's.

Steve Reichmuth



Edited By Dolphin on 1087150795

[wayne frey]

There you go Paul.
A

There you go Paul.
A home state boat. Somebody will have to build one.
There is talk of it being commissioned in Corpus Christi. That will be a "must go to" event.
Sure would be nice to see a hull for that.

[thordesign]

Steve,

In our earlier discussions we

Steve,

In our earlier discussions we wondered about the turning issues due to the same issues that the model of Seawolf has. The Seawolf class is noted for its poor manuevering at slow speed, just like the model.

The propulsor acts like a rudder. As we discussed earlier, every design is a compromise. The Navy accepted the shortcomings that the propulsor places on manuverability for the outstanding features that the boat would not have otherwise. These boats are not designed for in-close combat. Unless there is some black magic allowing the duct to deform or moveable post swirl stators, I do not see how the models behavior can be any different than the real boat. The scuttlebutt of late out of the Navy says that the boat is a pig. So the model must be correct.

The comment was made earlier that some classes have "issues" early on in the class. This was certainly true of the 688 class and is most likely the case with the Virginia class. I am sure that there will be improvements as the class develops, but it is hard to see the sort of performance improvements to make her at least as equal boats before her. As I said earlier, I have been involved in many military projects for many years, and I still am. Every time I see the military being forced to develop a muli-role weapons system it ends up in being a terrible disappointment because it is capable of doing a lot of differerent tasks, but none of them really well.

As the costs have borne out, Virginia has not been the huge cost savings over SSN21 that the Navy had hoped. In my opinion, Virginia is a lot less boat for almost the same money. The politicians sold the Country a bum steer if you ask me.

She is not as fast as an LA and is not as powerful as Seawolf and is just an equal firepower wise with the 688I with a couple of exceptions. Yes, she is quieter, and has some really cool video games on board, but I am, personnally very disappointed with the class as a whole. Seawolf had me all fired up, and I still am over her, but not Virginia. I still maintain she is a pig, and a slow one at that.

Time will tell how this will all play out. My sources from the Navy are tepid at best on the boat. We will wait and see...

Look at all of the money that was spent on SSN23. She will end up being the most expensive dock queen this Country has ever built. She is way too much boat for the mission she was modified to serve. The command will be afraid to use her due to her expense. Just watch...

Sorry guys, I am not trying to be negative here. I am just very dissappointed over what I am hearing about the real boat, which validates the terrible performance of the model.

I am certainly not trying to say the Navy or its contractors, or engineers are stupid in any way. What I am saying, Steve, is that the political climate(damned politicians) forced the Navy to accept something that is slightly better than nothing. They Navy was forced to accept this platform. They put a smiley face on it and say they love it in public, but that is not what is being said in the halls.



Edited By ThorDesign on 1087099287

[PaulC]

It is interesting to see

It is interesting to see the asymetrical appendages. The towed array tube on the port stern plane and the pod on the end of the port anhedral. The stb anhedral appears to be blunt.

[anonymous]

http://www.dawnbreaker.com/virtual2003/briefings/ContinuumDynamics.doc

Matt, have you read the

http://www.dawnbreaker.com/virtual2003/briefings/ContinuumDynamics.doc

Matt, have you read the above article? The lack of manueverablity would make Virginia a 'stand off' platform remaining in deep water, using ROV's and midget subs insert Navy Seals. This makes the Virginia's not really a littorial mission platform in the truest or classic sense. I am still convinced the PJ duct on the Virginia class 'morfs'. Thanks for your comments Matt, always enjoy them...always appreciated.

Paul, you are correct about the asymetric stern appendanges. They are the same, except the towed arrays exit the port stern plane and the port adhedral, otherwise they are symetrical in other respects.

As for your comment Wayne about someone building a Texas, being here from California with shame, I will not ever build a 'California' should one ever be so named, unless it is the beautiful old BB-44 or CGN-36. Our Gov. 'Arnold' is doing a wonderful job here, perhaps he may have some 'pull' on this. If I ever built a Virginia, a USS Hawaii sounds cool.

Steve R.



Edited By Dolphin on 1087153382

[thordesign]

Steve,

I guess I am "beating

Steve,

I guess I am "beating about the bush". I do believe that you must be correct. Yes, I read the article, but there has to be more going on here if Virginia is to fullfill her mission. If she performs like SSN21 at low speed and shallow depths, she is a waste of money. You must be correct in that there are some aids to correct the low speed handling problems. If not a morphing duct, could there be additional steering provided through some other means such as buried manuevering thrusters or something of the sort?

[wayne frey]

Steve,
The possibility of the

Steve,
The possibility of the Texas being commissioned at Corpus Christi were discussed at a Navy League meeting two months ago here in Austin that I missed,incredibly,because I had a bad adress. The Captain and Chief of the Boat were there. They were told about myself and the Subcomittee,and waited for me a bit. Dang!!! But they will be speaking again later. I now have the correct adress and been to a subsequent meeting.
I look forward to meeting them.