688 as a pump-jet test bed

[feet wet]

I recall that one of the 688s was used as a test bed for the Seawolf pump-jet. Does anyone have information as to which 688 was used? Also if any other mods were performed externally that would show up I/48th? Lastly I assume( I know....) that any pj installed on a 688 would have been proportionally smaller than a SSN 21 pj, do to the difference in plant size. Can that be confirmed?
Thanks
Jonathan

[tom dougherty]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

According to Norman Polmar, USS Cheyenne (SSN-773) had a pumpjet for evaluation. However, this may have been misinformation, as this photo would seem to indicate otherwise...

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0877330.jpg

In fact, the Cheyenne , as one of the last 688's would have been too late to contribute to Seawolf as a test bed. One earlier 688 (Memphis) was used extensively as a testbed for new submarine technologies, systems, and equipment. Testing of Seawolf's pumpjet and other items was accomplished by Kokanee LSV-1. Kokanee was a one-quarter scale model of the Seawolf (SSN-21). She was an unmanned, battery-powered, free-running model, 90 feet long, 150 tons, with valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) wet cell batteries weighing approximately 25 tons powering a conventional 3000 Hp DC motor. This large-scale structural model was delivered to Bayview in north Idaho in November 1987 and operated in Lake Pend Oreille for research work.

[feet wet]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Tom,
Thank you for the reply. I recall reading about the Idaho tests. I am a little surprised that full scale tests were not done.
I am trying to find a use for my spare pj from David Merriman. It looked like either my 688 or my Skipjack. Fantasy either way.
Jonathan

[wlambing]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Gents,

USS Partsburgh, ..er, Pittsburgh was used as the test platform.

B^)

[feet wet]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Thanks Bill! Do you know if any other systems were tested? Say the flank arrays?
Jonathan

[wlambing]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Jonathan,

The WAAs were installed on several boats. Alexandria carried a set right before I retired. Cable installs were a pain in the butt!!!

B^)

[tom dougherty]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Thanks, Bill! You would know. Did they leave the pump jet on Pittsburgh or was it a temporary install for testing purposes only?

[boss subfixer]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Tom,
It was a temporary install. She got her standard prop back after the test.
Bill,
Satans flagship, the USS Augusta had WAA panels as well, I remember watching them being installed at the shipyard. And from what I heard from those involved it was quite a hassle.

[tom dougherty]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Thanks, Don!

As to the following:

Satan's flagship, the USS Augusta had WAA panels as well, I remember watching them being installed at the shipyard.

I can confirm that; I have the coffee mug!

[boss subfixer]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Your welcome Tom. I'm a tad surprised you didn't ask about the satans flagship part.

[tom dougherty]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

I'm a tad surprised you didn't ask about the satans flagship part.

OK, why is Augusta Satan's flagship (inquiring minds want to know....)

[boss subfixer]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

For the superstitious types......The boat has been nothing but trouble, nothing overly big she did do her job. Lots of issues while being built. Jobs not going the way they should have and for no apparent good reason. I believe, but forgive me if I'm wrong, she even had a small fire on board just before her launch. Not enough to do real big damage but enough to be a real nuisance.
Fast forward a some years to when she went into service and the issues still persisted. I didn't really know this until I went to work for NRMD at the base and the Senior Chief in charge of Nuke repair called Augusta Satans flagship during an upkeep meeting. We talked after the meeting and he informed me that nothing job wise ever went right on that boat. We had a long and interesting conversation about what each of us knew about the boat.
BTW the jobs we (NRMD) had during the upkeep went just as they usually did for that boat, crappy. And every other job after that, even the simple routine ones.
If I were the superstitious type I would swear that boat was for some reason cursed.

[subicman]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Was a member of the Decomm crew onboard Gussy. She had and used her WAA panels until the day we scrapped her. She was a sonar test platform so most of her mods were internal. Pittsburgh did briefly test the Propulsor....aka pumpjet. Memphis was the test platform for the diehedral stabilizers, Cheyenne had an improved engineroom based on Seawolf and Virginia concepts. The first deployment of photonics I can think of was Pheonix in the early 90's. Honolulu was the test platform for the Virgina Split Stern Planes system, not to be confused with the Seawolf system. Seawolf had stern tips and stern flaps per say, Virginia has inner and outer flaps. i won't eleaborate any further than the split stern planes allows for some AWESOME handling characteristics, coupled with diehedrals and automated ship control it is a dream to drive. If I wasn't retiring in 3 months, I would never go back to a 688, I would take another Virginia. Anyway I know there were more test platforms for other things, mostly internal and or classified.

Don,
She wasn't cursed......she was different. And very looked after by someone. EB builds good boats, bounced once, hit 4 times, exceeded test depth by ALOT 3 times and she still made 30 years. Good boat, good crew. Proud to say I served on her.

V/R
Tim

[boss subfixer]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Oh I know she was a good boat and has had more than her share of mishaps. I did say she did her job. I always thought it was weird that about 9 out of 10 repair jobs would go sideways at the drop of a hat.

[subicman]

Re: 688 as a pump-jet test bed

Don,

In my experience, 9 outa 10 repair jobs going south is normal. That mostlyt depended on the yard, What Portsmouth didn't do right EB would, or What EB didn't do right Norfolk would, and from what I hear anything out of Pearl never went right. A lot has to do with the command, squadron, supship, and the yard workers themselves. If you had a good group of ship managers and the right guys on the shift, everything seemed to go smooth, not to say that there still were not any hitches, and not saying that you were not a good ship manager...it's just the way of the yard. Anyway I will be home for the meeting this month, been a long time and I am looking forward to seeing all of you guys again!

R/
Tim