Attention all registered users. The new forum upgrade requires you to reset your password as you logon for the first time.
To reset your password choose this option that is displayed when you attempted to login with your username: "Forgotten your password? Click here!"
You will be sent an e-mail to the address that is associated with your forum account. Follow the simple directions to reset your password.
If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
It looks Russian to me (of course).
It may be just me, but the first time I saw an Alfa, the sail design just made sense. Hydrodynamic big time, and maybe less likely to cause "snap roll?" And just plane awsome!
Now, if the Russians would go to a single hull boat, I would not have to cut out so dang many holes in my boats !!!
It looks Russian to me (of course).
It may be just me, but the first time I saw an Alfa, the sail design just made sense. Hydrodynamic big time, and maybe less likely to cause "snap roll?" And just plane awsome!
Now, if the Russians would go to a single hull boat, I would not have to cut out so dang many holes in my boats !!!
[color=#000000]No Wayne, that's just a mere coincidence]http://www.subcommittee.com/forum/icon_question.gif[/img] That's plain silly. Please admit it]
I have always heard that the new sail form has been a part of the Virginia-class design from the beginning. The use of non-optical masts and imaging systems seems to be the basis for looking at the alternative sail design.
Jeff,
You're correct, the streamlined sail was always planned. The optronics mast is currently on the Virginia with the plain vanilla sail (Seawolf-like). My understanding is that the "new" sail will have a larger volume which will permit a "garage-like" storage space that can hold small UAVs and other action figure accessories. The sail was scheduled from boat 5 onward-we'll see. The plan was around boat 10 to introduce electric drive and do away with the main propulsion turbines (harkening back to the quiet Tullibee and Lipscomb attempts at electric drive). The electric propulsion motors would be "encapsulated" in the rear ballast tanks, and would be AC rather than the bulky DC drives of the earlier submarines.
Of course with all the questions around the expense of the Virginia class subs, will there even be a tenth hull?
Tom
Tom as far as there being a tenth or more Viginia hulls who knows. It is supposed to be a large class but then so was the seawolf. I do know that they need to do something because the 688's are slowly but surely getting tired. Maybe we should build more 688's but with updated equipment, it is one heck of a fast attack even though it's a Newport news boat (i work for E.B.)
BSF
For you folks interested in hydrodynamics I came across some interesting flow analysis images looking at sail designs]http://www.science.gmu.edu/~rlohner/pages/pics/images/sub/sub2_t.jpg[/img]
From here]http://www.science.gmu.edu/~rlohner/pages/pics/incompflows.html[/url]
The new Virginia will definitely be a racier looking boat don't you think???
Don,
I agree the 688's are being worked pretty hard, and some of the earlier boats still in service (LA, Phila.) are coming up on 30 years in service. As far as updating the 688s, there were so many compromises made in that design, I would much rather see them stick with the Virginias- I'll bet if they restarted the 688's they would end up being just as expensive.
Comment