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Re: U.S. Submarines: Run Silent, Run Deep...On Diesel Engines?
The Barbels were and are a great class. Rebuilding them-um no. We have the USS Blueback (SS-581) here in Portland and it'd be easier to build a new one. She has 2 holes cut in her side for stairwells and loop moorings wielded on to prevent her from drifting away. Plus one of the diesels has been cut away to show the insides and her sensors and other equipment is pretty dated, but her analog target computer still works. All in all though, there isn't much to a Barbel sub-except the Blueback had ice-cream.
The major upsides to the Barbels-they are simple and efficient. During Blueback's decommissioning they opened her electric drive to find that after doing the equivalent of something like 2 laps of the earth, her motor showed little wear and the diesels weren't to bad either. Another 'unspoken' upside to them was their silence. On battery power at economy speeds they were quieter then the LAs. The downsides are pretty obvious though, need power and air? Surface to snorkel depth. Still, would be nice to see one operational, maybe with a AIP system too?
The Barbels were and are a great class. Rebuilding them-um no. We have the USS Blueback (SS-581) here in Portland and it'd be easier to build a new one. She has 2 holes cut in her side for stairwells and loop moorings wielded on to prevent her from drifting away. Plus one of the diesels has been cut away to show the insides and her sensors and other equipment is pretty dated, but her analog target computer still works. All in all though, there isn't much to a Barbel sub-except the Blueback had ice-cream.
The major upsides to the Barbels-they are simple and efficient. During Blueback's decommissioning they opened her electric drive to find that after doing the equivalent of something like 2 laps of the earth, her motor showed little wear and the diesels weren't to bad either. Another 'unspoken' upside to them was their silence. On battery power at economy speeds they were quieter then the LAs. The downsides are pretty obvious though, need power and air? Surface to snorkel depth. Still, would be nice to see one operational, maybe with a AIP system too?
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