A picture of the USS Texas being built

[brian.cunningham]

http://www.nn.northropgrumman.com/photogallery/Submarines/C02-23-23.jpg
She will be one of the Virginia class attack submarines. Rumor has it the propellor shroud on her moves like vector thrusting on the F-22.

http://www.continuum-dynamics.com/research/topics/smart_ducts/image55.gif

[Meerkat]

I think there are things wrong with that picture, Brian.

[Old Sailor]

I have a sneaking suspicion that you shouldn't be photographing that sub.
Old Sailor

[Boomkin Joe]

Relax, guys. It's their official site. Use the search tool then type Gallery. ;)

Northrop Grummann site (http://www.nn.northropgrumman.com)

[ 06-13-2004, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Beachcomber ]

[brian.cunningham]

I know better than to post pictures that weren't approved for release.

The 2nd picture isn't of the sub, it's just to clarify the idea.

[ 06-13-2004, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: brian.cunningham ]

[rbgarr]

I guess the advantages of the nozzle are efficiency, maneuverability and reducing cavitation?

[brian.cunningham]

A propeller is a wing that rotates. Endplates help wings out since they keep the high and low pressure areas from generating end vortexes, and drag producing wakes, which can also cause cavitation.

[imported_Conrad]

And the issue with the cavitation is more the NOISE it generates, not efficiency. Interesting, huh?! :cool:

[John E Hardiman]

For a more complete discussion on this class of SSN's see this link FAS NSSN web page (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/nssn.htm)

[Meerkat]

The problem(s) I found with that picture are:

* The scale - it does not look big enough.

* Weight - look at the tires on the trailer - is this a mock up? Maybe it's just the outter hull, not including the pressure vessel?

* The strange detail under the stern (sort of greenish color). Looks more like plywood than metal.

Also, and perhaps this shouldn't be asked in this section of the forum, but what is the preceived threat this weapon is designed to counter? Who's building anything that is a threat to what we now have?

[ 06-15-2004, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[John E Hardiman]

Meer, the hulls are built in "sections", each section is built by a particular "team member" ; see the site I posted. This is a photo of the aft NPH hull section built by NG/NN, it will be shipped out to be mated with the other sections being built by GD/EB (as I recall) or elsewhere in NG/NN. The structure under the hull is the alignment skid and support. The propulsor is covered but not fully intergrated at this point. Can't see the other dihedral base either.

All in all a normal "dog and pony" progress shot.

[Meerkat]

John; Yup, I'm familiar with the prefab construction technique.

I don't think the propulsor has been attached at this point... (which begs the question as to where the shaft hole is in the stern).

I was talking about the stuff on the underside of the aft end of the hull which is just aft of the underside vertical fin, not the skid/cradle. It looks to be a sort of pale green and there are flaps or panels hanging or lose on one side.

The scale and weight (based on the look of the trailer tires) just don't look right. It could just be the outter skin ("hull") without the internal pressure vessel.... ?

[John E Hardiman]

The aft NPH (Non-Pressure Hull)is just the ballast tanks, mud tank, HPA flasks, shaft tube, rams, and assorted do-dads. The green thing is just the bloused-up herculite cover for the propulsor outer ring or nozzle if you will, which is intergral to the ships structure. The moving rotor and shaft is not present at this state as the transport might damage them. As for the tires on the lowboy, they never flatten out even when loaded much more than the 4-500 tons shown here.

A real wide angle shot here, and a lot is distorted. Span of the stern planes or rudders is about 40 feet and the propulsor diameter is about 12 feet. Main hull diameter at the far end is 34 feet.

[Meerkat]

I defer to your Naval Architectness ;)

[Oyvind Snibsoer]

Meer,
if you want to see a really heavyweight transport, check out the loading of the production module of the new Grane oil rig (http://www.hydro.com/en/press_room/news/archive/2003_03/grane_transport_en.html) at the Aker Kvaerner Egersund Yard a few years back. It took 2000 wheels to load this sucker on the barge!

You can see a vide of the operation at http://www.hydro .com/en/our_business/oil_energy/production/oil_gas_norway/grane/history/video.html (http://www.hydro.com/en/our_business/oil_energy/production/oil_gas_norway/grane/history/video.html)

I was, in a very small way, involved in the construction of this platform. One of the engineers at the Egersund yard told me that, when moving some of the modules from the gigantic production hall to the assembly area, there was barely an inch of clearance on either side when the modules were moved out through the gate. The gate was perhaps 100' wide and some 150' high. The Grane platform was probably the last of the heavyweight oil platforms to be commisioned, BTW.

[ 06-16-2004, 05:10 AM: Message edited by: Oyvind Snibsoer ]

[WindHawk]

Those tires look loaded to me (almost on a camber on the right???). I could use one of those (the lift, not the sub. As a taxpayer, the sub is already part mine).