Daily submarine picture

[greenman407]

[greenman407]

Notice the extra sensor pod in this picture on the bottom of the hull in the center of the picture. They put doodads all over the place.

[Von Hilde]

The big one on the chin of the bow of the Tunny is the ANSQS sonar the little guy stickin' out the bottom is the JT or JP passive listening device. State of the art in 1963

[Outrider]

Noisy

On the Tunny photo...what is that long curved fin amidships running fore-aft? Stabilization?

[greenman407]

Yes. They are pretty common on ships as well.

[Outrider]

What's seems odd to me is the complex shape of the fin, which looks like it would add a lot of drag.

I'd imagine Tunny's big missile hangar would have been a real CG problem...as well as a huge drag problem...so maybe the fins weren't such a big deal.

[greenman407]

Yes, I think so in a Major way.

[greenman407]

Nice publicity photo of a Chinese job.

[Von Hilde]

On the Tunny photo...what is that long curved fin amidships running fore-aft? Stabilization?

thats called a bilge keel, its an anti roll stabliser, the ones on the Tuny dont cause any drag because they run for and aft. They effect hydrodynamics in a good way, like spoilers on a race car. If you want to know nauticle terms ask a real salty sailor The regulus can doesnt effect CG because of its neutral buoyancy. Full of air. But it slowed the hell out of the old diesel boats diving time and submerged speeds

[Outrider]

thats called a bilge keel, its an anti roll stabliser, the ones on the Tuny dont cause any drag because they run for and aft. They effect hydrodynamics in a good way, like spoilers on a race car. If you want to know nauticle terms ask a real salty sailor The regulus can doesnt effect CG because of its neutral buoyancy. Full of air. But it slowed the hell out of the old diesel boats diving time and submerged speeds

At ease there, Sailor...I've spent plenty of time at sea on skimmers with fin stabilizers, both fixed and variable... If you want some fun, try being on a ship where one of the two variable fins isn't working...

The Regulus launch system required Tunny to do its business when surfaced, which means things like the possibility of a neutrally buoyant hangar are interesting, but not relevant all of the time. When surfaced, the combination of missile and hangar had to have made Tunny's roll stability...which is generally problematic on submarines...a real challenge. That's a lot of weight above the design surfaced CG, so extra weight goes on the keel, along with any roll stabilization you can come up with, to compensate.

Tunny's stabilizer runs mostly fore-aft, but it's a complex curve, so the fin should be expected to interfere with laminar flow along the hull. I wonder if the fin design was subjected to much testing or if it was just slapped on. Regardless of how it got there, I wonder how well it actually worked.

[Von Hilde]

Roger that on stableising the launch platform, most likely a addition to the system since its unique to that boat. They didnt go much beyond the time of those pictures with the surface launch aspect, they dropped the program. Polaris was being tested soon after.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

We had a FTB type aboard the WEBSTER who made a few Regulus patrols. We talked.

A mild sort of guy; not given to exaggeration -- not your typical sailor. Told me some tales of his times in bad North Atlantic weather on such a boat. Said if you were not puking on that boat, you were not alive. Made us boomer-babies seem like a bunch of pussies! The Regulus system actually saw some real, active deterrence patrols before this mighty nation of ours rolled into the Polaris program -- and life became so much easier for those involved in holding the razor to the Soviet and Chinese throats.

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

We had a FTB type aboard the WEBSTER who made a few Regulus patrols. We talked.

A mild sort of guy; not given to exaggeration -- not your typical sailor. Told me some tales of his times in bad North Atlantic weather on such a boat. Said if you were not puking on that boat, you were not alive. Made us boomer-babies seem like a bunch of pussies! The Regulus system actually saw some real, active deterrence patrols before this mighty nation of ours rolled into the Polaris program -- and life became so much easier for those involved in holding the razor to the Soviet and Chinese throats.

M

[Von Hilde]

I know an ETCS/SS ret. who was aboard the Tuny during the inital Reggie tests. He told me one in three launches went FUBAR. He also did say the duty during the tests was nice. They would go out behind San Clamente and anchor up in the lagoon at night and fish all night long. He said everybody had a pole aboard. The other fleet boat that was equipped with the Regulus I was the Barberro. The next generation were purpose built for the missile program, the Grayback and Growler and had the launchers and hanger forward as well as the Halibut, which was a little larger boat. They could facilitate the larger Regulus IIs They activly deployed as deterrants right up untill 1964. Never got to get close to any of them myself, but I have been on a Diesel electric in not so plesent weather off Puerto Rico in a Tropicle capacity. Everybody was sick and banged and bruised up.

[greenman407]

I would think that its no fun being rattled around inside a steel can and not being able to get off.