TDW NewUIs - Why would you want to have independent engine control?

[ygirouard]

I'm using TDW's NewUI mod and patched most of the patches available in his generic patcher, except independent engine control. and was wondering what was the point of having that at all?

Can someone explain to me why you would want to have that and give some examples of when it would be useful? I know that in real life, they used to attach one of the diesel to an electric (using it as a generator) so that they could power one prop with diesel and the other with electric without spending too much fuel/battery and therefore extend their range. As far as I know though, you can't do that in SH5 can you?

[Sailor Steve]

If your rudder is damaged you can steer the boat with the engines. Turning radius is very poor, and you don't want to use it in combat unless you absolutely have to, but with the rudder gone you can't point the boat toward home...unless you have independent control of the engines.

[BigWalleye]

If your rudder is damaged you can steer the boat with the engines. Turning radius is very poor, and you don't want to use it in combat unless you absolutely have to, but with the rudder gone you can't point the boat toward home...unless you have independent control of the engines.

Steve, that is true in RL. You can steer the boat with differential throttle. If you run one shaft forward and the other in reverse, you can get a very tight turning circle. RL, the US skippers used this all the time for maneuvering in tight quarters.

But the TDW mod does not generate a turning moment when you run the shafts at different speeds, even if one is reversed. AFAIK (and TDW might have changed this since I last played SH5), his mod allows you to stop one shaft while running the other at, say, 50 rpm. This gives a speed lower than the minimum possible on two screws, and results in a lower noise signature for the boat. Posters have used this successfully to slip by a persistent escort.

[JU_88]

Yeah as above^, Ditto for aviation, pilots of multi engined aircraft employ that trick too - in situations where they lost their control surfaces during flight. And it has saved many lives for sure!

[ygirouard]

Steve, that is true in RL. You can steer the boat with differential throttle. If you run one shaft forward and the other in reverse, you can get a very tight turning circle. RL, the US skippers used this all the time for maneuvering in tight quarters.

But the TDW mod does not generate a turning moment when you run the shafts at different speeds, even if one is reversed. AFAIK (and TDW might have changed this since I last played SH5), his mod allows you to stop one shaft while running the other at, say, 50 rpm. This gives a speed lower than the minimum possible on two screws, and results in a lower noise signature for the boat. Posters have used this successfully to slip by a persistent escort.

Ah ! That makes more sense to use it then. It would have been nice if SH5 would allow it to turn your sub as well, but that would be just gravy on top.

Thanks for the answers guys!