SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - [WIP](or at least being considered) proper torpedo models (help requested)

OK . . . starting to pull my hair out here. :doh:

I'm finding it horrifically difficult to hunt up images, drawings, etc., of the various torpedo types. And the little I have so far, well . . . --sighs--

1) The pistol design used on all the game torpedoes seems flawed. It appears the contact pistol should have four, not two, 'whiskers'. And that the magnetic pistol had no 'whiskers'.

This is excerpted from www.uboataces.com/weapon-torpedo (I've underlined the important bits):

"The device to detonate the warhead was the pistol. There were two types, magnetic and contact pistol. Most torpedoes had both types and the captain could select a combination of magnetic, contact or both, prior to launching the weapon.

The magnetic pistol was triggered by the ship’s magnetic field and was designed to explode underneath the hull. Such explosions could break a ship’s hull in two, sinking it with just one torpedo. However, magnetic pistols were prone to premature detonations, with many exploding as the torpedo approached the wake of the ship. There were several reasons for this. First, the earth’s magnetic field changes with different latitudes, which were not properly offset by the device. Second, torpedoes tend to approach the target from astern, where the differential speed was reduced. The magnetic pistol could not detect a gradual change in magnetic flux, and failed to detonate. Finally, poor design led to high vibrations within the torpedo itself, which ultimately caused the relay to fail. Until the problem was solved, the less effective contact pistol was used.

Contact pistols comprised of four whiskers mounted at the tip of the torpedo nose. They were designed to react to a glancing blow which detonated the warhead. Many problems were also encountered as it was discovered due to poor design, only a narrow impact angle of approximately 20 degrees was required to consistently trigger the pistol. There was also a safety device which armed the pistol only after a minimum run of 250 meters. For this, a small propeller was fitted to the nose of the torpedo. As it moved forward, rushing water would spin the propeller until it wound shut, arming the pistol."

This makes it a wee tad difficult to do. I don't see any possible way to interface selecting magnetic versus contact pistols with how that appears on the torpedo. It's either one or the other. At least I can redesign the current contact pistol appearance to show the proper four whiskers instead of the currently-displayed two.

2) The torpedo propellers seemed to have been generic, too. There weren't the same number of blades per prop, nor the same number of propellers, across the board as it currently is.

This is excerpted, as well, from www.uboataces.com/weapon-torpedo (again, I've underlined the important bits):

"There were two basic types of propulsion. The first was the alcohol powered G7a combustion steam engine which provided three preset speeds – 44 knots at 5,000m; 40 knots at 7,500m; 30 knots at 12,500m. However the maximum setting of 44 knots frequently overloaded the engine and this setting was banned until the problem was solved in the middle of the war. Alcohol fuel and compressed air powered the torpedo’s four-cylinder engine, which in turn spun two counter rotating hollow drive shafts, one inside of the other. The drive shafts turned two six bladed propellers, which spun in opposite directions so as not to create torque which would distort the torpedo’s course. Spent exhaust gases were expelled at the tail end of the torpedo. Although very reliable and possessing good range, the G7a left a visible trail of bubbles on its way to its target. This could warn targets of the impending attack and allow them time to evade. Because of this, it was used mainly for long-range or night attacks.

The second type is the battery powered G7e. Featuring two counter rotating two-bladed propellers, the large battery takes up over one third of the torpedo’s mass, or eight feet and weighs a discernible 711kg. The internal housing has a series of heating elements which were used to heat the battery to 86 degrees Fahrenheit prior to launching. A pre-heated battery will extend the torpedo range by up to 60 percent, or 30 knots at 5,000 meters. While not as long ranged as its steam powered counterpart, the battery powered G7e left no tell trail signs of bubbles, making it more suitable for daylight attacks."

So there's another change: The G7a-style should have two counter rotating, six-bladed propellers, while the G7e-style should have two counter rotating, two-bladed propellers.

3) The tail assembly wasn't the same; the G7a and G7e were different:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...opedo-E7-2.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...opedo-E7-1.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...topedo0203.jpg

If anyone wants to interject their zwei-pfennig worth, I'd appreciate it.