[Viper37]

Rigging in, or Retracting the bow planes is done for a few reasons.

1. When Piloting. We don't need them, we have tugs along side, they move us around.

2. When over a certain speed. Over a certain amount of knots, they become ineffective and are no longer needed/useful. In fact, when going fast enough they will just make noise. They aren't for stability, that's what the trim tanks are for. You would have to be hauling some serious butt in a submarine to get it to even roll slightly at a 15deg turn.

3. Under Ice. Surfacing through the ice is dangerous. American Submarines will probably never again built with fairwater planes, and instead bow planes. This change was made between the 688 and 688I class submarines, where they moved the planes below the waterline like a real submarine.


Hope that helps.