What are outter hulls made of?

[Deathblow]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, the pressure hull strength is what determines the maximum diving depth of a sub so its constructive of the highest yield steels like HY80 or HY100 or even HY130.

But what about the outter hull? Its equalized to the water pressures outside it right? In that case, is it just constructed of cheap stuff like low grade steel? What about aluminum? Isn't it cheaper and lighter than steel?

Anyone know?

[TLAM Strike]

It is also made of high quality steel since it needs to be able to take weapon hits... most of the time. Some boats have it made of fiberglass.

[Hellcat]

In addtion to being sturdy enough to handle weapon hits and not tear apart, it would also be required to handle hull stress due to excessive maneuvers. I'd be interested in what the distance is between the outer hull and the pressure hull, as this would greatly influance survivability.

[Kapitan]

seawolf SSN21 was made of HY130 steel outer hull inner hull is normal HY80 but it differs.

some submarines only have a single hull some like the dolfijn class have a tripple hull depens on whats avalible and what the desigers want.

normaly its HY80 but some do use HY130

[Deathblow]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Some boats have it made of fiberglass.

Fiberglass?......
Any SSN that use fiberglass?

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Deathblow

Fiberglass?......
Any SSN that use fiberglass?

I think on SSNs only the Bow is made of it because of the sonar dome. Some SS(K)s use Fiberglass, the Oberon had its sail made of it.

[Kapitan]

no it didnt have its sail made of fibre glass the sail of all oberons bar onyx was made of aluminium the top part of the hull where the flood holes are were made of fibre glass but the actual hull is made of HY80 steel.

i have an oberon less than 45 minuets from me

[Deathblow]

Anyone know what the cost of the hulls alone are?

I was wondering how feasble a non-steel hull would be for mining hunting. Non-magnetic, quiet, and stealthy would be the perfect anti-mine platform.

But I'm guessing that the material and hull shaping cost are the bulk of a submarines pricetag....

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

no it didnt have its sail made of fibre glass the sail of all oberons bar onyx was made of aluminium the top part of the hull where the flood holes are were made of fibre glass but the actual hull is made of HY80 steel.

i have an oberon less than 45 minuets from me

What was Onyx's Sail made of?

EDIT: After two mins of searching on Yahoo...

They were armed with six bow 21 inch torpedo tubes and two of the same size in the stern. In Ocelot, the stern tubes were plated over during a refit, so that a towed array sonar could be installed. This is one of several sonars carried, the most obvious being the one housed in the bow fairing. The large distinctive sail (fin) carries seven masts for communication, radar, and, of course the periscopes. A bridge/conning position is also situated there. For the first time in submarine construction, many of the casing panels were made in fiberglass laminate, to reduce the weight.

Originally Posted by Deathblow

I was wondering how feasble a non-steel hull would be for mining hunting. Non-magnetic, quiet, and stealthy would be the perfect anti-mine platform.

A submarine would be the worst platform for anti-mine activities because the entire hull is underwater unlike a conventional boat where very little of the boat may be in the water. You run the risk of snagging a mooring line and bringing the mine down on top of the sub.

[Etienne]

Originally Posted by Deathblow

Anyone know what the cost of the hulls alone are?

I was wondering how feasble a non-steel hull would be for mining hunting. Non-magnetic, quiet, and stealthy would be the perfect anti-mine platform.

But I'm guessing that the material and hull shaping cost are the bulk of a submarines pricetag....

Very. Frigging. Expensive.

Althougth the Alfa were rumored (Actually?) to be built out of Titanium.

Still Very. Frigging. Expensive.

[Torpedo Fodder]

Originally Posted by Etienne

Althougth the Alfa were rumored (Actually?) to be built out of Titanium.

Not just the Alfa, but also the Sierra class than the one-of-a-kind Mike and Papa classes. The Russians only gave up on titanium hulled subs because of the impracticality of mass-producing them.

[Deathblow]

I've read a rant about the alleged Russian titanium hulls. Apparrent some view the reports as inflated intelligence reports to scare congress into more naval funding......
http://www.strategypage.com/messageb...s/462-1409.asp
....an interesting read no matter how you view it.

did quick and dirty pricing from an old undergraduate materials engineering course I took. Aluminum alloys are about 7-15 times the cost of low grade steel. Titanium runs about 66-157 times the cost..... Guess steel and fiberglass are the only option for a long long time to come.

[Kapitan]

from my many visits to HMS ocelot and oberon class submarine the only thing that is fibre glass is the acctual free flood area on top of the main part of the hull.

HMS onyx sail was made of steel because she was used as a target submarine this is according to not only janes but also the birken head museam where HMS onyx currently is on display

alfa sierra mike papa are all made of titanium hulls, despite the some what great advantage that a titanium hull has for deep submergence and high survivability, the russians deemed it impractical because it was so hard to manafacture also it was expencive and couldnt be masse produced.

an alfa for its day cost about the same as a 688I does today not expencive but back in the 1970's it was VERY