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SWATH aircraft carriers -- the lack there off.



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count_to_10
PostPosted: Apr 11, 2012 - 03:08 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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I'm thinking this is actually the place to ask this question on this forum. I reciently came across the "Small-waterplane-area twin hull" concept ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWATH ), which, in addition to providing broad deck space and good high sea state stability, could probably have a very small wake (for those wake homing torpedoes). Given that the technology dates back to 1938, and no country has produced a SWATH aircraft carrier, I'm wondering what the fatal flaw is.
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PostPosted: Apr 11, 2012 - 07:19 PM Reply with quote Back to top
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count_to_10 wrote:
I'm thinking this is actually the place to ask this question on this forum. I reciently came across the "Small-waterplane-area twin hull" concept ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWATH ), which, in addition to providing broad deck space and good high sea state stability, could probably have a very small wake (for those wake homing torpedoes). Given that the technology dates back to 1938, and no country has produced a SWATH aircraft carrier, I'm wondering what the fatal flaw is.


I'm no 'Naval Guy" but I'll give my thoughts on the SWATH's fatal flaws as relating to a carrier hull.

1 - Space for 3 MILLION gallons of jet fuel
2 - Space for Neuclear propulsion
3 - Hangar/maintenance space
4 - Enough space for a 'city' housing and supporting between 4 and 6 THOUSAND people
5 - Logistical storage for the above to sustain "extended operations without replenishment"

Just to name a few?

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PostPosted: Apr 11, 2012 - 11:13 PM Reply with quote Back to top
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All of those can be addressed in the design of the carrier.

A bigger issue with swath design is that you have to keep it in the same footprint as the current carriers or you cannot fit it in the Panama locks.

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count_to_10
PostPosted: Apr 11, 2012 - 11:22 PM Reply with quote Back to top
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SpudmanWP wrote:
All of those can be addressed in the design of the carrier.

A bigger issue with swath design is that you have to keep it in the same footprint as the current carriers or you cannot fit it in the Panama locks.

Which is mostly an issue for the US, and not an issue at all if we are talking about smaller carriers to start with.
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PostPosted: Apr 11, 2012 - 11:41 PM Reply with quote Back to top
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I do not think anyone (for now) can afford, in either cost or risk, to develop any other design besides the tried and true standard hull.

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PostPosted: Apr 12, 2012 - 05:05 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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SpudmanWP wrote:
All of those can be addressed in the design of the carrier.

A bigger issue with swath design is that you have to keep it in the same footprint as the current carriers or you cannot fit it in the Panama locks.


Current carriers can't fit anyways.

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SpudmanWP
PostPosted: Apr 12, 2012 - 05:21 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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IIRC they will fit the new locks.

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1st503rdsgt
PostPosted: Apr 12, 2012 - 07:27 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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Looks like you're right. Does that does not change the fact that fitting through Panama has been irrelevant to the design of carriers for quite some time. In any case, there are other reasons why SWATH has been disregarded.

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PostPosted: Apr 12, 2012 - 08:13 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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PostPosted: Apr 13, 2012 - 12:13 AM Reply with quote Back to top
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I suppose I can see that.
Mostly I was thinking in terms of wake-following torpedoes, as it stands to reason that a SWATH craft would have a smaller wake than a comparable mono-hull craft.

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