Shipbucket

This is a series of firsts for me, my first hydrofoil and my first FD-scale 3-view.
I stumbled across this in the National Archives this week and just had to draw this crazy project. I've made a stand alone thread as its not a ship, plane or vehicle but something fairly unique.



The P.200 was designed in 1957 to meet an Admiralty requirement.
The hull was a normal planing bow with a tunnel aft to carry a Pentane A/S homing torpedo. The hydrofoils and rudders were separated to allow the torpedo to be dropped. The craft was powered by a 1,200shp Napier Gazelle N.Ga.3 turboprop driving a four-bladed propeller. Two would be carried on the quarterdeck of a frigate.
Aft of the bow step was a dipping sonar, plans were drawn up to either have a normal dipping type, or a retractable strut-mounted sonar receiver to enable a towing speed of 30kts.
The displacement was 11,000lbs; length 30ft; beam 16ft; rising speed 20kts; maximum speed 70kts (calm) 60kts (rougher weather); range 50nm (25nm to target, 25nm back, 45nm possible if calm and radio contact maintained).

The engagement would be like this: frigate would acquire its target (5-10nm range in North Atlantic conditions, 25nm in shallow waters); P.200 deployed via davits while still underway (slow speed); the missile accelerates to top speed; then the missile slows or stops to deploy sonar to acquire target; homes onto target course; can slow/stop to deploy sonar again if required; terminal course and drops Pentane (or other homing torpedo) over target; cruise back to frigate 40-70kts and recovery. The whole sortie would take 20 minutes for target 5nm away or 50 minutes if 25nm away.

Ultimately it never went any further, model tests in rough conditions went poorly and although Saro had some ideas it was a new area to explore and the Admiralty wanted little or no cavitation over the foils at high speed which Saro could not guarantee could be achieved. Sonar operation from the P.200 was problematic but not impossible. Armstrong Whitworth and GEC were offering Project 525, an A/S missile similar to Malafron and Napier was offering Seagull, a slightly smaller design. At this time the Admiralty were already experimenting with the Fairey Ultralight, Westland had proposed their licence-built S.55 and Saunders-Roe's own P.531 (later the Westland Wasp) was about to become the Admiralty's favoured anti-submarine stand-off weapon.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Wow what an interesting and novel idea, thanks for sharing it with us

A very interesting project, unique in its concept, an interesting piece of technology.
Very well drawn James.

_________________
Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Crazy... I like it!

_________________

Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

Someting I did it know that existed. Very crazy idea indeed.

I wonder what the frigate carrying these would be like I suppose 2 to 4 of these 'missiles' per frigate. the leander, with these on board instead of the wasp would result in a vessel that would at the very least be interesting...... is there any data on that Hood?

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Another interesting drawing thrown up by diligent searching.

How often do we go online/library looking for one thing and come away with something completely different?

Great drawing and interesting background, well done Hood!!

Fascinating, even if rather eccentric. And great drawing!

Thanks for all the praise guys.

I've posted some of the photos from the brochure over at Secretprojects.
This includes the proposed carriage on board a frigate. Two just fit but the foils overhang the deck edge slightly.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/i ... n.html#new

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Looks like it might have been intended for the Rothesay class

_________________
“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

Worklist

Source Materiel is always welcome.