Shipbucket

Good enough for me! Updated.

"Final" is always such an aspirational notion and it's too damn cold in the midwest to go to work

I've made some tweaks, mostly revolving around the receiving elements of the SPG-59. I was never totally satisfied with the arrangements that forced me into. I've gone with four receiving elements instead, which allows simple transverse yardarms. I've gotten a little less paranoid about radiation dangers from SPG-59, and the top of the pilothouse is now better utilized for signal and lookout duties.

Other super minor tweaks involve the VHF and UHF comms, the AN/SMQ-6 weather satellite receivers (now P&S atop the UNREP kingposts), OE-82 aft (and atop the pilothouse), and likely some other minor stuff.

One major change I'm considering is a relocation of the helo pad and hangar, the former where the hangar now sits, and the latter to be underneath the huge HF discage antenna mast. This would perhaps improve the center of mass location (something I've tried to be careful about, as this is a nuclear boat). The aft Mk 10 rammer could be the usual length, not an extra-long version, and overall topweight should be reduced. On the other hand, it would reduce precious internal volume, and it requires drawing effort

(deprecated)

I'll just keep chatting with myself

(deprecated)

The big change, obviously, is more above-decks volume amidships. Because it's probably needed, and everything is volume-critical all the time. The guying of the HF megamast is improved. UNREP amidships is improved, and we've traded sort of one-off UHF weather satellite receivers for SSC-3 satcom antennas (underneath the midships radomes). I'm still showing UHF FLTSATCOM transceivers, even though these didn't enter service until the mid 1970s.

I keep fighting off the urge to transplant the upperworks onto an Alaska hull (probably with Oto 5"/54 on the beams and a Mk 26 fore and aft), but I'm afraid sometimes I feel this urge weakening.

As an aside, I think this is my favorite Shipbucket work of mine in my decade-plus of drawing. I wish SPG-59 wasn't such an operational tire fire!

All your works are always a delight to see, as it is reading all the research work you put behind them.

_________________
My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation

With each round of tinkering this looks better and better.

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

By looking on these drawings I learn something new. But heck I keep wonder how the center of balance was on this ships (of course the have heavy powerplant).... I get Japanese Pagoda feelings

Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. When I first started drawing in this style back in the late 2000s, I didn't find myself digging up 1960s IEEE antenna mast design manuals and the like, but I think the drawings are stronger for it.

And I let me tell myself that by making this actual research work with actual learning behind it, I can justify spending a few hours a week on it, forever

Well, SPG-59 is nice, or whatever. Even though I'm sure it would be an absolute madhouse in service.


full-size

But if it did make it into service, then C-band track-via-missile must have gone into USN service. After SPG-59 crapped the bed, you know what else is C-band TVM, and actually works? Patriot!

I'm almost certain that if Typhon had gone into fleet use, MPQ-53 (SPQ-53 ) would have followed.

These arrays are 1.5x by area, but MPQ-53 ought to scale quite nicely both in array dimension and in power. You could also run it all the time, in contrast to SPG-59! We keep a SPS-49 for excellent long-range search, but in operation this is much more like a Tico than a TyBeach. In other news, a rubber sonar window, Hawklink (but before SH-60 appears on the drawing ), and Tomahawk. Phalanx replaces the backup dish missile directors. I thought about the 8" MCLWG, but decided against it. It's my universe and you're all living in it!

Of course, we could more dramatically refigure the new superstructure, but at some point cutting metal is expensive, dramatic, and affects weight and balance. I decided to keep most of the top-hat.


full-size

Patriot

Looks like a capable upgrade.
Does your SPQ-53 have adequate fire-control channels to serve all five SAM launchers. I guess ditching the secondary FC radars makes sense though to save weight.

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