Shipbucket

Convair Submersible Nuclear Ramjet

Ok, this one is a bit of a weird one so you'll have to bear with me.

Information on this is fairly sparse, with most of what we know coming from two presentations devoted to design work for atomic powered aircraft being done for the US Navy in the early 1960s. The second report describes a pencil-shaped vehicle, approximately 24.7 feet in span and one hundred and forty feet in length. No real data on this second proposal (which is what I have drawn) exists, but it would likely be somewhat similar to the first proposal: while submerged, the vehicle would have most of its internal volume filled by seawater in massive ballast tanks. I While underwater or running on the surface, propulsion would come from using the nuclear reactor as a water ramjet at a low power setting, using the steam directed rearward as a waterjet. Submerged speed for the first proposal was estimated at a whopping 100 knots maximum. The later proposal was given a potential top speed of Mach 4 and carried at least 24 nuclear weapons in its payload bay.

The vehicle was designed to lurk for extended periods of time underwater, either cruising about or remaining still and silent. Because of the duration of missions, a crew of nine would be housed in a lead-lined compartment forward. If a mission launch command was received, the internal tanks would be pressurized and the water expelled through the nuclear reactor to create superheated steam that, if run at full power, would create enough thrust to launch the craft vertically out of the water like an SLBM. The engine would continue to function somewhat like a rocket motor as the vehicle climbed, pitched over, and accelerated to a sufficient speed that the reactor could transition from water to air as the reaction mass to power the ramjet. The vehicle would fly at high speed and low altitude over enemy territory, using terrain-following radar to stay below hostile radar. At the end of the mission, the crew would select an area of open water and throttle the ramjet down. As the craft slowed, it would enter a climb inducing an aerodynamic stall. As it stalled, airbrakes near the nose would extend to stabilize the vehicle as it fell tail-first towards the sea. The engine would transition back to rocket power for the "suicide burn", safely lowering the craft into the water. Once in the water, the internal tanks would again flood to submerge the vessel and increase the protection for the crew.


Not much information exists on this proposal, so I've had to assume that the Aerospace Projects Review drawings (based on the originals) are accurate and take some artistic liberties of my own.


Thanks!

_________________
Projects:
Panelbucket - Aircraft Avionics and Instrument Panels in 15px=1cm: http://shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=10389
Clyde's Eagles - Cessna Aircraft since 1945: http://shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 7&p=204669
Im Schatten des Adlers - An Alternate History Timeline: http://shipbucket.com/wiki/index.php/Ca ... des_Adlers

Wow. Um, maomatic's Atlantikbomber-Kreuzer is probably more realistic. But a concept doesn't have to be even remotely sane in order to make for a nice drawing.

Didn't they have amazing ideas for nuclear power in the 50's and 60's.

Nice work sprinklez, but if the tip were to generate supercavitation, the drag is significantly reduced and that concept would go fast. But there is one problem, THE FINS, in which tat hey have to pierce through the supercavity to make the submarine be able to steer, which unfortunately have to be wedge shaped or be eliminated altogether, but I am positive that thrust vectoring without fins could provide some steering, but it would be catastrophic, for me, so... (Notice that I am not a scientist or an engineer here.)
Yes, but that extends to even July 16, 1945 when the first nuclear bomb, which is named “The Gadget” exploded at the trinity test in New Mexico. (From Wikipedia)

_________________
R.I.P, Paranormal-Thingum’s profile pic maker used to make my profile pic...

Interesting. And well done.
That's not his personal design but actual never-were from Convair, so your remarks, the way they were expressed, no matter how insightful (or not) are irrelevant. Simply speaking: that is the way engineers from Convair designed it, and The_Sprinklez made a drawing based on what Convair engineers designed, even IF they were wrong by the standards of knowledge of the year 2020.
(and we happen to know when the first nuclear explosion took place)

Aight... I might restrict such commentary in here...

_________________
R.I.P, Paranormal-Thingum’s profile pic maker used to make my profile pic...