[107786] in Cypherpunks
Re: [Fwd: C-Subs, a very scary thought]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Schear)
Sat Jan 23 20:27:47 1999
In-Reply-To: <v03130306b2cb43f4d909@[209.66.101.231]>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 09:11:55 -0800
To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
From: Steve Schear <schear@lvcm.com>
Cc: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Reply-To: Steve Schear <schear@lvcm.com>
>At 5:26 PM -0800 1/19/99, Steve Schear wrote:
>>>> ***********************************
>>>>
>>>> Russian submarine designers are building military submarines out of
>>>> concrete. They say the new designs will save money and solve several
>>>> problems with conventional steel-hulled subs.
>>
>>Concrete hulls are a well established technology. Their first mass use was
>>during WWII in Liberty ships.
>
>Much earlier, too. The "S.S. Palo Alto" is semi-permanently anchored at the
>end of a pier in Aptos, California. Known as "the cement ship," it was
>built for WW I, but completed in the early 20s, and then sold as an
>amusement park/gambling ship and anchored in its current location in the
>late 20s.
Interesting, perhaps I have a look next time I'm in the area.
>
>Incidentally, most such ships are filled with rebar and chicken wire, so I
>wouldn't give a steel penny for the supposed invisibility of such ships.
Yep, although non-metallic composites should easily be substituted.
>
>Not that steel vs. concrete has anything to do with showing up on sonar:
Perhaps they plan to include air bubbles to increase the sound absorbtive
properties, though voids are generally not a good thing in composites.
--Steve
