A-Bomb power

[Arminius]

The Virginia class submarines being sold to the Australians have a top speed of about 40 knots and a life expectancy of 33 years. They never need to be refueled as they run on 95% pure U-235, the same stuff that destroyed much of Hiroshima. Real bomb grade actually has a peaceful use, carting 70 cruise missiles and torpedoes around. This would be much better than an e-boat, passing gas docks for a generation at planing speed! Sea Ray!

 

[bobeast]

Allow me to control my Sea Ray's cruise missiles with my iPhone, and I'm in!

 

[Sundancer]

Are there any Weaver Davits on the sub? That could be a deal breaker!! Well, that and finding dock space in the San Juan Islands!! I'm guessing I would NOT need shore power and could provide power to the rest of the dock!!

 

[Arminius]

French A-subs run on 40% and have to be refueled every 10 years. They converted some to high pollution diesel and sold them to the Aussies but Biden queered that deal with whispers of Warming and Wildfires. On refueling, French A-subs now have refueling hatches allowing the job to be done in 6 months or less. Their older boats had to be cut in half to be refueled and one they sold India is still at the gas dock after 3 years. Science was the god of the USSR prior to Chernobyl and the stupid commies built underwater rocket ships which were great until they failed and killed everyone.

 

[Arminius]

While uncertain as to Virginia class, I believe it and others are atomic-electric with electric motors turning the props like tugs and locomotives. These boats could pay for themselves if leased to bitcoin manufacturers while docked. The WSJ has an article today on how useful atomic power would be to the cybercurrency industry. And these subs are fueled for 33 years! Think of all the bitcoin they could crank out.

 

[Arminius]

The Soviets stole the A-bomb design from us. If Oppenheimer's lax security had not been bad enough, Groves and Ike published instructions. So Stalin built an exact duplicate with metricized components. I've always wondered why it also had a window in the side. Stalin must have feared his unreliable physicists had just filled a sphere with TNT and crudely labelled it "Danger! A-bomb". Maybe they did. Their rockets were built big enough.

 

[km1125]

Not to derail this thread, but just about a week ago I saw a movie called "Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power" It's really about the birth of NAVY nuclear power.

Pretty interesting story. Some of the reenactments were kind of hokey though. Supposedly all of the discussions and reenactments were confirmed by one of the people personally involved and some of those are interviewed throughout the "movie".

I saw it on Amazon Prime but I believe it is/was also shown on PBS stations.

 

[GypsmJim]

Is a submarine really a sport boat? If not, how did this thread end up here. Don't we have a forum for crap and other off-topic drivel?