SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG Forum
General Boards => Museum Submarine Discussion => Topic started by: Ctwilley on September 29, 2008, 09:22:11 PM
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Does anyone have a copy of blueprints for Mk. 18 torpedoes. I need all of the dimensions. I have a technology school lined up that's willing to build replica sheet metal torpedoes for class practice...and they'll be free and weigh less than 500 lbs.
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I might have something...let me look
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Correy, found nothing in any of my books right away...I did find this:
http://hnsa.org/doc/torpedomk18/index.htm (http://hnsa.org/doc/torpedomk18/index.htm)
I didn't look all the way through it...but thought it might be a good starting point. I think page 2 (Figure 1-1: Assembly) might be what you are looking for.
Mark A.
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Mark,
This helps and is actually a book I'm going to copy. If anyone else has anything, by all means send it to me. I need as much information as I can get. Also, any infor on previous and subsequent torpedoes would be appreciated as well. I'd like to make several different versions to display the subtle outer differences of each. These would be excellent teaching aids for any other museums out there needing or wanting more torpedoes to fill out their boat.
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Goog luck! I am not sure anyone outside of Hollyweird has attempted to build mock torpedoes! I think that with base closures and such, we might see more fish become available to us subs that should have them, instead of rusting away slowly in some park...
PF
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My reasoning is that instead of putting an original outside to rust and corrode, we could put replicas out to take the weather beating. This would free up any torpedoes outside of the museums and allow them to be placed inside the boats for display. Also, it allows for a cutaway to be built without destroying an original torpedo. If these can be produced efficiently and cost effectively, one could conceivably stock a torpedo room to full capacity for little cost and a LOT less weight. I've also been working on "torpedo caps" that consist of just the last 4 feet of the torpedo. These would allow the torpedo tubes to look "loaded", again without having to procure 10 torpedoes.
One last benefit is the educational side. I would like to be able to use one of the replica torpedoes to perform loading demonstrations for the public and school kids. This would enable them to actually see what went into loading a torpedo without actually having to move around a 3000 lb beast.
My goal is to keep each one under 100 lbs. This eliminates part of the possibility of being crushed by one if something goes wrong.
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My thoughts, too. Keep them as light as possible, so that if there is a handling mishap, the damage is a lot less severe to persons and property.
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I mean, come on. How many times do you get to see a torpedo crew load a tube in front of your eyes? :D
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Actually, having done this evolution, it is not that difficult (when the afterbody is properly aligned with the midbody!!!) even when the fish weighs about 2,000 lb (minus explosives, etc)... they move rather nicely and the sub builders built in lots of safety features to keep the fish on the trays!
Paul
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Hmmm. This may be food for thought.
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The biggest thing behind loading weapons is make sure that the whole tube has been cleaned and that the PMCS has been done on the roller both on the loading skid and in the tube. The length of the weapon is 20' long with a 21" diameter, HOWEVER the forward tubes are 21' long and 21.125 inches in diameter (on a 688) so there is very little room for error when loading these weapons at all. As Elmer Fudd once said "be vewy vewy careful"
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I fully plan on PMCSing everything very carefully and thoroughly before we do ANYTHING. The last thing I want to do is either get a fish stuck half way or get anyone hurt. I've got the block and tackle's needed (with enough of a rating that we could almost completely pick up two torpedoes at once) and am working on refabing the pusher bar. This is another reason why I want to use a replica. I can fabricate it with a little more clearance to add some fudge factor. Since we won't be firing it, we don't have to worry about such a tight fit.
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Correy,
When you get to PMCS'ing your tubes go to the fleet manual and print parts of the torpedo tubes section out, it will save you a LOT of time and head aches when it comes to loading your weapons (and yes the Balao tubes are 21.125" in diameter also) because it tells you everything that you need to do to being able to tube load them from inspecting them and verifying that they are a minimum of 21.06" in diameter (and 21.00" in diameter with the impulse air flasks charged) to how to adjust your rollers (4) and how to set them up for different weapons because there aparently is just a little .02" diameter differences in the weapons and that does make a difference in tube loading them. Good luck on the load out
Darrin
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Yup! What he said!
Our Mk. 18 tail was about 0.02 in. out of alignment and it showed! :uglystupid2:
Clean is the word of the day... and read the instruction manual!
PF :idiot2:
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Paul,
IF I remember correctly the rear alignment lug could be adjusted on the weapons and that could be adjusted, by the depot level but I don't think that COD will be shooting it anytime soon so you could get away with the minor adjustment yourself or one of your dedicated vol's (especially if he is a TM)
One more thing to consider when you pmcs your tube(s) it does not tell you to clean the upper alignment guide and knowing the tubes haven't been loaded for many many moons now it would be a good idea to clean it and put a very LIGHT coat of grease in it before you load your weapon of choice and IF you were really bored and wanted to make sure that that rail isn't damaged at all or too corroded you can make a mock up guide and lay on your back on the rolling tray if you have one and go from the breech door to the muzzle door making sure that it goes through without any problems and if you do find a problem with it then a quick job with a fine teeth file will take care of the problem.....
Then make sure that you have someone who knows how to roll the stop bolt while you are in the tube (and after it has been greased) and roll the stop bolt to the load position and then to the lock position and then the fire position, IF possible do that two or three times if you are going to completly tube load the weapon that way you know that there is NO way for this thing to come out unless there is someone there who knows exactly what they are doing. And the preservative that is recommended for the tubes is HEAVY mineral oil and not grease, however with time the heavy mineral oil will thicken and turn a green color (we have that in tube #2 and I have been wondering what kind of grease was used to preserve it and the book shows using mineral oil instead of grease, I should have read that chapter a while ago)
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Thanks!
Will take that into consideration.
PF
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I am under the impression that the 18 was built in the 14 body and so should be the same as the 14, I am sure Paul will correct me if I am wrong.
Also the MK27 we restored is gutted (no motor, batteries, etc ) and it still weighs a couple of hundred pounds but is very easy to handle except we don't have the rollars for the 27 and it doesn't work on the other rollars so I am going to have to make new rollars.
Tom
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I am not a torpedo expert by any means... I know which end goes into the tube first! :uglystupid2:
I stored a Mark 44 in my basement for a number of years before we obtained a fantastic storage facility, that is about the limit of my "expertise" -- but the Mark 18 supposedly uses the same handling gear as other standard fish. The Mark 27 was not ejected by compressed air, like its big brothers. The air bubbles would deafen the sound seeker. Instead it was designed to swim out of the tube under its own power. But to do so water had to be able to flow around the fish and if it were 21 inches, like the tube, that water would not be able to flow around the fish to allow it to move forward... so the Mark 27 is 19 inches in diameter, that two inches is all that was needed. They is why it also has a single propeller... it moved so slowly that torque on the body was not an issue. But the Mk. 27 has to be centered in the tube and the skegs (rails) along the body do this. My guess is that these rails have to hit the rollers... if they don't you have friction.
Paul
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Correy,
We are going to have a good discussion in my office tomorrow.
Rick