wrote:

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 23:47:16 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

wrote:

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 11:57:31 -0500, Andrew C. Toppan
wrote:

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 11:47:35 -0500, wrote:

Yup. And they are also slow and working against the clock

Slow is a relative thing; if one doesn't need to go far, speed is not
a problem. Time is not as much an issue as it once was; modern diesel
boats can stay under for quite a long time. This ain't WWII anymore.

Indeed. But once you go to battery you are working against a finite
limit. In WWII that limit may be been in the 24-36 hour range and by
'62 had progressed to the 96 hour range. I have no idea what it is
today. But that finite limit is still there.

For the AIP subs coming into service now, it's a looong time. See

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...propulsion.htm

OTOH, I don't know how noisy they might be.

And therein lay an interesting question. :-)

I have some suspicians, but don't have any insider info.

The unique source of the noise in an AIP boat would appear to be the need to
expel the exhaust byproducts underwater.

Guy