ANSWERS: Submarine Questions of the Week for 7-5-2010

ANSWERS to QUESTIONs of the WEEK for 7-5-2010 (background)
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1) Identify the concept illustrated by the drawing [in July 5th post]: what was its abbreviated name?

ANS: Ushakov's Flying Submarine; LPL - [per History Channel (1 min 08 sec) YouTube]
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2) What was the approximate year of the concept and describe its weapons?

ANS: In 1934 the cadet OF VMIU im. Dzerzhinskiy Of b.P.Ushakov presented the schematic design of the flying submarine (LPL).... On 10 January, 1938, in 2- m the division Of nIVKa did take place the examination of sketches and basic tactical-technical elements LPL [per Gennadi Petrov]

ANS: (describe its weapons) Two 18- in torpedoes and two coaxial machine guns. [ibid]
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3) What country attempted to develope it and did it ever become viable for service?

ANS: Russia (the former Soviet Union) pursued the LPL concept until 1938, but the design never "got off the ground."[1]
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4) Two major obstacles needed to be overcome before a submersible aircraft like the one illustrated could become viable; what were they?

ANS: Weight was limiting for storage battery and underwater propulsion, but ordinary fuel required air and the snorkel limited maximum depth. [DARPA has identified the major challenges to its current flying-sub concept as (1) weight, (2) fluid flow regime, (3) structure, (4) lifting surface geometry, and (5) power and energy storage. Moreover (see note #1)

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5) {Answers still OPEN} DARPA's concept will be unmanned, like this, (a fact journalists omit); have the 2 major design obstacles (see question 4) been overcome?

ANS: Yes, for unmanned flying subs.

note #1 - For DARPA's requirements for a vehicle with an airborne tactical radius of 1,000 nautical miles, low-level flight radius of 100 nautical miles, and a submerged tactical radius of 12 nautical miles, however, the answer is still OPEN given the specification of hauling eight men and their equipment for a total cargo weight of 2,000 pounds [payload 500 - 1500 lbs].

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Something here seems very strange given the announced abandonment of the (photo at top) Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) under suspicious circumstances. The ASDS was to transport 2 Crew + up to 16 SEALs, depending on equipment.

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Submarines are always silent and strange.