What was the reason for Typhoon's size?

The intensity of a tropical cyclone is classified by the maximum sustained wind 10-min mean according to World Meteorological Organization. The following table summarizes categories for tropical cyclones. Here Tropical Depression is a tropical cyclone weaker than a typhoon, and a tropical cyclone stronger than a typhoon, Japan Meteorological Agency classification has four levels previously fiveand international classification has three levels.

I recall reading an article in the Russian press years ago about the Typhoon subs being forced to transport civilian cargo like potatoes to sustain their operating costs. Any truth in that?:D I assume they were eventually laid up due to financial reasons.

From what I have read on Typhoon from Norman Polmar book on submarine and other

The key reasons are

1 ) Size of Missile ( a function of throw up weight ,maturity/size of electronics available then ,solid fuel technology , warhead weight/yeald , CEP )

2 ) Endurance ( she can if required stay down deep inside icy artic for 5 -6 months , which had effect on crew living requirenment like cabin for mos/allt crew, food supplies to last that period and extra comforts )

3 ) Greater Reserve byouncy , if I have read with 3 innerhulls completely flooded but still she can survive , ability to penetrate 3 m of ice requiring strengthening of sail and other areas of hull.

4 ) Redundancy needed for the above requirenment and the engineering solutions they could come up with in early 80’s

In English AND available online 😉

From what I have read on Typhoon from Norman Polmar book on submarine and other

The key reasons are

1 ) Size of Missile ( a function of throw up weight ,maturity/size of electronics available then ,solid fuel technology , warhead weight/yeald , CEP )

2 ) Endurance ( she can if required stay down deep inside icy artic for 5 -6 months , which had effect on crew living requirenment like cabin for mos/allt crew, food supplies to last that period and extra comforts )

3 ) Greater Reserve byouncy , if I have read with 3 innerhulls completely flooded but still she can survive , ability to penetrate 3 m of ice requiring strengthening of sail and other areas of hull.

4 ) Redundancy needed for the above requirenment and the engineering solutions they could come up with in early 80’s

It’s good for you as well as you get documented info from me and don’t have to study Russian.

Yes it is, and your second post was much more informative than the first. “Standard double-hull” doesn’t really explain anything. Your second post did.

Good for you.

If I spoke Russian I would. I don’t.

It’s good for you as well as you get documented info from me and don’t have to study Russian.

I don’t deal in speculations.

Good for you.

There are enough Russian books on subject nowadays. Read them.

If I spoke Russian I would. I don’t.

As to the missile:
http://makeyev.ru/roccomp/3rd/r39

So I was correct about the nose piece and it’s part in making the R-39 able to be launched from relatively deep water.

Why is it so massive? AFAIK it’s inferior to D-5 in both range and throw weight. :confused: Also, do you know the purpose of that flamming nose piece? The R-39 is very interesting to me as it seems quite unusual in configuration compared to other SLBMs.

Not sure about the range, commonly quoted figures might reflect Western estimates or be based on tests with large payloads. Note that the R-29RM is often credited with a similar maximum range, but the Sineva with only minor modifications was recently fired to 11500 km.

So that was the designer’s offical reason? “Big missiles”? Somehow I think there was more to it than that. (A lot more.) Anybody have any documented info rather than speculation?

This is an excerpt from CKB Rubin web-page:
http://www.ckb-rubin.ru/

Location of a large number of large-size missiles, limitations of the missile-carrier length and her draft specified by operating conditions resulted in the necessity of creation of a submarine of unusual design and with large reserve buoyancy. Such architecture allowed simultaneously reaching unique reliability, survivability, maneuverability and habitability characteristics.

I don’t deal in speculations. There are enough Russian books on subject nowadays. Read them.

As to the missile:
http://makeyev.ru/roccomp/3rd/r39

I don’t really buy the ice penetration thing, especially if you’re comparing it with British and American nuclear subs which can both do the same thing in a smaller hull.

And weren’t the Ohios and Vanguards both designed with a 6 month endurance as well? Or did they have to resupply earlier? The Ohio even has 4 more missiles and manages to stay smaller. Did the Russians just have better accommodation? That is often the reason claimed why Astutes are bigger than their replacements.

2. Huge missiles: infact, huge is really too small a word, the R-39 is *massive*. 50 percent heavier and around 20 percent larger in both diameter and length than even a Trident D5 which is not exactly petite by SLBM standards to begin with.

Why is it so massive? AFAIK it’s inferior to D-5 in both range and throw weight. :confused: Also, do you know the purpose of that flamming nose piece? The R-39 is very interesting to me as it seems quite unusual in configuration compared to other SLBMs.

They might not be an exhaustive explanation as to why the Typhoon is so big, but I think it is worthwhile to elaborate on two points which have already been mentioned.

1. Multi-hull construction: it is not entirely accurate to call the Typhoon double hull, since its outer casing encloses *several* pressure vessels. IIRC, two long ones flank the missile silos (which are OUTSIDE the pressure hull, AFAIK) with each containing one set of nuclear propulsion machinery aft, another below the sail houses the command centre and the torpedo room has its own in the bow. You might also consider the two escape chambers. In any case, as snake says there is certainly a lot of water in a dived Typhoon.

2. Huge missiles: infact, huge is really too small a word, the R-39 is *massive*. 50 percent heavier and around 20 percent larger in both diameter and length than even a Trident D5 which is not exactly petite by SLBM standards to begin with.

As to other seemingly logical reasons for its size (ice penetration, endurance) I can’t confirm or refute on a factual basis.

It has very much to do with the 20 very big missiles and the double hull standard. Pure and simple. Typhoons were nicknamed “water-ferrys” (vodovoz) for good reason.

So that was the designer’s offical reason? “Big missiles”? Somehow I think there was more to it than that. (A lot more.) Anybody have any documented info rather than speculation?

It has very much to do with the 20 very big missiles and the double hull standard. Pure and simple. Typhoons were nicknamed “water-ferrys” (vodovoz) for good reason.

AFAIK it has to do with crew endurance more than anything else. They have a swimming pool and sauna on those things if you can believe it. They were designed for patrols in wartime conditions of well over 120 days. They certainly had the space to carry more food and supplies than a comparable Delta/Vanguard/Ohio/L’Inflexible would.