The Ship Model Forum

MikeK wrote:One more question - is there a place online where original docking drawings or cutaways for Jack or Thresher can be obtained? I would love to have one in a resolution suitable for framing. My Father went to sea on both (he was never formally assigned to Thresher but went out on local ops when Jack was still on the ways at Portsmouth) and these boats are a big part of our family's story.

Tom Dougherty wrote:Since you did not sign in, I have no idea where to send the high resolution versions of these. USS Jack (working model) built by a SubCommittee member some 10 years ago. He used the actual prop blade photos from the Jack propellers, now in Portsmouth NH at the Albacore Museum. I have photos of those as well. Click photos for larger versions.

Vepr157 wrote:I always just assumed that shot was a model. I guess the waters in the Bahamas must be pretty clear.

How are you able to tell whether it's a seven or five bladed screw? Is there better quality footage out there that you've seen?

Jacob

Vepr157 wrote:

You've seen the real-life underwater fly-by's (filmed on a range in the Brahma's I think) of an early THRESHER class boat

Do you know if this footage is on the internet somewhere? I'd love to see it. Thresher had PUFFS on her aft planes until a few months before she sank. I don't know how large the fairings were, but they might be identifiable in the footage.

I have circumstantial evidence that Thresher had a five-bladed screw. It's been reported that Thresher reached 33 knots (same as the Skipjacks) on sea trials, which is not as crazy as it might sound. The wetted area was about the same as the Skipjacks due to the tiny sails of the later class and of course both classes had the same power. However the top speed the later boats in the class was around 28 knots with the seven-bladed skewback. The Skipjacks also had around a 28 knot top speed when fitted with the J-screws. So it seems pretty clear to me that Thresher had a five-bladed screw, at least on trials. I have also heard anecdotes of 637s doing speed trials with five-bladed screws fitted, but I'm skeptical.

If only we had drydock photos of Thresher. It seems that the number of drydock photos is proportional to the square of the number of years in service. I would also kill for a drydock photo of Barb with the 637-esque end-plates on her aft planes.

Jacob

You've seen the real-life underwater fly-by's (filmed on a range in the Brahma's I think) of an early THRESHER class boat

Tom Dougherty wrote:David,
Great to see you on this forum! A quick question on the Thresher. Years ago Jim Roushey built a Thresher for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In the accompanying article, he mentioned that Thresher never received the 7 blade J-prop, but sank with the 5 blade speed prop still on the sub in early 1963. Do you have any clarity on whether this is so or not?

Best regards,
Tom

I think the sail planes are the only thing in common between the 594 long and short hull sail structures. I've never seen a difference between them.