WesWorld

I have difficulties with some of the data Spring**** produces>
1. In the case of gun protection, there is substantial difference in the weight of a full gunhouse, a partial shield around a heavy AA gun or the light shield on a 20mm AA mount. Since weights are critical in design, how do you compensate for these differences but at the same time demonstrate the true level of protection.
2. There is a difference in a mount vs. a turret. Mounts do not have barbettes or large amounts of below decks equipment, while a turret has a barbette and substantial below decks machinery. Once again there is no way to identify a mount vs. a turret.
3. Some of the weight distribution seems badly skewed. Many times the allocation for Fuel, Ammuntion & Stores seems way too low, and often the machinery is far higher than would seem correct in an actual design (Which also brings up the point that different countries had higher or lower efficiency machinery. There could be a significant difference in space/weight requirements for machinery just based on country of orign which once again would influence the overall design.
4. The arrangement of the main battery, location of equipment topside and size of the superstructure can have major impacts on the stability of the platform.
5. There isn't any way to indicate the main battery elevation. It would be nice to include an option that would calculate 'potential range' in a manner similiar to the 'weight of broadside". (Main battery guns with higher elevations may require more space/weight and would impact the overall design)
Spring***** is a useful tool. I am looking forward to the new version that looks like it will correct some of these issues.

Go to

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Lyonesse/software.htm

and download the 'Big Gun' software. It's DOS, but you can 'build' a naval gun and then save a file with the various range tables, penetration tables, etc.

I´m pretty sure he knows Big GUn... ;o)

He meant the influence elevation has on a ships design. The higher the max. elevation, the higher the gun house has to be, the more weight has to be used, the more influence it has on a designs stability etc...

yep. And I haven't heard from Ian in quite a while. let's just hope he hasn't had another computer meltdown....

That would be another setback to all us cyber ship builders!