Type 32 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

[Repulse]

It was designed for helicopters and UAVs.

Which helicopter? A Wildcat is too large for the dimensions of the structure in the concept.

Lynx at the time, so Wildcat

[Poiuytrewq]

Lynx at the time, so Wildcat

Nope, It won’t fit in the structure with the dimensions in the concept.

A Wildcat needs at least a 4m clearance so the rotor head is clear but even this would not be considered suitable for maintenance clearances. The containers aft of the telescopic hanger are 2.6m high. The hanger door would therefore need to be at least 1.5 containers high to allow a Wildcat to fit. It’s pretty clear that isn’t possible.

Best leave it there and move on.

[Repulse]

Lynx at the time, so Wildcat

Nope, It won’t fit in the structure with the dimensions in the concept.

A Wildcat needs at least a 4m clearance so the rotor head is clear but even this would not be considered suitable for maintenance clearances. The containers aft of the telescopic hanger are 2.6m high. The hanger door would therefore need to be at least 1.5 containers high to allow a Wildcat to fit. It’s pretty clear that isn’t possible.

Best leave it there and move on.

The original design clearly stated that the hangar would support a Lynx. If you are saying that the Wildcat needs more space, I’m not aware so happy to concede on that point.

[RichardIC]

BMT have already developed a design, the Venator 90… let’s call it a sloop-of-war…

It’s not a design. It’s some (very old) marketing material.BMT referred to it as a “reconfigurable minor warship”.

[Tempest414]

The Venator 90 is a good looking concept but BMT have moved on to the Venari 85 concept which I would like to see a 100 meter version of with a full hangar

[Ron5]

A second batch of modified T31s is the most cost effective Frigate option which is why this remains the most likely outcome IMO.

There are future costs that would put your "cost effective" in doubt. If the UK design teams are not kept busy they won't be there when you want to design the T83.

See Astutes for how expensive that gets.

[Ron5]

And there's the not insignificant problem of making the Type 31 meet the Type 32 requirements. That might cause such a design change it wouldn't be much different from designing a brand new warship.

[Poiuytrewq]

There are future costs that would put your "cost effective" in doubt. If the UK design teams are not kept busy they won't be there when you want to design the T83.

See Astutes for how expensive that gets.

Fair point but if the Frigate plan had of stayed at thirteen T26’s the ultimate outcome for the design teams would have remained the same or worse than the current T31/T32 direction of travel.

[Caribbean]

The containers aft of the telescopic hanger are 2.6m high. The hanger door would therefore need to be at least 1.5 containers high to allow a Wildcat to fit. It’s pretty clear that isn’t possible.

That structure isn't the hangar itself - IIRC from the original descriptions, that was a structure to which a telescopic hangar could be attached if wanted. Otherwise the area could just be used as a flight deck. I suspect that one of the reasons the "design" never got anywhere was because the clearances weren't really there. Stretch it to 105m and I think it might be a reasonable concept, though it would overlap with what a lot of people have been proposing for a River Batch 3

[Poiuytrewq]

[suspect that one of the reasons the "design" never got anywhere was because the clearances weren't really there. Stretch it to 105m and I think it might be a reasonable concept…

I agree. I looked at it in detail a few years ago and found all kinds of things that were suboptimal.

The main issue was that it was just too small.

[jonas]

How are they going to create a "competition" to build them?

Mind you the "competition" for the T31's was a complete farce.

Personally I favor the idea of Bae designing the T32's and Babcock's doing the build. A little bit like CVF. So maybe a separate design "competition" and then the build "competition".

I would still prefer BMT to have a crack at the T32 design. I was not impressed overall by BAE,s T31 effort, and no doubt the would be prone to gold plating it.

May I point out that you have the authors of the remarks you replied to, ass about face.