HMAS Buccaneer - A submarine

[Old Wombat]

Working on the fun little pokey-up bits on top of the conning tower at the moment.

Once they're finished I may do a tiny bit more weathering & a satin coat, then she'll be done.

[Old Wombat]

Photo's later today (it being 0120hrs here).

[Wardukw]

Can't wait for these pics matey 😄 😀

[kerick]

Ditto!

[Old Wombat]

Well, this could be awkward; SmugMug is playing up!

I'll keep trying, though!

[Old Wombat]

Right, got that sorted!


SSBN-404 HMAS Buccaneer

In the late-1950's Australia, fed up with being treated as a useful place to test nuclear weapons without being "allowed" to join the club, denied the UK further use of its territory for testing of its nuclear warheads & the missiles that were to carry them. As the USA was explicitly against allowing any newcomers into the Nuclear Family & would offer no assistance, Australia took what information it had gleaned from its scientists, who had worked with the British & Americans on their tests, & developed their own power stations, enrichment plants, nuclear weapons & missiles. Initially somewhat inferior to those of their allies, by their third generation of weapons they had caught up in both yield & delivery performances.

Australia's first nuclear submarine, HMAS Woomera (possibly named as something of a snub to the British) was commissioned in 1964, & was armed with 8 Wiiny Dunha (Fire Stick) SLBMs & 6 torpedo tubes (4 forward, 2 aft). A further 3 of her class were built by 1970, alongside 6 diesel-electric hunter-killer submarines.

Australia was formally accepted as a nuclear power in 1973.

By 2020 the RAN were bringing their 4th Generation SSNs on line. This was the "modular*" Pirate-class**, designed to be fast & almost undetectable, & the first vessels to be powered by a magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system. The final submarine of the class was commissioned on the 11th of November, 2045.

The Pirate-class SSNs are divided into 3 sub-classes;

The largest number of vessels are of the Bushranger sub-class (HMAS's Bushranger, Highwayman, Outlaw, Brigand, Bandit, Blackleg, Hunter, Huntress, Stalker & Tracker), which are attack (hunter-killer) submarines, & carry a lot of VLS cells plus 8 torpedo tubes (6 forward, 2 aft). [Note: Brigand, Bandit & Blackleg could be considered a sub-sub-class, as they are fitted out for covert op's insertion, extraction, command & control.]

Then there are the Smuggler sub-class (HMAAV***'s Smuggler, Gunrunner, Bootlegger, Freebooter, Drummer, Merchanter, Trader & Courier) which have a large hump along the centre section of their spine used for carrying cargo, as they are submarine freighters designed to re-supply the other submarines & supply ground forces operating adjacent to heavily contested waters & where air superiority/supremacy has not been attained. They have a self-defence suite of two 8-cell VLS & 4 torpedo tubes (2 forward, 2 aft).

Finally, there are the Privateer sub-class of submarines (HMAS's Privateer, Buccaneer, Corsair, Seawolf & Marauder). The smallest of the three sub-classes of the the Pirate-class of submarines, they are the RAN's "deterrent" force of SSBNs, each carrying 16 Bullroarer nuclear armed missiles (similar in size & performance to the US Trident II) in a hump identical in profile to that of the Smuggler sub-class, two 8-cell VLS systems & four torpedo tubes (2 forward, 2 aft).

Here we have SSBN-404 HMAS Buccaneer, the second of the Privateer sub-class of the Pirate-class



























 





[*:  "Modular", in this instance, meaning that various modules could be dropped in during construction to become a permanent part of the vessel's structure, rather than be able to be swapped out once built.]
[**: Pirate was the prototype/test vessel of the class &, although commissioned, was never operational.]
[***: HMAAV = Her/His Majesty's Australian Auxilliary Vessel]


PS: I haven't taken any measurements, so I can't give you dimensions. I may try to figure some out at a later date.

[Old Wombat]

Pirate-class submarine TORPEDOES


The Pirate-class submarines use 3 primary torpedo types;

White Shark:
Weight: something over 2,000kg
Warhead: 350kg PBX (Polymer-Bonded eXplosive)
Diameter: 533mm (21in)
Length: 7.75m
Guidance: wire-guided, thermal-signature tracking, Advanced Passive/Active Acoustic
Propulsion:    gas-turbine pump-jet, solid-fuel rocket booster
Range: up to 75km at low speed (20-25kn)
Speed: up to 75kn on pump jet with the solid-fuel rocket booster providing a 25sec accelerating burst up to 200kn
Operating Depth: >1,000m

Tiger Shark:
Weight: approx. 1,800kg
Warhead: 300kg PBX (Polymer-Bonded eXplosive)
Diameter: 533mm (21in)
Length: 7m
Guidance: wire-guided, Advanced Passive/Active Sonar
Propulsion: high-frequency electric pump-jet
Range: up to 50km at low speed (15-20kn)
Speed: up to 80kn
Operating Depth: >1,000m

Bull Shark:
Weight: approx. 1,000kg
Warhead: 200kg PBX (Polymer-Bonded eXplosive)
Diameter: 320mm (12.5in)
Length: 4.85m
Guidance: Advanced Passive/Active Sonar
Propulsion: high-frequency electric pump-jet and solid-fuel rocket booster
Range: up to 25km
Speed: 50kn to 200kn
Operating Depth: >1,000m


The White Shark & Tiger Shark torpedoes are primarily "offensive" weapons, used when hunting enemy ships & submarines.

The Bull Shark torpedo is primarily a "defensive" weapon, used to kill attacking torpedoes, but can be used offensively to kill attacking enemy ships, should the submarine be detected.

[Note: All information is partially speculative as details of all systems are highly classified.]

[PR19_Kit]

FANTASTIC!

An absolute blinder of a model, and the backstory is wonderful, specially the naming of the sub-classes. Superb work Womby. 

[scooter]

Looks like something that could have been loaded to the gills* with genetically engineered superman in cryogenic sleep...and marooned in space, only to be found found by an unsuspecting starship.
 


*As built by the prop department at Desilu Studios

[NARSES2]

Come together really well mate   

[kerick]

Looks fantastic! I wish I had thought of this, especially that paint job. Don't be surprised if it appears on some other guys project! 

[Wardukw]

Love that camo Guy ...not surprised it's already wanted to be ..let's say "borrowed " 
Awesome build mate 👍 

[Steel Penguin]

great looking model and a good back story as well.      from here

[Vulcan7]

Genius idea, beautifully done             

[Old Wombat]

Thank you all very much, gentlemen!