Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

If I was chief engineer of a design agency to design a new type of Battleship, and you guys were my employees on the drafting boards and computers, I would file for bankruptcy.

START WITH THE HULL.

Bulbous Bow?

Clipper Bow?

Square Transom?

Round Transom?

Triple hulled like the Iowa Class?

Triple keels like the Iowa Class?

Breadth (Panama Canal Skinny or Ronald Reagan wide?)

Length?

Type of material for hull plating? (FORGET ARMOR. That is always designed as an add-on).

Transversly framed?

Longetudinly framed?

Propulsion (Nuclear? Babcock and Wilcox boilers? Steam Turbines? Gas Turbines? Standard Propellers? High Slew Propellers? Ducted Propellers? Water Jets?)

Stability (Bilge Keels or Fin Stabilizers?).

Hydrofoils? (very doubtful for that size of ship)

Manueverability? (Rudders only? Engine reversals? Auxiliary Propulsion Units like the Inboard-Outboards on the Perry Class Frigates? Bow mounted cross propeller like on the Tarawa Class?)

After you get the hull designed for acceptance by the Navy (and me), then we can figure out what kinds of weapons and electronics MAY be available by launching date but keep in mind we may have to install present day technologies. So we have to design to take either/or.

Then we can draw Revision B of the hull structural plans to accept the thing-a-mah-bobs and start concentrating on crew accomodations, stowages, sanitary facilities, galleys, classrooms, photo labs, Combat Engagement Centers, repair shops, CBR sealant and CBR procedures, etc. etc.

Forgive me. Just got back from the Dentist and had to take my frustrations out on somebody.