New SSN (09X?) thread

[mack8]

My favored notion is that this is indeed 09VA, and the short interim between the two launches im February and now indicates the February boat remains a one off, whereas this and the new Bohai boat are the finalised design (for now). The reasons for the short interval could be manifold and remain inscrutable to outside observers.

From my understanding of discussions here apparently 095 was delayed, do we know what was the original planned timescale for 095 to appear, and reasons for delay? Perhaps this is why 095 and 095A (if that's what 09X is) appeared almost simultaneously?

 

[Tomboy]

My gut feeling is that it's most likely just a scaffolding structure that makes the sail appear larger than it actually is, when fitting out work on the sail is underway. The sail didn't look as large earlier.

View attachment 177520

However, I don't see the merit of disguising the sail shape, given how the public will eventually see the sail once the submarine is out at sea anyway.

If you compare it to the original picture, the sail does in fact appear to be somewhat thinner than the new picture, this presumably is the sail w/o scaffolding.

Also if you were to look at this new picture, the sail does appear to have some kind of tarp over it as the texture and color of it doesn't seem to match the rest of the submarine.

 

[banjex]

You mean somewhat similar to Russian one-off 885 and mass production 885M, only in much faster succession?

I believe that was different because the original 885 was laid down as the USSR was collapsing. This delayed the program so much that the original sub was outdated by the time they were able to resume the project.

 

[Totoro]

Yeah, i too believe there was some sort of tarp put over the scaffolding, making everything appear bulkier. Measuring ratios of same lengths on two images, the earlier image (with scaffolding visible) shows the sail being some 10 percent of the overall length from visible tip of sub to end of tails, while the later image (with possible tarp over the scaffolding) shows little over 13% for sail's length, compared to the same length. Height to length ratio of both seem similar, 45 vs 44 percent, indicating scafolding on top of the sail as well. Which, frankly, was already hinted in the initial image too. Bottom line - it's no sailless sub. However, compared to 093A, the sail is much smaller. And even compared to US Viriginia class, it appears something like 30% less tall, while being as long.

 

[Maikeru]

Zooming in on the latest image, it does seem to be a tarp:

 

[Rachmaninov]

Someone from PLAN monitoring this thread is giggling right now.

 

[Confusionism]

The width of the sail has indeed changed.
It must have been covered with a tarp.