Calling all Soviet Kirov-class (Орлан) Project 1144 & Slava-class (Атлант) Project 1164 fans

[carr]

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[Timmy C]

Possibly coldwater intakes/scoops for the nuclear reactor?

[Neptune]

They look an aweful lot (meaning pretty sure) like waterinlets for the reactors as mounted on the Typhoon class subs. Probably they just stole the design and used it for the Kirov. I doub they are there in reality as it's very unlikely that they'd mount such inlets on the bottom of the ship. In shallower ports they'd be sucking in a lot of mud (which is why cooling water inlets on other surface ships are mounted on the sides) and they'd get damaged first when you are running in shallow water with squat effects etc. Not really credible.

[carr]

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[Neptune]

I'll check, I doubt that the inlets are shaped like that all. On the subs they were used to put natural circulation at low speeds. I doubt they use such circulation on surface ships as they can use pumps to pump around the coolant. Normally an inlet is just a hole in the hull with a grating in front of it. I'll check my plans of Velikiy to see if there's anything on them.
Here is a picture of the Velikiy's helo deck, maybe useful in details for you. (in case you didn't see it yet. Not sure what that strange "pit" next to the VDS is, some people are sitting in it with their lifevests ready) THe marines were doing an exercise too.

[carr]

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[Sauragnmon]

Look at some of the other pieces of the hull... that's Velikiy in the pictures - Tomb Stone on top of the bridge (the array's folded down) but she's got other features that were Planned but never fitted - behold the forward Kinzhal launchers are fitted in the image, as is the Cross Swords radar up front. Curiously it also appears to show what look, to me, like a pair of Bass Tilt radars, outermost, beside the superstructure, just ahead of the boats and slightly above them. I'm left myself questioning the veracity of the image as well, Bob, albeit for different reasons.

[carr]

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[Sauragnmon]

It does indeed look like some form of scoop intake - the bilge keel very much looks like it's been given a deliberate slice to allow water flow over the intake. It makes sense it would be shallower than the Typhoon scoop so it doesn't suck up silt and grime.

As to the biased angle on the scoop, I think the reasoning lends itself to the thought it is given a topside bias as an intake so it's generally sucking water from higher up the hull than deeper towards the ground, so as to give it a cleaner flow in shallower water.

It also has a visual slope, a smooth angle, from the edge towards the bilge keel at the angle - you can see the way the light affects its way over the area. Also notice, in the forward section, it seems to have an angled bite as well, further down the hull from the outward angle on the aft lip of the intake.

I don't profess to be an expert, but that's just my interpretation based on the visuals presented, Bob.

[Neptune]

Might be right on that. Most ships have an upper and lower suction, shifting from one to the other depending on the waterdepth.
This might be indeed an inlet as the engines won't be too far away from this point either.

[Capit�o Norbert]

hey Bob Carr
where you find theses drawings of KIROv/
i am looking for these plans/
can tell me where i foundi it?
REGARDS
norberto

[Sean Hert]

It wasn't Kirov, but while browsing images at NARA last month, I did see some shots of intake scoops *similar* to the ones shown on the kit (WW2 USN Cruisers); they weren't quite as pronounced, but they did extend out from the bottom of the hull.

Just, you know, to muddy the water a bit.

[carr]

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[carr]

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[Timmy C]

Taking a look at the picture and plans shown (for the umpteenth time), if she did in fact have those scoops in the location given in the plans, they should be visible in the drydock photo. That we can't see any is pretty strong evidence against their presence.

[carr]

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[Timmy C]

A friend of mine's grandfather worked with Soviet/Russian nuclear subs - I've requested my friend to inquire to his grandfather to see if he might be able to shed any light. I won't expect much, however - even if he had something to do with the Kirovs, I doubt he'd be allowed to divulge anything, especially since he's still in Russia. Doubly so, because he's around Vladivostok, where I don't think many Kirovs hung around.

[Yannis Karystinos]

Frunze (Admiral Lazarev) is stationed at Vladivostok. I hope we get lucky.

[Timmy C]

Ah, bad news - he was working there only up till 40 years ago, so he did not encounter any of the Kirovs. He suspects they are turbulence-reducing or speed-enhancing devices, but I only showed him the plan that Bob drew red circles in, so it probably wasn't very clear to him regarding their shapes.

I'll see if he might know anyone who would know.

[Sean Hert]

Anyone got Steve Zaloga's ph#