Goodrich have delivered the first composite sail cusp to Newport News Shipbuilding as part of its manufacturing contract for the next eight Virginia Class nuclear attack submarines.
Referred to as Block III, fabrication of all eight sail cusps will be at the Goodrich Engineered Polymer Products (EPP) facility in Florida.
The sail cusp is a single-piece composite fairing attached to the hull and lower leading edge of the submarine sail (the vertical fin on top of the hull). The complex double curvature shape of this lightweight structure allows for smooth laminar flow of water over its surface, thereby improving hydrodynamic performance of the submarine.
The Virginia Class submarine is the U.S. Navy’s latest nuclear fast-attack submarine class. It was designed from the keel up for the full range of mission requirements in the post-Cold War era, including anti-submarine and surface ship warfare; delivering spec ops, strike intelligence as well as surveillance and reconnaissance.
[rssless][raw][connections id=’113′][/raw][/rssless]