What promises to be an important session and one which could well set a pattern for the future will be the joint meeting of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Southeast Section and The American Society of Naval Engineers, Charleston Section, scheduled for February 7 at the Sheraton-Fort Sumter Hotel in historic Charleston, S.C.
Two technical papers will be presented during the morning, with Frank De Grim, Jacksonville Shipyards, and chairman of the papers committee, acting as moderator. Paper No. 1, Submarine Pressure Hull Circularity, will be presented by John Brett Kruse, supervisory naval architect, SSBN & Hull Integrity Branch of Hull Sub-Division, Charleston Naval Shipyard. This paper investigates basic design structural considerations and methods of checking circularity; also procedures for maintaining circularity.
Paper No. 2, Economic Consideration of Controllable-Pitch Propeller with Diesel Main Propulsion, will be presented by D. E. Ridley, vice-president and O. H. Midttun, sales and application engineer, Bird-Johnson Co. Environmental influence, hull deterioration and certain other factors are considered, relating to an economic comparison between a controllable-pitch propeller and a fixed-pitch propeller driven by a diesel primemover.
The moderator for the afternoon session will be Capt. E. T. Westfall, USN, production officer, Charleston Naval Shipyard. Paper No. 3, Adhesive Attached Test Blanks for Installed Submarine Sea Valves, will be presented by H. H. Nathan, assistant chief design engineer, marine/mechanical, Charleston Naval Shipyard. After discussing the theory of adhesive joints, a typical full-scale joint will be pressurized for a demonstration. Information for the design of these joints and field problems encountered will be given.
At the conclusion of the technical presentations, members and guests of the two organizations will be taken by bus on a tour of the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Selected production shops and other work areas will be visited and, particularly, one of the drydocks in which a fleet ballistic missile submarine is being overhauled. The tour will be followed by a reception at the commissioned officers' mess.
At 7:30 p.m. there will be a banquet at the Sheraton-Fort Sumter for members and guests, including ladies, for whom an attractive program is planned during the day. The dinner speaker will be Capt. W. N. Nicholson, USN. Captain Nicholson is presently director of the deep submersible special project (DSSP) for the Navy. This project includes oceanographic research by the Navy with which Comdr. Scott Carpenter has been involved. Visual presentation of various naval undersea activities will be included.