Thread: Torpedos in Split - Any Interest?

Yes, photos of showing the development of them might be interesting.

Michael

i doubt you can ever separate the industrial design of a torpedo from it's only purpose.

While I would suggest that most people would prefer peace to war, I feel that there is room for the appreciation of the technology and design. I don't see it's any different to visiting an air show and enjoying the F111, super hornets, P51 Mustang, sabre jet, meteor etc. etc.

So many everyday (peacetime) inventions are born from necessity during war over the years. Please post more.

Cheers,

Simon

I have read a bit about various WW2 launched weapons on wikipedia..

It amazed me how much expensive technology is put inside them to make them complete their task... They are not just a dumb tube full of explosives, but the warhead is the dumbest part of them.. the rest of it can be quite complicated with gyroscopes and batteries and servo motors and proximity detectors...

Engineering is engineering, regardless of the end purpose. I am interested Bob.

I have read a story (fiction) about using torpedoes for drug smuggling. That is another use for them, LOL

Dean

A bit more about Giovanni Luppis here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Luppis

When I visited the museum I was fortunate to be accompanied to the torpedo exhibit by an enthusiastic young curator. ( She had to turn the lights on, their budget is limited ! ).


She explained that there was rivalry over custodianship of the torpedos between the Split museum and the Maritime Museum in Rijeka, Croatia, the later city being where the torpedoes were manufactured. I didn't find out why they were in Split but after viewing the Rijeka museum exhibition online, I am grateful they were.


I'm using Internet Explorer on a chintzy little laptop which for some reason prevents the insertion of photos.

Here's a start. The tail section is from 1868, the warhead, 1866. Whether a '66 propulsion unit exists, who knows?

In 1875 the idea of twin non coaxial propellers was tried and abandoned. The sectioned '87 torpedo reveals a three cylinder compressed air driven engine made predominantly from bronze. Later engines incorporated heaters to increase air pressure and to also produce steam.

Bob, any idea on the purpose of the device on the ground in front of the 66/68 torpedo? From the little I can make out, it looks as interesting as the torpedoes themselves...

Originally Posted by Jekyll and Hyde

Bob, any idea on the purpose of the device on the ground in front of the 66/68 torpedo? From the little I can make out, it looks as interesting as the torpedoes themselves...

J and H,

To the left is a slant twin cylinder engine. Here is some information from the Muzej Rijeka -

Slanted 2-Cylinder Engines

Important progress in the power and speed of the engine happened in 1909 when Whitehead's factory, instead of producing engines with cylinders vertical to the torpedo axis started producing a horizontal slightly slanted engine with two bigger cylinders with greater volume and power. The so-called slanted 2-cylinder engine got its final shape in the 1920s and kept it until the end of production in Rijeka, in 1960s.
Before the WWI a heater was added to the engine – it heated the compressed air, increasing its volume and it produced steam which also increased the volume of the air entering the cylinders and affected the speed and reach of the torpedo.

To the right is a radial triple cylinder engine like that installed in the sectioned torpedo. More from the Rijeka Museum -

Radial Power Engines

First engine Whitehead used for torpedo was a little steam engine with oscillating cylinders produced in his factory. But this engine could not achieve the desired speed. In 1870s he used Brotherhood’s 3-cylinder radial engine which he gradually improved. The factory later used 4-cylindre engine of the same type, but in the years before WWI they could not fulfil the demand for faster torpedoes with more explosive.

Bob.

That is fantastic! You definitely get photos of the most interesting things about!

Cheers, Ben.

Thanks for the great posts.
tinkera

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

....................

Here's a start. The tail section is from 1868, the warhead, 1866. Whether a '66 propulsion unit exists, who knows?

Had I looked closer at my photos I would have noticed that there is an 1866 propulsion unit in the collection. All but 2 of the torpedos have small date plaques affixed. Here's the '66. Not a lot of difference from the '68 version but it does show that the latter is missing a few parts.

1870, 1887, 1890, 1897 and 1898.

ps. I'm battling to upload a few more photos of the '98 and an undated model. Maybe later...

BT

Funny, a mate is currently doing work with torpedoes over in WA.