About SpringSharp
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SpringSharp allows you to design "what-if" and "never built" warships between 1850 and 1950 using little more than the specifications in books like Janes Fighting Ships, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships etc. It applies parametric formulas as used by professional Naval Architects (Mumford,  Parsons, Holtrop & Mennen etc) as well as empirical data based on research on ships (Liners & Warships) of the period to give a soundly grounded and scientific basis to your designs. SpringSharp produces a written report in far more detail than the above resources. These reports can be used on various internet based discussion groups.

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Sample Output File by Sven Fenske (reworked for Version 2.1) 
Bismarck, Deutschland Battleship laid down 1936
Displacement: 40,064 t light; 42,084 t standard; 46,674 t normal; 50,346 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
	820.21 ft / 792.49 ft x 118.11 ft x 30.51 ft (normal load)
	250.00 m / 241.55 m x 36.00 m  x 9.30 m
Armament:
      8 - 14.96" / 380 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1,763.70lbs / 800.00kg shells, 1934 Model
	  Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
	  on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
      12 - 5.91" / 150 mm guns (6x2 guns), 102.98lbs / 46.71kg shells, 1928 Model
	  Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
	  on side, evenly spread
      16 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns (8x2 guns), 35.32lbs / 16.02kg shells, 1933 Model
	  Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
	  on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      16 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (8x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1930 Model
	  Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
	  on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      16 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (10 mounts), 0.29lbs / 0.13kg shells, 1930 Model
	  Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
	  on side, evenly spread, 14 raised mounts
	Weight of broadside 15,940 lbs / 7,230 kg
	Shells per gun, main battery: 120
Armour:
   - Belts:		Width (max)	Length (avg)		Height (avg)
	Main:	12.6" / 320 mm	562.34 ft / 171.40 m	16.40 ft / 5.00 m
	Ends:	2.76" / 70 mm	229.33 ft / 69.90 m	9.51 ft / 2.90 m
	  0.82 ft / 0.25 m Unarmoured ends
	Upper:	5.71" / 145 mm	562.34 ft / 171.40 m	7.22 ft / 2.20 m
	  Main Belt covers 109 % of normal length
   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
		1.77" / 45 mm	562.34 ft / 171.40 m	30.05 ft / 9.16 m
   - Gun armour:	Face (max)	Other gunhouse (avg)	Barbette/hoist (max)
	Main:	14.2" / 360 mm	7.09" / 180 mm		13.4" / 340 mm
	2nd:	3.94" / 100 mm	1.30" / 33 mm		3.15" / 80 mm
	3rd:	0.79" / 20 mm	0.39" / 10 mm		0.79" / 20 mm
   - Armour deck: 5.02" / 128 mm, Conning tower: 13.78" / 350 mm
Machinery:
	Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
	Geared drive, 3 shafts, 137,994 shp / 102,944 Kw = 28.67 kts
	Range 8,525nm at 19.00 kts
	Bunker at max displacement = 8,261 tons
Complement:
	1,587 - 2,064
Cost:
	£18.680 million / $74.720 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
	Armament: 1,903 tons, 4.1 %
	Armour: 17,160 tons, 36.8 %
	   - Belts: 6,165 tons, 13.2 %
	   - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,108 tons, 2.4 %
	   - Armament: 3,305 tons, 7.1 %
	   - Armour Deck: 6,198 tons, 13.3 %
	   - Conning Tower: 385 tons, 0.8 %
	Machinery: 3,872 tons, 8.3 %
	Hull, fittings & equipment: 17,046 tons, 36.5 %
	Fuel, ammunition & stores: 6,610 tons, 14.2 %
	Miscellaneous weights: 83 tons, 0.2 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
	Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
	  79,862 lbs / 36,225 Kg = 47.7 x 15.0 " / 380 mm shells or 14.4 torpedoes
	Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.26
	Metacentric height 9.7 ft / 3.0 m
	Roll period: 15.9 seconds
	Steadiness	- As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
			- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.30
	Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.05
Hull form characteristics:
	Hull has a flush deck
	Block coefficient: 0.572
	Length to Beam Ratio: 6.71 : 1
	'Natural speed' for length: 28.15 kts
	Power going to wave formation at top speed: 50 %
	Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 47
	Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 32.00 degrees
	Stern overhang: 9.68 ft / 2.95 m
	Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
	   - Stem:		28.87 ft / 8.80 m
	   - Forecastle (16 %):	21.16 ft / 6.45 m
	   - Mid (50 %):		18.60 ft / 5.67 m
	   - Quarterdeck (13 %):	21.16 ft / 6.45 m
	   - Stern:		22.31 ft / 6.80 m
	   - Average freeboard:	20.82 ft / 6.35 m
	Ship tends to be wet forward
Ship space, strength and comments:
	Space	- Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 71.1 %
		- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 159.1 %
	Waterplane Area: 66,686 Square feet or 6,195 Square metres
	Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 116 %
	Structure weight / hull surface area: 196 lbs/sq ft or 959 Kg/sq metre
	Hull strength (Relative):
		- Cross-sectional: 0.99
		- Longitudinal: 1.07
		- Overall: 1.00
	Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
	Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent

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SpringSharp 3.0 Preview


Beta Screenshots

SpringSharp 3 is a major, major, major rewrite of Springsharp. Major structural changes, whilst invisible, have been made - 80% of the code has been changed or replaced. Even this underestimates the effort put into this update. Research and experimentation has taken up a lot of the time since the last release.

Given how long it has been since the last update and how much work has been done we thought it was necessary to release the first beta now and as widely as possible rather than use the closed beta testing of the last update.

If you trial this Beta - Please send me copies of ships that you have developed with it, especially real world ships. If you find problems or find bugs please bear in mind that this is a beta and an early beta. THERE WILL BE MANY BUGS WITH THIS PROGRAM. Please do not just criticise, send us your problems, comments and recommendations (and what you like about it) to rossgowan@optusnet.com.au.

Download SpringSharp 3.0 beta 2 and test ships
Download SpringSharp 3.0 beta 3 and beta 4 (Beta 4 requires Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.8.

SpringSharp 3.0 beta 3 and 4

Changes in this version include a far more modular structure - which has greatly shrunk the program. Most outstanding features are now enabled.

We have left the previous beta online because of the major structural and framework change. Please advise of any instabilities or problems with this initial release of this beta. Once these are found and resolved a stable version of beta 3 will be released (with a change log).

Change Log SpringSharp 3.0 beta 1 to SpringSharp 3.0 beta 2

New

  • Support for reading files from Dot decimal countries on Comma decimal computers and vice-versa. Note only works with Version 3 files saved after 3.0b1. People using 3.0b1 files who use Comma decimal format should change the first line of all their 3.0b1 files before loading them with 3.0b2 from
    SpringSharp Version 3.0
    to
    SpringSharp Version 3,0
  • Allows selection of different armour deck layout options instead of requiring entry of average armour thickness over all waterline area. These include allowing for different thicknesses (including no armour) over the forecastle and quarterdeck or protection for just the engines and/or magazines. Weight calculation responds to armour deck layout choices.
  • Weapon event handlers enabling the second bank of torpedoes (Mines and ASW weapons to follow.
  • Clickable text panels replaced by buttons. These buttons cover the unselected optional entry boxes for entering overall length instead of waterline length, Normal Displacement instead of Block coefficient shell weight in Kg instead of lbs. Clicking on the button selects the alternative and moves the button to cover the original selection. Text on the button shows the alternative's current value.
  • The button for switching between entering shell weight by Kg or lbs also allows for the shell weight to be locked so that the shell weight does not recalculate whenever a related input changes (eg Calibre length, date etc). It still does the integrity check in case the shell weight is far too light or heavy.
  • Allows entry of non-armour / non-structural void or bulge weight (included in misc weight). For example the weight of all the pipes inside the HMS Hood's bulge.
  • The hull depth (freeboard + draught) can be locked so that modifications that change the draught will also change the freeboard.
  • Allows entries for 2nd torpedo, mines and ASW weapons, weight calculations for the last two coming.
  • Allows entry for a 2nd Control Tower and adds its weight to the total CT weight.
  • Calculates different effects for small vs. large transom sterns.
  • Calculates different waterplane areas for small vs. large transom sterns.
  • Torpedo mount deck area or hull space based on location in drop down list. SpringStyle calculations replaced by actual size based on calibre and length.
  • Torpedo weights estimated from calibre, length and date.

Improved

  • No longer forgets the number of gun mounts in the second group when loading from data file
  • The effect of a transom stern has been temporarily fixed so that it increases fuel consumption below 20 knots and improves it above. It currently uses a fixed effect above 25 knots and below 15 knots with a linear transition between 15 and 25 knots. This will be replaced by the Holtrop-Mennan resistance model later.
  • Gun descriptions in reports are on whole identical to text in drop down selection boxes.
  • Changing the number of gun mounts now updates the layout description of Gun Group 2 if necessary.
  • Improved object orientation for the gun control. This has temporarily reduced the feedback through the status bar, which will return in 3.0b3.
  • The error in the shell weight where the weight in lbs was the same as in kg in 3.0b1 has been corrected.
  • The engine choice checkbox error and description error have both been fixed.
  • Waterplane area coefficient formulas improved so that they
    • Never exceed 1.00,
    • Never reach a turning point before the block coefficient is 0.30, and
    • A single screw hull has a waterplane area that is always less than or equal to a multi screw hull at the same block coefficient.
  • Bulkhead width formula improved by being based on Waterplane area coefficient improving belt weight calculations and allowing for forecastle and quarter deck armour deck weight calculations.
  • Bulge armour weight now calculated.
  • Stability calculation takes into account miscellaneous weight below the waterline (in vital space, voids and bulges.
  • Creates Armament title in report when there are no guns if there are torpedoes.
  • Corrected the weight of guns in the 5th battery borne by the hull to match the calculation for the other 4 batteries.
  • Weight distribution table adds up to Normal displacement and 100% again.

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SpringSharp Credits

Contributors and References

Programmers: James Ross-Gowan and Ian Ross-Gowan

Original Concept: SpringSharp is based on Rick Robinson's SpringStyle

Beta Testers and Contributors:Gavin Bishop (Red Admiral), Cliff James (Kaiser), Stephan Pissors (HoOmAn), Sven Fenske (SVe), Bernard Rohrer and others

References - A life's worth of interest and study of Naval technology and history including:

E.H.H. Archibald, The Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy 897-1984

J, Bastock, Australian Ships of War, Ships on the Australia Station

D.K. Brown, Before the Ironclad, Warrior to Dreadnought, Nelson to Vanguard and Rebuilding the Royal Navy

J. Campbell, Naval Weapons of World War II

V Cassells, The Capital Ships, The Destroyers

Conway's All the Worlds Warships 1860-1905, 1906-1921, 1922-1946, 1947-1995

Conway's History of the Ship - Various

T. Gibbons, The Encyclopaedia of Ships, The Complete Encyclopaedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers

R Gillet - various

D. Griffiths, Steam at Sea

J. Holtrop, An Approximate Power Prediction Method (with  G.G.J. Mennen), A Statistical Re-Analysis of Resistance and Propulsion data

Dr D.A Hudson, Resistance and Propulsion

Janes Fighting Ships - Various

A. Kludas, Great Passenger Ships of the World Volume 2 & 3

D. Lyon, The First Destroyers

R. Munro-Smith, Applied Naval Architecture

M.G. Parsons, Parametric Design

A. Preston - various

A. Raven, Dido Class Cruisers (with H.T Lenton), King George the Fifth Battleships

N. Rivett, The Naval Steam Reciprocating Engine

Warship - Various

R. Watton, Anatomny of the Ship, The Battleship Warspite.

M.J. Whitley - Battleships of World War Two

Website Credits:

Header Background - User:Krzysztof Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sea_morze_fale_waves_Baltic.jpg)

Icon Theme - Oxygen Project LGPL

Web Design & HTML - James Ross-Gowan

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Contact Us

Ian Ross-Gowan (IanRG) - Main Programmer - rossgowan@optusnet.com.au

James Ross-Gowan - Secondary Programmer, Web Design - rossgowanj@optusnet.com.au

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Contents
SpringSharp Introduction
Sample Output File
SpringSharp 3.0 Preview
Credits
Contact Us
Links

More...
Screenshots
Release History