Brutus

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I have had a private message pointing out the similarities between Brutus 2050 and a project called Dreadnought 2050 undertaken by a military research company.

I wanted to share this with the rest of the forum as it demonstrates how two totally separate designers can think about the same idea and, in complete isolation come up with two designs that contain so many similar features and yet look radically different.

In Brief the Dreadnought project was a concept ship developed by a military think tank called Startpoint.

In 2015 the MOD tasked Startpoint with developing a new warship to carry the Royal Navy into the midcentury, apparently they employed some of the countries best and brightest engineers and designers to develop the idea.

Links to relevant websites are HERE HERE and HERE

A lot of the technology is shared by the two designs although there is some difference between the claimed capabilities,

Personally speaking I am feeling moderately proud that my solo voyage into the future has had such distinguished company however looking at the specs of Dreadnought 2050 power system I'm not so convinced that a workable fusion engine will be available by 2050.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Paul

It's also interesting that my first question regarding your craft for 2050, was about the Motive Power?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Captain

You are right as motive power and sustainability will always be the biggest question over any future warship, without a sustainable power source you just end up with a very heavy rowing boat.

As far as I know fusion power is still some way in the future but hydrogen fuel cells have been around for years, However producing the hydrogen on board is the 'big thing' to which my answer is ….the open ocean is a very dynamic environment and utilising this energy isn't as difficult as you might think.

Paul

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dear All

Thank you for your messages of support and kind words about the Brutus 2050 article, so far I have received 67 requests for download copies of the drawings which shows, if nothing else, an interest in the interactive element of this project and perhaps a step forward in the way that plans can be distributed.

It is of course anyone's guess as to how many, if any, Brutus copies will be built but I like to think that in some small way I have opened a few minds to the possibilities of designing and building models based upon future technologies.

Whilst talking about future technologies I am gratified but a little surprised that our resident experts in emerging technologies haven't questioned the basis or feasibility of the science raised in the article.

Thanks again to Captain Bob for his unwavering support.

Paul

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Paul,

Great article, and I think our resident experts don't actually buy and read the magazine, only pontificate at great length

Regards Ray

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

All the features on the projected warship Brutus are actual fact and not science fiction, as he says

The railgun exists, however work has slowed somewhat lately …although it does work, they are apparently experiencing severe wear on the barrel/launch rail and this is a BIG problem, but nothing a bit of hi-tec grease will not cure. The MOD are building something called Dragonfire, a 50Kw laser weapon, which should be demonstrated next year, and indeed the Americans have lesser power ones as trial fits on several ships at the moment.

The Russians have (supposedly) got V V high speed underwater weapons using the bubble thing, and there are several different sorts of electromagnetic and micro wave devices also in trail or in design. One from BAe looks a bit like a small flat radar array but produces microwaves to destroy things, likely close range.

Not up on the propulsion but who knows? fuel cells are currently being developed/have been developed, and just look at the advances in battery technology in recent years..driven, some say, by the need to power the new generations of mobile devices (boats, obviously). I would have thought that special sails on carbon fibre masts would be pretty invisible to radar??

I am not sure the navy will get all this cutting edge stuff, all we will get is what's cheap, and selected 10 years late….then delayed for `budgetary` reasons as per the Astute boats, over budget some say mostly because the MOD wanted the various build costs to fall within certain financial years.

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ray

It hadn't occurred to me that some forum members wouldn't read the magazine …..aren't some people strange.

Ashley

The biggest problem facing any navy in the future will be having the ability to generate sufficient electrical power to provide a sustainable supply to this new generation of weapons (let alone being able to move the ship itself).

You have come very close to part of my idea with your comment about sails………. but no masts!

Paul

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes there are several forms of sail with no masts. Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Its called a 'ParaKite' and it propels the ship whilst generating electrical power at the same time.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

That's a good one! I shall have to re-tweet that….oh no….Para- KITE. Yes. Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dear All

The Brutus 2050 article seems to have been well received, I have had 87 requests for the template PDF downloads, some emails asking for more details about motors / batteries.

A few emails commenting on the excitement that comes from futuristic designs and others liked the way that the article told a story around the central character of Bob Abell as opposed to the usual articles that are presented as a simple diary following a build, and one message relating to a particular countries advanced military research.

I am very pleased that Martyn's experiment into reader interactivity and double sheet plans has worked so well and created so much discussion.

Now its your turn to comment, did you enjoy reading the article or did you find it deadly dull, do you like future concepts or prefer historical articles.

Please give your honest comments.

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Paul,

I came late to the article having been away when it was published and found it very interesting and certainly a feasible look into the future with development of new weapon systems. Brutus is not pretty but maybe that is the way designs will go.

The problems with laser based weaponry can be summed up in one word – fog! They only work well in clear air. There is currently no substitute for hurling a chunk of metal at the target whether it relies on an explosive warhead or kinetic energy. I doubt if that will change anytime soon.

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Colin

Thank you for your comments.

You are absolutely correct that conventional lasers struggle in fog, heavy rain and snow due to the scattering effect however high intensity, ultra fast pulses are proving to be very effective.

Paul

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Hi Paul

Thought the article was extremely well written. Proof in the pudding will be if people can build the boat from the plans, forum thread and your article. I will let you know in a while. About to finish my Vivace.

I also think there is not enough in the model boating area about the future of ships. Both military and private. Things like hydrogen power has been around for a while in cars, but not very mainstream yet. Most are concentrated on hybrid or full electric. Putting it in a shop makes sense if you can build smaller scale desalination plants. There are articles around about power generation plants combining desalination, so maybe it will be in the future. Especially for nuclear powered vessels. Sail boat design has also shown some interesting sail development over the years too. With ridged sails etc.

Maybe some of this will filter down into the scale world too.

Keep pushing the boundaries

Andy

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

As a matter of interest, has anybody out there actually started the construction of Brutus 50?

If so, it would be interesting to see a few photos please

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I looked up the latest on laser weapons and you are right Paul, they have come on a lot. I see that the USS Ponce (what a name, worse than Boaty Mac!) is fitted with an operational system.

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Andy

I hope that readers will be inspired by these future designs and develop their own. personally I am looking forward to Ashleys building Skydiver.

Bob

Whilst it would be very gratifying to see other people build Brutus I would much rather this becomes a catalyst for other budding designers to put pen to paper and produce their own radical designs.

Colin

You would think that the Americans would do a little research when naming their ships, Ponce might be the man who invented Florida but to us the ship will always be a reason to chuckle.

Paul

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