[C-Wolf]

Right, wrong, or indifferent, an emergency blow shouldn't require having to run the HPACs to recharge the HP air system, unless the flasks were too low to begin with. . . And woe be unto the crew that goes around diving with minimum air for a single pull of the chicken switches anyway.

As coded into the game, it's unrealistic, but it is what it is. In a tactical environment, you're dead meat on the surface anyway. And a blow to abandon ship? In the cold waters of the North Atlantic, you'd choke to death as your nuts ricocheted off your uvula, and that's before your core temp pegged the popsicle indication. We carried (2) three-man life rafts. . . This was more to placate the wives and parents that little Johnnie would eventually be rescued. An implosion is far more humane - you're more likely to burst into flame before you ever get wet as the atmosphere in the compartment explosively compresses. --These are great scenarios to sow and let germinate in a new kid's head after their first dive. . .

Fairwater planes are of no use out of water unless the ballast tanks are filled with helium and the boat is flying. And stern planes are for leveling the boat in conjunction with the trim and drain system; they're used for depth-keeping in emergency situations (emergency deeps, etc.) Bow planes are preferable since being forward of the sail the boat "follows" and reacts to them faster at higher speeds - this is one reason the US has moved away from them (for SSNs.)

The Trident is a different animal in the way it behaves due to it's displacement/size, but they dive relatively fast once the plug is pulled, --for what they are, which can best be described as a big honkin, very quiet pig with the ability to conduct urban renewal on a massive scale. The SSGN re-purposing mod for the first four was one of the smartest ideas the Navy has come up with in recent memory, --especially since the boats have been maintained in such great condition over the years and have lots of life left.

I just downloaded the game today (and joined up here) and have to say it's the best subsim (AI-wise) since RSR. As a submarine sonarman for 21 years, I'm pretty critical of subsims too. As a CG artist these days, I like the graphics a lot!