Computer line drawings by Alexander van Maanen, 2011
Surface units carrying aircraft on board is something which is well known. Cruisers and battleships carried one of more aircraft on board and off course there were specialized ships namely the aircraft carriers. But also submarines carried sometimes a aircraft or even some on board. All ready in 1914 experimented the German navy with a plane on board of the U-12, followed by the British navy with the E-22. For instance in 1929 was the British submarine M-2 fitted out with a hangar on deck in which a plane could be stored. And what about the giant French submarine Surcouf, American trials with the S-1 in 1923 and Japan which experimented since the 1920’s with the Yokosuka 1.
When the Second World War was ended was the US navy not longer interested in building aircraft-carrying submarines classified as SSV. When it became possible to fit out submarines with a nuclear propulsion this opinion was (slightly) changed and when the Office of Naval Research asked Ed Heinemann to invent a aircraft which could be stored in the bow hangar of the USS Halibut (SSGN 587 of the Regulus-class) of 1960. The result was a turbo-jet aircraft Douglas model 640. This aircraft was to be catapulted while the submarine was at the surface. After returning form a flight it landed on sea and was taken on board with a crane and stored in the hangar. However the navy did nothing with the designs of Heinemann.
In the same period were also nuclear aircraft-carrying submarines designs. One of such designs was made by the Boeing Aircraft Company and became known as the AN-1 to be fitted out with so-called VTOL aircrafts. A Polaris missile submarine cost in 1958 around 100 million dollars to be build, the AN-1 around the 140-150 million. However the AN-1 was never realized due to several reasons for instance the US navy used all shipbuilding capacity for the common torpedo and missile submarines.
The design displacement of the AN-1 was 9,260 tons while surfaced and 14,700 tons submerged with as dimensions 498’6”x 44’3” x 23’7”. The 1S5W nuclear reactor and two turbines supplied 15,000 hp allowing a submerged speed of 16 knots. The armament was to consist of 6-53,3cm torpedo tubes (4 bow and 2 stern) and she was to carry 8 planes with her. The crew was to number 163 men.
