Posted by Roy Mengot on June 11, 2000 at 14:58:50:
In Reply to: Re: One more question Roy posted by Pete on June 05, 2000 at 13:06:35:
: I know this isn't terribly Titanic-specific, but when SS United States was launched, she was only 70% done, and that is from what I hear more than other liners. And she was built in a drydock from keel up, not launched traditionally. In a traditional launch, it is necessary to keep the ship as light as possible.
Not as light as possible, but structurally sound and balanced. The weight of the ship produces friction and inertia that has to be overcome to get it down the weighs. Less is better. The internal machinery can be added later and serves to lower the center of gravety. Lower is better. With a large ship, care has to be taken that the ship is balanced enough to where you avoid the problem an Italian firm had; the ship was launched and promtly rolled over. Not a good thing.
The structural hull will be assembled in the slip to take advantage of the cranes for hoisting all the material in place as well as the hydraulic riveters. Fewer and larger cranes are needed at the fitting out key to install the machinery.