A change of pace: back to the Blue and Red books

I am interested in going back through the Blue and Red books (dating from the early 1970's), now that I have increased skill at using Springsharp. The Blue and Red books may someday be published, probably through Cafe Press.

The first design that I tried was the 38-knot light battlecruiser on the first page of the Red Book. The specifications leave a great deal to the imagination. The specs that have survived are only the following:

An outboard profile drawing
Speed 38 knots
Displacement 29,000 tons
Guns 4-13.5in
Dimensions 850ft x 95ft
180,000 SHP

On 18 July 1973, I added the following:

at 29,000 SHP
SHP required=209,235

I assumed a secondary armament of 5.5in QF guns and AA armament, and armour. The power per ton of machinery is 31.68 SHP. This is the resulting Springsharp report:

38-knot light battlecruiser, Great Britain Light Battlecruiser laid down 1916 (Engine 1927)

Displacement:
26,180 t light; 27,036 t standard; 29,000 t normal; 30,571 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
853.68 ft / 850.00 ft x 95.00 ft x 27.00 ft (normal load)
260.20 m / 259.08 m x 28.96 m  x 8.23 m

Armament:
     4 - 13.50" / 343 mm guns (2x2 guns), 1,230.19lbs / 558.00kg shells, 1916 Model
  Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
  on centreline ends, evenly spread
     12 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.19lbs / 37.73kg shells, 1916 Model
  Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
  on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
     2 - 4.00" / 102 mm guns in single mounts, 32.00lbs / 14.51kg shells, 1916 Model
  Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
  on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
     8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns in single mounts, 2.00lbs / 0.91kg shells, 1916 Model
  Breech loading guns in deck mounts
  on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 5,999 lbs / 2,721 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 80

Armour:
  - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 10.00 ft / 3.05 m
Ends: Unarmoured
  Main Belt covers 101 % of normal length
  Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

  - Torpedo Bulkhead:
 2.00" / 51 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 26.00 ft / 7.92 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

  - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 4.00" / 102 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 281,258 shp / 209,819 Kw = 38.00 kts
Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,536 tons

Complement:
1,110 - 1,444

Cost:
£4.564 million / $18.256 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 750 tons, 2.6 %
Armour: 4,470 tons, 15.4 %
   - Belts: 937 tons, 3.2 %
   - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,077 tons, 3.7 %
   - Armament: 443 tons, 1.5 %
   - Armour Deck: 1,931 tons, 6.7 %
   - Conning Tower: 81 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 8,878 tons, 30.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 12,082 tons, 41.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,820 tons, 9.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
  28,111 lbs / 12,751 Kg = 22.9 x 13.5 " / 343 mm shells or 3.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.43
Metacentric height 8.7 ft / 2.6 m
Roll period: 13.6 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 52 %
  - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.25
Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.04

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0.466
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.95 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 29.15 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 56 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 3.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
   - Stem:  32.00 ft / 9.75 m
   - Forecastle (20 %): 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
   - Mid (67 %):  27.00 ft / 8.23 m (19.00 ft / 5.79 m aft of break)
   - Quarterdeck (15 %): 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
   - Stern:  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
   - Average freeboard: 24.76 ft / 7.55 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 150.0 %
 - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 221.9 %
Waterplane Area: 52,183 Square feet or 4,848 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 158 lbs/sq ft or 773 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
 - Cross-sectional: 0.98
 - Longitudinal: 1.17
 - Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent