The GB/BB/1909 design study

Late in the Blue Book, I have sketched a battleship and written specifications for a ship with 9-12in/50 BLR and 8-6in QF guns, a speed of 24 knots, and a belt with a 13in lower part and a 9in upper part. The SHP was estimated to be 63,000 for the 24 knot speed. I designed the ship in Springsharp 3.0b2 and the ship worked extremely well:

GB/BB/1909 design study, Great Britain Battleship laid down 1909

Displacement:
 24,068 t light; 25,073 t standard; 27,787 t normal; 29,958 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (648.00 ft / 640.00 ft) x 105.00 ft x (26.90 / 28.54 ft)
 (197.51 m / 195.07 m) x 32.00 m  x (8.20 / 8.70 m)

Armament:
      9 - 12.00" / 305 mm 50.0 cal guns - 850.00lbs / 385.55kg shells, 90 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1909 Model
   3 x Triple mounts on centreline ends, majority forward
  1 raised mount - superfiring
      8 - 6.00" / 152 mm 50.0 cal guns - 100.00lbs / 45.36kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1909 Model
   8 x Single mounts on sides amidships
      Weight of broadside 8,450 lbs / 3,833 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
 Upper: 9.00" / 229 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 96 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  3.00" / 76 mm 400.00 ft / 121.92 m 26.90 ft / 8.20 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 7.00" / 178 mm  13.0" / 330 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 3.00" / 76 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks: 3.00" / 76 mm For and Aft decks
 Forecastle: 3.00" / 76 mm  Quarter deck: 3.00" / 76 mm

   - Conning towers: Forward 13.00" / 330 mm,  Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 53,693 shp / 40,055 Kw = 24.00 kts
 Range 6,500nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 4,885 tons

Complement:
 1,075 - 1,398

Cost:
 £2.134 million / $8.535 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,896 tons, 6.8 %
 Armour: 9,384 tons, 33.8 %
    - Belts: 3,107 tons, 11.2 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,194 tons, 4.3 %
    - Armament: 2,234 tons, 8.0 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,592 tons, 9.3 %
    - Conning Tower: 257 tons, 0.9 %
 Machinery: 2,441 tons, 8.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 10,348 tons, 37.2 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,719 tons, 13.4 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   56,941 lbs / 25,828 Kg = 65.9 x 12.0 " / 305 mm shells or 11.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.27
 Metacentric height 8.3 ft / 2.5 m
 Roll period: 15.3 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 86 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.42
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.72

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
   a ram bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.538 / 0.547
 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.10 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 25.30 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -3.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -3.00 ft / -0.91 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 35.00 %,  27.00 ft / 8.23 m,  27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Forward deck: 35.00 %,  27.00 ft / 8.23 m,  27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Aft deck: 15.00 %,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Quarter deck: 15.00 %,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m,  19.00 ft / 5.79 m
    - Average freeboard:  24.60 ft / 7.50 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 73.6 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 202.1 %
 Waterplane Area: 46,374 Square feet or 4,308 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 119 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 174 lbs/sq ft or 848 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.93
  - Longitudinal: 1.82
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
 Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
 Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather