¹⁄350

Great news for 2010 Airfix have announced the release of their 1/350th Trafalgar Class Submarine.

There is little information on this kitset at prersent but personally it is so great to be reporting new releases from this former industry leader.

The precise date of release and prices are yet to be confirmed however the kitset item number is A03260.

We will of course update you as more information comes to hand.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

HOT NEWS! HOT NEWS!

Newly re-released and available now from Airfix are the 1/600th HMS Warspite and 1/600th HMS Iron Duke.


Submarines History
The Trafalgar class submarines were, until the introduction of the Astute class, the Royal Navy's most advanced nuclear fleet submarines (SSNs). HMS Torbay, HMS Trenchant, HMS Talent, and HMS Triumph have been fitted with Sonar 2076, which the Royal Navy describes as the most advanced sonar in service with any navy in the world.

The Trafalgar is a refinement of the Swiftsure class and designed six years later than its predecessor. The design included a new reactor core and Type 2020 sonar. Internal layout is almost identical to the Swiftsure, and it is only 2.5 metres longer. The Trafalgar class have strengthened fins and retractable hydroplanes, allowing them to surface through thick ice. The hull is also covered in anechoic tiles which are designed to absorb sound rather than reflect it, making the boats more difficult to detect with active sonar.

The first Trafalgar class submarine was ordered on 7 April 1977 and completed in 1983. Turbulent was ordered on 28 July 1978; Tireless on 5 July 1979; Torbay on 26 June 1981; Trenchant on 22 March 1983; Talent on 10 September 1984; and finally Triumph on 3 July 1986.

In 1993 Triumph sailed to Australia, covering a distance of 41,000 miles whilst submerged and without any forward support. This marked the longest solo deployment by any British nuclear submarine.

The Trafalgar class was to be replaced by the Future Attack Submarine (FASM), however this project was effectively cancelled in 2001 and replaced by the Maritime Underwater Future Capability. The Astute class will eventually replace the Trafalgar class as well as the Swiftsure class of which only one remains in service. As of 2008 it is planned that the last Trafalgar class submarines will remain in service until 2022.

The name Trafalgar refers to Battle of Trafalgar fought between the British Fleet and the combined fleets of France and Spain.

The Trafalgar class have suffered from a number of technical difficulties. In 1998 Trenchant experienced a steam leak, forcing the crew to shut down the nuclear reactor. In 2000 cracks were discovered in the reactor cooling pipes of Tireless, forcing her to proceed to Gibraltar on diesel power. In August 2000 it was revealed that with Tireless still at Gibraltar, Torbay, Turbulent, Trenchant and Talent were at Devonport for refit or repair and with Trafalgar undergoing sea trials, only one boat - Triumph - was fully operational. By 2005 refits had reportedly corrected these problems.

In 2002 Trafalgar ran aground off Skye during Operation Cockfight..

In 2007, a small explosion aboard HMS Tireless resulted in the death of two sailors and injury of another. The accident took place while the submarine was submerged under the Arctic icecap during a joint British-American exercise. An oxygen candle in the forward section of the submarine was thought to be responsible for the accident.

The first of the submarines to be taken out of active service will be Trafalgar, which is due to be decommissioned on the 4th December 2009.

Submarines history courtesy of Wikipedia.