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Loss of the trim planes would be a pain, but wouldn't be catastrophic. Trim planes work for a submarine much the same way that the tail fins of a plane help keep it stable in flight, but for a submarine it's not as critical unless you're in a combat situation. In most situations the boat would just surface since only helm control is necessary while surfaced, unless you're in heavy seas.

Trim planes (stabilizing fins) are actually a precise control surface that allows finer depth control while moving during submerged operations, but it isn't the only way a boat maintains stability. The boat's trim tanks are the primary stabilization method for leveling control, while the boat's dive planes control ascent & descent through the depths. Trim/Dive tanks also help control depth to a finer degree, helping the boat achieve a state of Neutral Buoyancy underwater, the same way a diver does.

Remember also that even if main hydraulics to the trim planes was lost, they can still be operated manually, although it's not easy hand-pumping it into position. The boat would have to have sustained serious damage for such an occurrence.

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14y ago

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