Here is my two cents. I know a little about USN nuclear construction and to build a nuclear powered ship is a complex task. The nuclear plant provides a lot constraints. It would make sense that rather than start from scratch with a new design the Soviets took the Kirov hull as the starting point and made modifications around the Kirov power plant arrangement.
The evidence of that is in the fact that as built the Ural naturally had a 2 degree list to port that had to be compensated for by on board systems. A properly designed from scratch hull wouldn't exhibit that characteristic. It is a result of working off the Kirov design and then putting too much superstructure weight onto it.
The western sources say the Soviet Navy didn't want the ship. They would rather have seen a fifth Kirov built. It does sound like the decision to build Ural took reactor components away from and delayed the start of construction on the fourth Kirov which ultimately became the Pyotr Velikiy.
probably based on the design, not using a "spare" hull!, i feel a dodgy translate somewhere!
I had always understood that Ural had been built on a surplus hull of a Kirov-class battlecruiser. Does anyone on this board have any comment on the accuracy of that information?
Good thing it was a one-of-a-kind ship.
Now to find one in slightly less critical mass..
. . . it's made of uranium. . . .
This model weighs 5 pounds
Whatever you do, DO NOT moor two instances of this model bow to stern, rail to rail next to each other.
A very intense blue flash is sure to emanate.
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