Alpo Posted March 7 Posted March 7 (edited) In The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy described a maneuver used by Russian submarines, where they basically do a bootleg turn - they turn around in their own length. He referred to it as a Crazy Ivan. That's what the American submariners called it. In one of the episodes of Firefly, they are being chased by Reevers. And the pursuer is faster than the pursued. So the pilot calls down to the engine room and asked Haley (? I think that's her name) if she could do an Ivan. And she said she had always wanted to do a Crazy Ivan. And then the Serenity swapped ends and was going back the other way and the reevers were going so fast they couldn't slow down and turn around, and the good guys escaped. Yay. Just makes me wonder if the maneuver actually existed, or if the script writer happened to be a Tom Clancy fan. That happens. There was a sitcom back in the '60s about an android that was developed by the Air Force. She was referred to as Rhoda, but her official classification was AF 709. A scriptwriter for Star Trek Voyager was a fan, and that's why the Borg was named Seven of Nine. Because of 709. Edited March 7 by Alpo add pic Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted March 7 Posted March 7 Time for Cliff Hanger to step forward. He knows more about submarines than anyone else I ever met. Where are you Cliff? Quote
Stump Water Posted March 7 Posted March 7 Quote Yes, the "Crazy Ivan" maneuver is a real, historic cold war tactic used by Soviet/Russian submarine commanders to "clear the baffles"—checking for tails in their propeller noise blind spot. It involved a sudden, sharp 180-degree turn, often creating a high risk of collision with trailing NATO submarines. Modern submarines use towed sonar arrays, which significantly reduce the need for such risky maneuvers, though the tactic remains a notable piece of naval history. There's rumors of a Firefly reboot going around the innernets. 1 1 Quote
Sedalia Dave Posted March 7 Posted March 7 Given that Tom Clancy did his homework when writing novels, I'm pretty sure that the Crazy Ivan maneuver is legit 1 Quote
Alpo Posted March 8 Author Posted March 8 I don't know. In Rainbow Six he has the anti-terrorist team armed with MP40s. That was what he decided an HK MP5 chambered in 40 Smith & Wesson was - an MP40. No. It's an MP5 chambered in 40 Smith. In Rabbit Run - I think that was the book - we have these Muslim terrorists shooting up a mall, and the FBI agent shoots one of them, and as he is lying there bleeding to death the agent walks into the sporting goods store, comes out with a football and forces the dying terrorist to hold it, telling him that it is pig skin and therefore he will not go to Paradise. Even though they are called pigskins, footballs have not been made from pig for decades. They are cow hide. He might get a lot of stuff right, but he still gets a few things wrong. Quote
watab kid Posted March 8 Posted March 8 it did when my FIL was serving in Silent Service in the cold war , he mentioned it in numerous coversations Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 8 Posted March 8 19 hours ago, Alpo said: 19 hours ago, Alpo said: That happens. There was a sitcom back in the '60s about an android that was developed by the Air Force. She was referred to as Rhoda, but her official classification was AF 709. Julie Newmar! 1 1 Quote
Alpo Posted March 8 Author Posted March 8 Yep, I would recognize her anywhere. Just can't mistake her. 2 1 Quote
Cypress Sun Posted March 8 Posted March 8 I always thought that the Catwoman get up made her face look puffy....the rest of her looked fine, fine indeed. Quote
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L Posted March 8 Posted March 8 On 3/7/2026 at 12:59 PM, Stump Water said: There's rumors of a Firefly reboot going around the innernets. 2 1 Quote
Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme Posted March 8 Posted March 8 5 hours ago, Cypress Sun said: I always thought that the Catwoman get up made her face look puffy....the rest of her looked fine, fine indeed. In the picture, that's not her face that is looking puffy......... 3 Quote
Alpo Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 9 hours ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said: In the picture, that's not her face that is looking puffy......... I read some time back - I think it was on here - that she kept telling wardrobe that that catsuit was not tight enough. Finally the wardrobe lady told her that if they made it any tighter viewers would be able to see her panties through it. She said she had a simple solution to that problem. I certainly do not see a vpl in that picture. 3 1 Quote
Stump Water Posted March 9 Posted March 9 18 hours ago, Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L said: If they do do this, how are they going to bring Wash back to life. 1 Quote
Alpo Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 Was the doctor in that video? Everyone has changed greatly because they've gotten older. River still looked like River. Everyone else I had to guess at. And I know the Shepherd is dead, so Ron Glass obviously is not going to be in this. But I didn't see Simon. Quote
Alpo Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 The guy in the blue sweater, with the glasses, that said "we don't want any"? I thought that was the pilot. This is what the doctor is supposed to look like. That doesn't look like the guy in the blue sweater with the glasses to me. Are you sure? Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 9 Posted March 9 19 hours ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said: In the picture, that's not her face that is looking puffy......... Just her cheeks. 1 Quote
Stump Water Posted March 9 Posted March 9 Yes. 20 minutes ago, Alpo said: The guy in the blue sweater, with the glasses, that said "we don't want any"? I thought that was the pilot. The pilot, Wash (Alan Tudyk), is at the end (4:21 mark) after he talks to Jayne. Quote
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted March 9 Posted March 9 (edited) Supposedly a Firefly remake will be animated with original actors' voices. Edited March 9 by Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Quote
Trailrider #896 Posted March 9 Posted March 9 On 3/7/2026 at 10:26 PM, watab kid said: it did when my FIL was serving in Silent Service in the cold war , he mentioned it in numerous coversations Although I was never involved with submarines, I know that a submarine is essentially blind behind itself, as the turbulence from its screws or whatever propulsion block sound from a following sub. By executing a sudden turn in a maneuver called, "clearing its baffles", it can determine if it is being followed. No idea if our subs or anybody elses still do that periodically, or whether modern technology makes it obsolete. Just saying... Quote
watab kid Posted March 10 Posted March 10 6 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said: Although I was never involved with submarines, I know that a submarine is essentially blind behind itself, as the turbulence from its screws or whatever propulsion block sound from a following sub. By executing a sudden turn in a maneuver called, "clearing its baffles", it can determine if it is being followed. No idea if our subs or anybody elses still do that periodically, or whether modern technology makes it obsolete. Just saying... he mentioned that as well , i wish he had lived longer we had a lot of great conversations , he was also a geography professor in his second career after serving in the navy over 20 years , including first crew of the nautilus and multiple touts in VN , Quote
Chantry Posted March 10 Posted March 10 14 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said: Although I was never involved with submarines, I know that a submarine is essentially blind behind itself, as the turbulence from its screws or whatever propulsion block sound from a following sub. By executing a sudden turn in a maneuver called, "clearing its baffles", it can determine if it is being followed. No idea if our subs or anybody elses still do that periodically, or whether modern technology makes it obsolete. Just saying... Very few ships can turn within their own length. I believe at least some submarines have a towed array that deploys from the top of the fin at the back of the sub. It would be long enough to hear submarines behind the submarine that deployed the towed array without interference from the propeller or pump jet. Keep in mind Red Storm Rising was published in 1986. And none of this is secret or classified, the open sources are out there if you look hard enough 1 Quote
ShadowCatcher Posted March 10 Posted March 10 As Chantry said, Towed arrays rendered the maneuver unnecessary. SC Quote
watab kid Posted March 11 Posted March 11 14 hours ago, ShadowCatcher said: As Chantry said, Towed arrays rendered the maneuver unnecessary. SC but not before it actually occurred 1 Quote
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