page_title: Diving plane
section_title: Bow and stern planes
hierarchical_section_title: Diving plane / Bow and stern planes
caption_attribution_description: USS Bowfin
context_page_description: Diving planes, also known as hydroplanes, are control surfaces found on a submarine which allow the vessel to pitch its bow and stern up or down to assist in the process of submerging or surfacing the boat, as well as controlling depth when submerged.
context_section_description: Diving planes are usually fitted in two pairs, the bow planes at the front of the submarine and the stern planes at the rear. The stern planes function in much the same way as an aircraft's elevator. As the planes are a long distance fore-and-aft from the hull's centre of buoyancy, they introduce a pitching moment. Ballast tanks within the submarine adjust buoyancy to be neutral, making the boat controllable. The position of the planes controls the pitch of the boat and, with the forward motion of the boat, this controls depth. If not carefully controlled, this could lead to a 'porpoising' motion whereby the planesman continually hunts for a stable combination of depth and pitch.
  For easier berthing close alongside a jetty, submarines have used folding bow planes that retracted alongside the hull. Earlier submarines (to World War II) used vertical folding planes perpendicular to their surface. US submarines referred to this stowage as 'rigging' the planes, and 'tilting' for their control movement. Later Soviet submarines have tended to fold backwards, into recesses in the casing.
caption: US Balao-class USS Bowfin of World War II, showing bow planes rigged upwards for stowage
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