T and K are simplified characteristic constants of ship; they are often called the ”K-T Indices” or the ”Nomoto Steering Indices”. A large time constant T will be obtained in case of a large moment of inertia Ie and a small damping N, like is the case for large crude oil carriers. A large K is caused by a large rudder moment M and a small damping Ne. Figure 4.24 shows some of these effects on the path of a ship during a turning test.