Re: !QRe: [PSUBS-MAILIST] All that damned math

["Captain Nemo" <vulcania@interpac.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <VBra676539@aol.com>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2000 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: !QRe: [PSUBS-MAILIST] All that damned math


> Pat,
>
> The half-model is a plaster casting of the original 33 inch piece that
Chris
> built in the back room of the Tree-Top Airplane Company shop (that was an
> upstairs apartment in Ft. Pierce where he built a Very-EZ in a 12 foot
square
> bedroom--hooray for removable casement windows).

You mean he built a REAL Rutan airplane in an upstairs bedroom?!  Amazing!
I didn't know that; but now that I think about it, that's Chulie!

 His first plan was to do the
> half-models for Disney.

Hey, that's right!  He did mention this.

I think he built and painted six of them. If you are
> wondering about Chulie's attention to detail, here's one for you. There
were
> FIVE THOUSAND rivets, each individually glued, on the first balsa model of
> the Nautilus. Big sacks full of tiny red rivets. I remember it well.

Yep!  He mentioned that to me when we were discussing the NAUTILUS exterior
detailing.  Aluminum rivets, he said they were.  The 5K figure sounds
accurate for the 1/2 model. Chris' completed 33-incher includes between
12,000 and 14,000 rivets in all, each placed one-at-a-time.  Based on his
calculations, I've got three bags (15,000) hemispherical acrylic beads down
in the shop, waiting to be epoxied to my tub's outer hull.

> HBOI is Harbor Branch Oceanographics Institute, where we both worked on
the
> sub crew--and both found rocky going--and both ended up going.... and so
on.
> I am delighted to know that he and the beautiful Sherry have made a
success
> of things and will, of course, contact him shortly. I should have known as
> soon as I saw the pictures of your boat, that Chulie was around somewhere.
>
> Vance

Great!  And you're right: Chris is  true LEAGUES fan, and it was our mutual
admiration for the Disney design that first got us corresponding.  He's
really a great guy with a lot of knowledge and skill.  I hope one of these
days he finds time to participate in the PSUBS Discussion group.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Vance.  What a small World!

Pat