Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Introduction

[gregc02@attglobal.net]

> At 09:32 -0400 05/15/01, Jack Skoda wrote:
> > Has anyone on the list ever tried re-creating a primitive sub?
> >Something along the lines of Fulton's Nautilus or the CSS Hunley?
> 
> Jack, if you choose to go the Turtle route (and no doubt there is much yet
> to be learned about it) just make sure that you have a very good
> escape/rescue plan(s) for any testing.  I'm sure you realize this, but
> just to be on the safe side, please be aware that it didn't work very
> well.  The Hunley did better (and may have been damaged by an explosion)
> but she also sank on her first mission.  These were first attempts, and
> they learned a lot of stuff "the hard way."  I'm not trying to discourage
> you - quite the opposite - but drowning can ruin your whole day and lead
> to a poor grade on your dissertation.

The Hunley did worse, she not only went down with her first mission crew,  
(we have to call that a combat loss), but she also killed her previous TWO 
crews. The one being unearthed now is the third.

http://www.hunley.org/html/frame.htm

I'd love to build an exact replica of the Hunley, and with the new data it could 
be perfect, but I'd test it with safety divers and on board scuba gear, in water 
no more than 50 feet deep.
It looks like it had very low freeboard on the surface and was always pumping 
air from a snorkel box on top of the hull, which was probably safer than 
running with the hatch open. In a nice calm lake, with no one shooting at you 
and no close explosions, it'd probably work fine.