> OK. You have a lot of opinions. :) Ready to help compile that list of
those interested
> and the skills they bring to the table? A landlubber is
perfectly suited. Furthermore,
> you seem to grasp the situation
perfectly. I don't think we need to worry about a new
> server at this
point, but I have a server I would offer to the cause if it ever got to
>
that point. What I would like to see is everyone who has expressed interest to
either
> post their wish-list or e-mail them to myself or you...:) So we
can compile a preliminary
> spec. It will probably change a bit as time
goes on, but it will give us a place to start!
> Please, all, spec the
following:
> 1. Length
The two place K-350 has a pressure hull eight feet long at it's maximum
length, the center of the end caps. That seems to be adequate for two
people. Another half foot would be nice but not necessary.
>
2. Diameter
The K-350's hull diameter is three feet. That's barely
adequate. Four more inches in diameter would be nice. The three foot
diameter isn't bad when sitting in an operating position but it's tough to fold
yourself up to do anything in the hull for a any length of time.
The trade off though would be the extra over all weight the sub would
have to displace. A two place K-350 displaces about 4400
pounds. Of course, that's what it weighs on a trailer too. The
trailer would weigh another thousand pounds. The toeing weight
of a K-350 on a trailer is around 5400 pounds.
> 3.
Speed
I haven't got mine wet yet but from what I hear from the "Salts" is that
speed on the surface is good but submerged you don't need it. You don't
want to go any faster then the speed you can control to avoid hazards. I
guess it depends on your visibility. Speed also has the trade off of
the amount of battery power you have for the time you want to run. Running
fast uses up a lot of battery.
> 4. Range or dive time
As far as I could get with out making the battery pods so big they hinder
the sub's movement. The K-350 has six deep cycle batteries for the
thrusters and two for aux power. Lights and other things. A
sleek sub would be great but you almost have to put the batteries in pods for
safety. Captain Kittredge recommends a one hour max dive and then surface
to vent the stale in a K sub. I hear five hours with minimal activity can
be endured, but after that, it's Iffy if your going to see the light
of day on your own when I a sub of that size with no life support. We
should use life support for emergencies only. Keep the dive simple.
> 5. Safe dive depth.
Don't know. The deeper the better as long as the hull 's weight
doesn't get so heavy that it affects submerged or surfaced stability.
The K subs are virtually impossible to role over. They have their weight
low enough to make them real stable.
> 6. Cost window
Now there's a good one. The cost of a approved Plexiglas dome
manufactured by a certified manufacture is the reason it took me fifteen years
to get my sub off the ground. I didn't want to take a chance with a
dome that wasn't certified so waited and then decided to put the extra dollars
into the K-350 which doesn't have a dome. A dome would be great
though. It must have a spectacular view and feeling compared to
my four conning tower viewports. I like Carstan's idea of the cylindrical
lens. Sitting in mine now, I feel that the view in the direction you want
to be looking would be near as good from a cylinder as it would be from the
dome. You need a small hatch cover view port to see when your reaching
full submerged but you don't need much of an actual view
upward.
One thing that is a must for me is a good view downward and forward.
The K subs have a viewport down forward in the front of the hull. I'm
thinking I'll be spending a lot of time on my belly piloting the sub from in
front of it, close up to the bottom viewport. Especially in murky
water. If I build an arm for the sub, it's a must have.
> 7. Further
comments
A tear drop or some other great sub shape would really look nice but for a
PSUB, I think we have to think more practical. It has to be something that
isn't to difficult to build. A cylinder can't be beat for
simplicity. Most larger fab shops have roles that can roll the hull and
any conning tower parts. Tank heads are available off the shelf for the
hull ends. It's best to make exotic shapes only as part of shrouding
where it can be done in fiberglass or something easy to shape.
Simplicity in construction is a must to keep costs down. Most PSUBers
will be building with hand tools, a welder, set of torches, a lathe and a
drill press. Maybe a milling machine and plasma cutter too, but not the
same shop Carstan has available. Anything farmed out to a shop really adds
up costs quick. Think in steel, not paper.
I really like Carstan's modular idea. A bolt on aft section
would allow for some nice options. If bolt on becomes to
impractical, maybe the options could be worked into the design as an either/or
thing. Like the K-350 one place and two place options. Captain
Kittredge just added two feet to the aft section of the hull. It seems
that there should be more to it then that but that's all he did. I'm
thinking the weight distribution should have changed a little also, but time
will tell.
Lead acid should be the source of power. If someone really has the
ability and need to install a nuke plant, they also have the ability to make the
necessary conversions.
Some guidance and construction tips would be helpful too. That's
lacking with a K sub. The Captain told me he did it that way to force the
builder to study the prints but I still think some guidance would be nice.
He had a few brief sheets with his K-250 model but none with the
K-350. You don't need a "blow by blow" but something to guide
through pitfalls.
A good list of sources for materials would be nice too. It would be a
great help to a builder when working out of his area of expertise.
Constructing a sub includes so many fields of expertise that no builder can be
proficient in them all.
Skills..... I'm a mechanical designer but for the past fifteen years
I've run my small machine shop. I guess I could probably best offer help
in the area of the practicality of design as it relate to actual
construction. The nuts and bolt of the project.
Well there you have my two cents worth, spoken in fifty cents worth of
words. Sorry! ;-)
Warrend, you have my vote!
Dan H.