Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Just toy subs again...

[Jake Colman <jake@superdailies.com>]

On 7/8/03 9:16 AM, "David Buchner" <buchner@wcta.net> wrote:

> On Sunday, July 6, 2003, at 10:00 PM, Paul Suds wrote:
>> Don't feel bad David, I haven't contributed much in the past
>> year...been too busy, but I'll try. About that toy... you weren't in
>> the tub while playing with it I hope? Something that small could get
>> lost :)
> 
> ...not to mention the danger of injury or entanglement, from whirling
> propellers. No, I wasn't in there with it. In fact, it was in the cast
> iron tub in my yard, where I test all my subs...
> 
> On this subject, I seem to have picked up another collecting-hobby, by
> purchasing every toy sub I see. I have also ordered from American
> Science & Surplus a 13" long Gato class sub with a little motor and
> adjustable dive planes, that's supposed to be able to dive (though I
> can't figure out what will encourage it to come back *up* before the
> battery runs out).
> 
> And last winter, I sorta accidentally bought a radio controlled one on
> eBay last winter, that uses noisy little pumps to rise and surface,
> *and* for propulsion. It's slow and not very exciting (it needs its
> snorkels sticking out of the water in order to pump out ballast), and I
> wonder if maybe I should have whatever fun with it this summer, and
> then pass it along to one of you guys to enjoy for a while -- it's
> kinda bulky, and takes up valuable closet space.
> 
> But it is educational, after a fashion. It's got me wondering whether
> it would pay to use pumps to empty big MBT's -- instead of lots and
> lots of compressed air. One would use thrust to get to the surface,
> open a vent to let air in, and pump the water out to get freeboard. I
> suppose you'd still want one good blast of air available, though - in
> case you had no propulsion and still felt like getting to the surface.
> 
> 
Speaking of toy subs, I happen to own a radio controlled sea wolf sub. I
bought it from amazon.com for about 75 bucks. It has a propeller that pushes
it forward and backward and the propeller itself turns to push it left and
right. There is a little motor on the bottom that pushes it up and down in
the water. I love it. It can keep me (and everyone watching) entertained for
hours, or until the batteries run out;)