[PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: russian plan for all-glass hull for tourist sub

[dinosnider666@spacemail.com]

Of particular interest were two that have transparent hulls. Tourist submarines in the West have used cast and machined massive acrylic pieces for transparent hulls. Lazurit plans to use glass for its hulls. Massive glass has not been used successfully in manned submersibles; its properties are simply too uncertain. Lazurit representatives say that they will use a composite organic and silicon glass. This type of glass, developed by the Krylov Institute, has been successfully used in military helicopters. Lazurit has developed the engineering design of its first all-glass submarine. With a capacity of forty-eight passengers and diesel-electric propulsion, the submarine would require about two years to build once an order is received.