Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Speculation...

[DJACKSON99@aol.com]

Greetings Rick

Exactly! I wanted the same things in a sub.  Dry Ambient and Surface Planing is the design I am currently building.  I had to give up on light weight.  My sub will tip the scales at over 5000lbs, but its still trailer-able. In my fist designs I intended to use sand and rock as ballast to save weight, but now I'm planing on a good old V-8 for surface power, and a ton of lead and battery to make it sink while keeping the small 2-person cabin dry.  I also wanted a great view so the cabin is up front and the floor is clear.  When the water is too murky to see anything we can wake board!  A boat with this kind of HP and displacement will cut one helluva groove in the lake.  

Take a look and see what you think. I am always looking for good ideas. http://jackson.parcabul.com/sub/index.html

I'll use some airplane ideas too. A boat and airplane builder I've met turned me on to using control push-pull tubes from Airplane technology. I looked at the composite route too, but to get the structure needed to support the ballast I needed to use a core, and to get the core to sink it had to be dense, and that much dense core made the boat weigh too much. And finally I priced the fiberglass and that sunk the idea.  Steel would have been the cheapest route, but I splurged for aluminum to save on the weight. I am hoping the completed project comes in at about $20 to $24K.  --Doug J


In a message dated 11/25/2003 4:05:21 PM Eastern Standard Time, airdale@htva.net writes:

> Greetings:
>  
>     Well, being a new guy I guess I can get away with asking something that has probably already been discussed, maybe more than once.
>     When are submarines going to go mainstream?  When will I commonly see people trailering their sub to the lake?  Will they ever be even half as popular as surface craft.  And the biggy, what sort of design would it take?
>     First off, I don't think one of these super-heavy types we're seeing will ever catch on.  Nobody wants to give the old Vitara a hernia trying to budge one.  Plus, if you consider you're looking at $50000 to $60000 to build a KA-350, IF you do as much of the work yourself as you can, the average guy won't opt in.
>     So what about a lightweight design made of composites framed up something like an old tube and fabric airplane?  Yeah, ballast will be a MAJOR issue.  How about water ballast, maybe combined with some lead?  Flood and blow?
>     Another thing, most people aren't divers like me.  They'll want a dry sub, and enough room to take the fam for a cruise.  And they'll want a trailerable boat.  And being a diver, I can tell you now I'd rather free swim with scuba gear than ride in a wet sub.
>     There is a design, it just has to be thought of.  And when it is, submarines will become a popular sport beyond us compulsive tinkerers and dreamers, a sport within reach of the average working guy for weekend entertainment.
>     Has anyone looked at adapting airplane building techniques to submarines?  So far, heavy and traditional has not brought about the "everyman sub".  Maybe going in a totally unexpected direction is the answer to finding the design.  Just 
> some thoughts.  I might be crazy, ha ha!
>  
> Cheers!
>  
> Rick...