From: "Alec Smyth" <Asmyth@changepoint.com>
Reply-To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Flying Sub "SOLO" Stability
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 13:10:17 -0500
Shaughn, do you have any more info on how you are dropping those 4
weights? I think I'm past making holes in the pressure hull at this
point, but just curious whether you have a dropping mechanism in mind
that does not imply through-hulls. I'm using a 1.5" shaft through the
hull, with a cam shaped channel machined into it. But as someone pointed
out, it'll only drop the weight if the sub is upright.
Thanks,
Alec
-----Original Message-----
From: NeophyteSG@aol.com [mailto:NeophyteSG@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 11:17 AM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Flying Sub "SOLO" Stability
In a message dated 2/17/04 7:43:20 PM Pacific Standard Time,
SFreihof@aol.com writes:
Interesting design, so I have a question. If you were to drop
the emergency weight (like in an emergency), wouldn't the sub become
unbalanced (top heavy) and roll over?
Stan
I can't answer for Alec, but in my case, I chose not to use the
traditional single keel-ish drop weight for just that reason. It became
apparent early on that that it also dramatically limited where I could
place other hardware and still maintain relatively neutral centers of
mass and buoyancy that are ideal for hydrobatics. Because my drop
weights (4) are symmetrically located more or less in the horizontal
plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the hull (2 front; 2
back), dropping them doesn't produce a righting moment around that axis.
However, they *are* placed to cause a righting moment between bow and
stern. In the event that I still have my relatively large control
surfaces, that righting moment should help facilitate rising glide. In
the event I've also jettisoned the entire exostructure, being conical,
my pressure hull will automatically float "head up" ... a good thing
considering that's where the hatch is.
Warm Regards
Shawn
*****
"Call nothing thy own except thy soul.
Love not what thou art, but only what thou may become.
Do not pursue pleasure, for thou may have the misfortune to overtake
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Live in the vision of that one for whom great deeds are done ..."
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