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Shawn,
Yes, the plans run $350 US. I don't think it's craved in stone.
The mileage does vary. There is more then one person selling the
plans. Some may offer some building support, some may not.
How comprehensive?
Well they're not as good as some drawings I've worked with, and not as bad
as others. There are several mistakes on them but nothing critical.
Small things like a missing dimension here and there but not important
ones. There are plenty of detailed drawings. Almost every part is a
separate detail drawing. It's a pile of paper.
There is a bill of material on each assembly drawing and a list of the
drawings for one sub. There is no master bill for the purchased
materials. Some of the things like thruster motors, props and thruhulls
are either not called out or not available anymore. They are old plans
and things no longer being available is to be expected. With a little
work I found substitutes or made my own.
I liked the K-350 and the plans because it's a sub that's proven and
recognizable. There may be some out there holding up mailboxes but there
are people that will know the design if, and when, I decide to sell.
As far as being an old design sub, there is a lot you can do to modernize
it or customize it. After all, aren't most subs a modification of a basic
design, a larger cylindrical hull with a round conning tower sticking out of the
top.
Cost? If you plan to count time, your pursuing the wrong
project. If I was working for a dollar and hour, I could have earned
a nice car by now. So, not counting time, I have about $12,000 US in the
project but that includes materials for a trailer. The sub was probably
about $10,000 but I have a machine shop and didn't farm out anything but the
rolling of the hull. All costs, were materials and purchased
components. I didn't try to keep an exact figure. Being married,
it's easier that way. Being married at the time I wanted to build it is
part of the reason the name "Persistence" is appropriate. *S*
Dan H.
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