Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Sub building business

[john <mongo14904@yahoo.com>]

Vance 
Tell me more about the Minn Kotas that held to 
> nearly 1200 feet in a test tank
John
--- VBra676539@aol.com wrote:

>  
> In a message dated 12/21/2004 6:41:14 PM Eastern
> Standard Time, 
> mongo14904@yahoo.com writes:
> 
> Hi all 
> I have been thinking about looking for investors
> To invest K-sub production. I put it to the group
> for
> opinions...does anyone think that there is small or
> large
> demand for K-subs in the world. I am currently doing
> a
> market ability study for this. And would  appreciate
> any input or ideas. 
> John
> 
> 
> 
> Merry Christmas John,
>  
> I'm not sure if there is a market for Model T
> submersibles, as George had a 
> whale of a time but didn't make much money. There
> are some wonderful upgrades, 
> however, which might let you modify the
> house-that-George-built into something 
> more modern. There is a lot of interest out there,
> but the prices are too 
> steep for ready-made subs. P. Nuytton built Sea
> Urchin in an effort to create a 
> $50 K sub, and I think it turned out iffy
> (price-wise), and he hasn't pursued 
> it as far as I know. Maybe he will chime in and tell
> us why. The design is 
> pretty cool, and substantially lighter than the
> K-models (not much over half), so 
> that might be something to think about, as well. 
>  
> Off-the-shelf thrusters (I've seen modified
> big-frame Minn Kotas that held to 
> nearly 1200 feet in a test tank, and would work like
> a charm at 350--for less 
> than a thousand bucks), better motor controllers,
> package lights, larger 
> viewports (6 in the conning tower, I would think, or
> an acrylic cylinder in place 
> of the steel one--and a Jago-style dome in the bow).
>  
> Maybe go to external ribs, rather than internal. For
> all practical purposes, 
> it won't make any difference strength-wise, and will
> be a lot easier on the 
> elbows. Keep it simple, of course. That would be the
> key to it. I prefer the 
> option of being able to sit up in the conn, or lay
> down at the forward viewport 
> depending on circumstances. The Sea Urchin is
> smaller, so you might look into 
> what would happen if you lengthened the K-sub hull
> and reduced it to, say, 
> thirty inches from thirty-six.
>  
> I think you will also need some kind of manipulator
> option. I've got all the 
> data for a simple package, internal
> electro-hydraulic unit with small 
> solenoids, and a simple little Perry-style three or
> four function manip would do it, 
> or even one of Dr. Phil's pneumatic three-ways like
> he used on the Sea Urchin.
>  
> And I hate George's ballast tanks. The open skirt
> design makes the subs 
> ridiculously difficult to tow without stopping all
> the time to squirt more air into 
> the tanks.
>  
> Keep the manual controls, but the subs are much
> easier to handle when 
> cruising with some sort of rudder. I'm installing
> the tilting thrusters on a common 
> shaft forward of the main hull, driven by the
> right-side thruster penetration 
> by a simple lever. They have reversing circuits now,
> and should improve close 
> maneuvering (although I'm afraid that I may,
> ultimately, need a lateral 
> thruster up front as well). Will fix the main motor
> on the centerline aft and operate 
> a rudder behind it with the left side (also by
> lever), rather than trying to 
> horse the whole thing around. We'll see how that
> goes.
>  
> If I ever build again, I'll go with fixed thrusters
> and steer with motor 
> controls, rather than levers. Look Ma, no
> handles!!!! Anyway, I'd love to see the 
> subs active again. I hope you will keep us up to
> date on how the polling goes.
>  
> Vance
> 


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