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Or the curious kids could find a small abandon sub
hull washed ashore and work to get it operational.
It just may have the name FREYA on the rusted
hull.
Dan H.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 3:37
PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Children's
author needs expert advice
Ray:
Wow - thanks so much! Great info. I have much to think about now...
(Funny, it all seemed so simple when I first thought of it. Ha!)
One last question: What is a drug sub?
Btw, I like the idea of him finding one that needs refurbishing. That
might be more believable...
Barbara
On Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 2:53 PM, Ray Keefer <psubs2001@yahoo.com>
wrote:
HI Barbara,
See below:
Date:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 8:19 AM
I write books for children aged 8 to 12.
I am currently beginning a book that centers around a 10 or 11
year old boy who finds a submarine kit (it was in a crate that fell
off a train).
Submarines do not come
as kits. You can buy parts, pieces, components, and raw steel but subs
do not come in kits.
Even if they came in kits, the
parts may of been damaged, bent or broken from the impact from falling
off the train.
And certainly for such a high value item I
would think someone would look for it. With modern package tracking
they would know the crate was loaded onto the train at location A and
at location B it was not on the train.
With the weight involved
the boy would have a hard time moving it.
I need some advice from the experts:
Would it be believable that a young boy could build a small
submarine from a
kit?
Perhaps one of the
Kent Markham's designs. They are ambient subs with plywood and
plexiglass construction. To use it the boy would have to be
comfortable around wood working power tools and be scuba certified. I
supposed a boy could just read a book on scuba but that would be a
very careless and unethical concept to put into a boy's
book. Please don't do it. Certainly no scuba shop would fill a
compressed air cylinder for him.
I am not sure a 8 to 12 year
old could build a Markham submersible without help. A 14 to 18 year
old probably could.
Currently Kent sells plans of his designs.
The plans were also in the old maganizes (1)(2). Perhaps the boy
stumbles upon a copy while cleaning out someone's (uncle, grandfather,
old neighbor) attic or garage.
There is a scanned Mechanics
Illustrated (April 1966) article at http://www.psubs.org/magart/MI_Sport_Sub.html.
(1) "Build yourself this one-man sports submarine." Author:
K. V. Brown, Pub: Popular Mechanics, June 1968
(2)
"Build this two-man sub
for $400" Author: W. K. Markham.,
Pub: Popular Mechanics, June 1971
Could the kit be very simple - something like the Silent
Runner?
Plans yes. Kits do not exist.
Would he have access to all the tools and parts needed?
For an ambient sub you
can use hand tools and powered woodworking tools. Drills and a sabre
saw would be all the power tools needed.
For an 1ATM he would
need lathes, milling machines and welders. Unless his dad has a well
equipped shop and some how the dad does not notice the work being done
then a boy does not have a chance to build one on his own.
Where would he have to build it - a barn? a garage?
An ambient could. A 1ATM
would require a shop.
Once built, could he maneuver it (on a wagon or cart?) to a
nearby pond or lake?
Only an
ambient sub. The weight of an 1ATM sub would start around a ton and go
up.
Any ideas or suggestions welcome and
appreciated.
Possible
ideas:
1. He find an abandon drug sub, intact. A real sub, not one
of these David Boats they keep finding.
2. Over the years people
have built subs, then when the glamor wears off the subs get relegated
to the dark recesses of garages. Perhaps he stumbles across a sub that
is already built but only needs to be referbished to be usable.
3.
Perhaps swimming in a lake he notices a scuttled sub. After raising it
he referbishes it. The raising bit would add to the complexity.
4.
Perhaps one of his neighbor is into submersibles and has built one.
Regards,
Ray
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