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Hi Frank, In regards to adding a thick acrylic cylinder as your conning tower at some point, I think it would be a great idea if you add some collision protection for it as well. It will give you a great 360 degree view, and increase your hatch land height, making egress safer in rougher sea states. Those CAD models of my Batic THUWG are not complete. There is still conning tower collision protection guards to go on with flat acrylic panels enclosing the conning towers, much like the Star Wars Snow Speeders canopies. This way the hydrodynamics of the beast will be more balanced top and bottom. So if I go faster, I don't have to fight the sub from wanting to pitch upward and pierce the nearest inflatable boat. Szybowski From: ShellyDalg@aol.com Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:42:59 -0500 Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Frank's new nose cone To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org Hi Brent. Thanks for the comments and pics. Yes, the nose cone on the "old school" motor launch was the inspiration for my nose cone. There are lots of the old mahogany boats up in Lake Tahoe and I've always admired the beautiful lines and craftsmanship in those. I'm leaning toward brass plate for the smaller parts on my sub like motor mounts and maybe the rudders. I'd like to get the hatch plated too, but haven't contacted any plating shops yet to see about feasibility/cost. I did price out some solid brass sheet for some parts like the retainer rings for the viewports a while back. Pretty pricey! I can buy brass angle and roll it into rings for those at a reasonable cost. That will give me the old fashioned "port hole" look for the windows that I want. I'll be interested to see how brass plating the steel compares in price. I can always just paint the parts, and maybe plate them later. I'll need steel in several components for the strength, but being a Harley guy, I just like stuff that's shiny!
I like the wave piercing bow on your sketch. Would you build a mock-up/model and test it's characteristics in a water stream? I've found that to be a useful method of determining what something looks like in real life ( versus a concept drawing ) and how the particular design performs. It also points out problems in fabrication without having the expense of building a full size component from expensive materials.
I see you have incorporated the plexi ring into one of your sketches. I wonder how they made that ring. Do you suppose they took flat sheet and formed it ? Or did they take a big cast plug and cut it out. Greg C. did it that way for his first experimental piece I think, but it was only 4 inches tall. Still, he said he really liked the view through it. That may be something I'll consider as an add-on for my sub at a later date.
I wish I had the computer skills to make the type of renderings you make. They're very nice. I want to put together a folder/brochure/marketing piece that I can use to drum up interest in my sub, and have my daughters use it in their classrooms. The teacher at my grandsons school is already using the test model and some pictures of the build in her classroom, and wants me to bring the sub up for the kids to see when it's done. It would be nice to have a few graphics for presentations in schools or maybe even some corporate sponsors.
Speaking of Tahoe, I read where Scott Cossell ( squid chaser ) is going to be up in Tahoe diving his new sub. I think it said April. I plan on going up to watch, and maybe get a chance to talk with him. Sure sorry I didn't go to last year's convention.
Well, better get up to the shop. See you when you come down. Frank D. |