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Greetings Glen, I've not corresponded with you in a while. I've been wishing I had a fully equipped shop to build all sorts of sub contraptions, and now I have it with my relative and his partners shop. So you must be careful what you wish for. Since now I'm up to my ears in training on all the equipment and finalizing CAD assembly models so I can have the specs I need to whip um up. You've opened a big can of worms, and since many of us here like to feed the fish that's not a bad thing. I wanted to have a wave piercing bow on my K-250 even before I owned it, and since I want to be able to tow it, and have it not be a sea anchor any more I'm planning on adding about 2.5' to the existing bow and make a whole new front weldment to hold the front MBT, be a crash guard and be able to attach every thing else. I'm planning on using the original from MBT as a starter mold plug to make a new one that has a curved under bottom edge like how Dan did on Persistence. I had even toyed with the idea of seeing if I could purchase one from Dan off his mold since we have the same hull diameter. But I suspected that his tank holds more then mine and that I would have to change the rear MBT as well to deal with that. Also since I want a short wave piercing bow I'll keep the same upper shape of the original from MBT, and add a free flooding upper front fairing that is wave piercing and can house some lights that might turn out to look like the lights on the Dodge Prowler. I don't see an advantage of splitting the front MBT if I protect it from spilling air easily in the configuration Dan has figured out. If you plan to have a front dome window that you can see upwards some like James has. I've seen seen clear polycarbonate canoes that allow you to see the fish beneath you as you cruise. So If you wanted you might be able to form or have formed for you a acrylic or polycarbonate front MBT. As for me I've pondered many different configurations for cleaning up the lower front area of the sub hydro dynamically. What I'm thinking of doing currently is to add three large pieces of polycarbonate that are 3/8" or 1/2" thick that are each curved on only one axis. One on each side and one on the bottom. this area would be free flooding of course and would be in a some what wave piercing configuration. All edges of the polycarbonate will be attached to FRP or SS flanges with Sekaflex, and then the said flanges will be bolted to the new front weldment that solidly supports all the flanges. This way I don't need to drill any holes in the polycarbonate, which is where I've been told most cracks start on boat wind shields and the like. These lower front viewing fairings will be a little bit like the clear front fairing that was supposed to be on Alicia, and we can see on several of the luxury sub concepts on US Submarines site, but mine are in three pieces and done without a compound curve to please the KISS principle fans. ;} I am considering installing some syntactic foam in the the out most bow area to compensate for more weight added to the bow. But since I'm also adding some weight in the stern in the way of a additional rudder and two thruster, and the existing bow had about 40 lbs. of lead mounted in it, I shouldn't have to much trouble working it out. I can see any changes to the CG an CB of my subs assembly model as I make changes. If I add a mechanical arm to the bow I may need to add syntactic foam or a small pressure proof pod to balance things out. I have the same basic issue for when I add the outboard motor to the stern that has a small aluminum pressure hull over the engine. In regards to the bottom of the sub, it will have a flat plate between the skids that have two slots in it for the K-350 type twin drop weights to come out. The Bottom of the drop weights will be flush with said plate. Then so that plate will not sit on the mud or sand on the bottom of a given water column, I'll add three to four inches of black UHMW to the steel skids. This will also give me more room to work under the sub. Regards, Szybowski " A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions--as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all. " ~ Nietzsche From: glenbrown@vodamail.co.za To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Side Thruster Options Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:05:08 +0100 Hi Brent
I am also planning on using Min Kota 's on my K350 I am
also thinking of splitting my front mbt for better view of my hydraulic
manipulator you got any thoughts.
All the best
glen south Africa
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