|
Standard warning here...check the specifications of the acrylic used. If they do not meet or exceed ASME standards then the material is not acceptable. I've observed on more than a couple occasions that fabricators who supply acrylic for terrestrial use often use material that does not meet ASME standards (not necessary for furniture and decorative items, etc) and don't even know what the strength specifications of the material is. I have considered an acrylic conning tower, however Stachiw says that the cylinder provides the worst optical characteristics of any viewport configuration. It acts as an asymmetric lens distorting the shape of images perceived by the passenger. As the radius of the cylinder increases, the distortion is less but that also depends upon the thickness. Stachiw wasn't too specific and I wish he had provided more info about this issue. I've hesitated designing around an acrylic conning tower because I don't want to spend the money on such an expensive item only to find out the visibility sucks. I suspect the visual distortion is more noticeable when looking upward or downward since you are peering at an oblique angle to the material and through more of it. Viewing perpendicular to curvature should have the same viewing qualities as a dome. Once Bryan gets situated with his vessel I hope he can describe any visual deficiencies, if they exist. Jon On 7/10/2010 11:47 PM, Alan James wrote:
|