Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Another semi-sub

[Marc de Piolenc <piolenc@archivale.com>]

The descent of the druggie semisubs from speedboats is pretty clear - 
hull shapes, at least in the early ones, were clearly speedboats with 
their freeboard cut down. Later of course they recognized that hull 
shapes optimized for planing were not ideal for boats intended to stay 
submerged; length-beam ratios were increased to improve hull speed in 
displacement mode and reduce wake, and so forth. And they were sprayed 
or laid (not sure which) fiberglas, a technique developed for production 
boats.

It's pretty clear that the Sleeping Beauty design is derived from 
something that already had a low freeboard - a kayak, canoe or 
half-decked dingy. Construction methods are derived from 1920s "one of" 
amateur practice. Not surprising considering the number of amateur 
yachtsmen recruited into OSS - including my father, who was on the 
French 10-meter team in the 1936 Olympics and joined OSS while it was 
still the Office of the Coordinator of Information.

Marc

Archivale catalog: http://www.archivale.com/catalog
Ducted fans: http://massflow.archivale.com/
Polymath weblog: http://www.archivale.com/weblog

On 2/23/2011 10:06 AM, Jon Wallace wrote:
> Makes me feel better knowing that the current drug subs probably came
> from ideas borne of the CIA rather than PSUBS. At least if anyone tries
> to blame us, we have a reference to counter with.



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