Re: HP, weight and visability

["Sean Walinga" <swalinga@telusplanet.net>]

Hi Jon,

>> ...type of limitations ...for this "flier" type of psub...
>Well, the main one is as you mention, speed. You must maintain a minimum
>speed, which means stopping to examine something is out of the question.
Are you familiar with the British jet named the "Harrier"? It has the ability to fly and take off vertically (VTOL). Their is also the "Skycar" by Mollar that performs this. My thuoght is to do this subsurface with the flier type of sub...  What do you think? By redirecting the thrust upwards while moving slow or stopping...  It seems that it would take quite abit of calculation to get the thrust correct to counter the sub buoyancy but it would work!  :)  It would also be an issue where you placed the thrusters as well...

>You need a more powerful motor to drive this type of sub, since it would
>typically need to go faster than a ballast sub. You have to be much more
>conscious of where you are, and what orientation the sub is in, since flier
>subs have full freedom of motion.
It would also be lighter. The streamlining would help to utilize the power as well. If you had sufficient power to counter the buoyancy when at a submerged stop, it seems to me that you would have sufficient power to provide the forward thrust...  To be conscious of where you are...  Hmmm...  I wonder if airplane instruments could be used? More specifically, the horizon indicator and the angle of ascent / descent. 

>The depth issue is not an issue for personal subs (unless you have a VERY
>large budget for your psub...).
And we all aren't made of money :) (or time :) )

>Later,
>Jon

ttfn
Sean