RE: Bionic Dolphin sub design

["Morrisson, Richard D" <Richard.Morrisson@PSS.Boeing.com>]

To those of us who are pursuing leading edge technology, just remember: the
early bird gets the worm but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese!

> ----------
> From: 	btran@fr.com[SMTP:btran@fr.com]
> Sent: 	Wednesday, December 09, 1998 6:51 AM
> To: 	personal_submersibles@psubs.org; Paul Anderson
> Cc: 	Bill
> Subject: 	Bionic Dolphin sub design
> 
>      This is in the group's web link address 
>      frenetweb.com/bd/pictures/rippleFull.jpg
>      Here's the description from psub's web page.  The pictures look cool,
> 
>      but I wonder about cost and safety.
>      
> A high performance, one man submersible of streamlined
>                 fiberglass construction. Looks much like a dolphin.
> 
>                 Here is some Bionic Dolphin (VASH) information.
>  
>                 - about 12' long
>                 - 600 lbs (very positively buoyant)
>                 - carbon/kevlar/spectra outer shell
>                 - fiberglass inner shell around pilot
>                 - closed cell hard foam filler (sprayed in)
>                 - kevlar/foam composite bulkheads
>                 - partial F-16 canopy
>                 - 200 HP two-stroke V6
>                 - cut-off tail flat, which created a vortex while 
>                   moving submerged to helped to draw out the exhaust
>                 - builder has had it down to 50 feet
>                 - could stay down for two minutes because the engine 
>                   had a compressed air supply
>                 - did not have any type of scrubber, cockpit air just got
> stale
>                 - hydroplaned on surface at 85 mph, submerged up to 35 mph
>  
>                 The project was a success from a mechanical standpoint, 
>                 but they were not able to market it. The Coast Guard
> requires 
>                 certification of any dry one-atmosphere submersible being 
>                 sold to the public, and they will not certify anything 
>                 that has a fiberglass inner hull. It has to be steel,
>                 aluminum, titanium, etc.
>                  
>                 The VASH prototype is currently owned by a company 
>                 'Planet Hydrosphere' (the original investers) in Florida.
>  
>                 It was designed by Thomas Rowe, and the prototype was
> built 
>                 by Dennis Kaiser .
>      
>      ______________________________ Reply Separator 
>      _________________________________
>      Subject: Re: sub design
>      Author:  Paul Anderson <hacker@geeky1.ebtech.net> at Internet
>      Date:    12/9/98 3:37 AM
>      
>      
>      On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, BQT wrote:
>      
>      >      Hello everyone.  I am Bao Tran, a new novice member. >      I 
>      am interested in the Bionic Dolphin style.
>      >
>      Never heard of that style before - care to elaborate?  TTYL!
>      
>      
>      ---
>      Paul Anderson
>      hacker@geeky1.ebtech.net
>      "This is Maurice, our sheep-hearding carrot." http://www.hpv.on.ca
> sys 
>      admin
>      http://www.freeworldbbs.org
>      
>