Re: Visibilty / Safty or Safty / Visibilty ?

[protek@shreve.net]

Psubers,
    There has been a lot of talk lately on design.  I just wanted to share
a couple of things.  First, when I was 16 years old I designed and "almost"
finished a one-man sub that was 18 feet long and constructed from (Only)
steel.  I used a lot of my own ideas in the design and it looked great!  I
am just lucky that I never took it below 10 feet of depth.  It would not
have stood the pressure.  I read these posts from various people and I
believe a lot of them are where I was back then.  When you like a personal
idea for whatever reason there is a natural tendency to not want to listen
to others because you just know it will be shot down.  I have been there.
I also take some flames for shooting down ideas on here along with some
other folks.  But for a novice designer, these ideas need to be run past a
professional engineer.  There are books to be had also.  I have never seen
this book, but informed sources say that "Manned Submersibles" by Busby is
a good foundational book even though it is maybe 30 years old.  Does anyone
know where this book can be purchased.  I would love to have a copy of it.
    Jon Shawl is correct about window design and the PVHO standards.  I can
not say that I conformed totally to these standards with my sub, but if a
designer does, it forms a basis for professional design.  These standards
were adopted by professional engineers interested in safety.  Also, once
again, I will mention "Acrylic Plastic Viewports" by Jerry Stachiw.  It has
a lot of information on tested designs, not "I think it will works.."  I
did follow Stachiw's recomendations on window design.  Mine are 1.25 inches
thick.  Actually, if a window blows you probably will not know about it or
anything after that either.  Windows are a prime concern!!
    I am an engineer but not the type that is totally qualified to make a
lot of recomendations about basic sub design.  However, I do recognize many
bad practices and ideas when I see them, and have been seeing a lot that
scares me on here.
    There are not many thrills like taking a sub out and diving it.  But,
safety is a concern and is being treated to lightly by some.  I just put on
my flame-proof suit.

Gary