New ideas

[HUNTR2@aol.com]

Hi Chuck,
I have some questions about your design.  If the OD is 6' and the ID is 5'
that makes the material 6 inches thick, Yes?  Also how would you design a
metal view port to penetrate a 6" thick hull and attach it securely?  What
kind of joint will you have where the con meets the hull.  Will the con be
Wood also?  These different materials (wood, fiberglass and metal) all respond
differently to temp changes and pressure.  What happens when the wood encased
in fiberglass gets damp somehow?  I used to build wood boats.  It changes
diminsions alot while the fiberglass won't!  And how do you check it for dry
rot?  I can see ALOT of engineering problems you face.  But not to cast aside
new ideas, (after all, dreamers/inventors are what make progress possible),
you might start out designing your first one on 25% scale and as a tethered
ROV.  

I have my own ideas/dreams of a double hull, thin walled with structural
honeycomb between the two hulls.  Look at cardboard closeup and imagine a
round tube.  The honeycomb gives it ridgidity.  Otherwise you'd have two
floppy pieces of paper.  If you had a 4 inch space between two hulls filled
with strong perpendicular honeycomb you might end up with a hull crush strengh
of something simular to solid metal 1 inch thick with less than 1/2 the
weight.  Almost like a continuous reinforcement ring...   An engineer could
play with the numbers (I just picked them out of my head).   Just an idea that
I'm sure someone has had before. 
Ok Chuck, your turn!  
Gene