A NEW PERSONAL SUBMERSIBLE - Dynamic diving, gasoline engine only!

[u-5075]

There is now a company, Innerspace, that has a working prototype of a small, two-man submarine.

Some quick background info]http://www.innespace.com/[/url]

This Dolphin can achieve speeds up to 30 mph on the surface and 20 mph below the surface. Their literature claims Prolonged snorkel dives of 15 seconds at 20 mph. I don't understand just what they mean by the term "snorkel dive."

TRICKS THAT IT CAN PERFORM
"- Dipping below the water and then jumping clear out of the water
- Porpoising like a Dolphin
- Barrel rolls and multiple roll overs
- Mid air rolls with inverted landings
- Pitching straight down and popping up backwards
- Planeing at 30 mph with the canopy fully open
- Diving underneath a rubber raft or prop boat"

Evidently the engine's fresh air supply comes from the crew compartment because the statement is made that "The engine draws such a vacuum during these dives that cockpit air pressure will lower to the point where it often pops the pilot's ears. Deeper dives may be possible in the future with the use of supplementary compressed air. Most of today's engines with the necessary horsepower are too air-hungry for this to be a feasible option. The Dolphin uses 200 cubic feet per minute of air, while a Scuba tank holds only about 70 cubic feet of air. (Theoretically enough for a 20 second dive.)"

[wingtip]

check their links page and

check their links page and all those crazy personal subs from ebay... lol some of them look like certain death lol..

[robert]

I recall about 7 years

I recall about 7 years ago there was a used Russian diesel missile sub for sale on ebay. I think someone in Florida had it. The seller did not recommend that anyone actually submerge in it

[u-5075]

My additional two bits or

My additional two bits or afterthoughts

- The WWII German Biber had a gasoline engine. (There were many more appropriate sized gasoline engines available than diesel engines, when they needed them.) And leaks in the exhaust system of the gas engines caused too many deaths from CO inhalation.

- There were also an uncomfortable number of deaths in the one-man torpedoes and midget subs from CO2 levels getting too high. Oxygen rebreathers were quickly made available and used, but these too had problems.

- If one goes too deep, then there will be the problem of the outside water pressure quickly becoming too deep to blow the exhaust gases out, against this water pressure.

- The boat's interior could spring a leak and thus end any positive buoyancy. Boats do leak.

- Speaking as a recreational boater...... There are a lot of unbright people in boats. Adding a boat porpoising in and out of the water increases the chance of a collision.

- The increased probability of an accident and liability are terms that come to mind.

[novagator]

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[robert]

I was thinking about this

I was thinking about this and, given that it can't seem to stay submerged long, it reminds me a lot of a personal water craft, i.e. Jetski, with an enclosed cockpit. I'm not sure if it was a special effect or not, but the same kind of submerge and porpoise out was seen with Jetskis in that bomb of a movie Waterworld.

[himszy]

This bionic dolphin isn't that

This bionic dolphin isn't that new, it's been around for a while now. Looks good, if not a bit crampt