Deep flight
In the Deepflight submarine series, the principle of the submarine with wings was implemented for the first time in civil submarine construction . The boats have fixed positive buoyancy and submerge when moving using the wings. Their behavior resembles an airplane , in contrast to ordinary submarines, which are maneuvered more like a balloon . This means that greater depths can be reached faster and the observation of rapidly swimming marine animals is possible. If the drives fail, the submarine will emerge independently.
The deepflight submarines were made by the engineer and inventor Graham Hawkes in his company Hawkes Ocean Technologies - for short. HOT - developed.
Deepflight I
General
The DF1 is Hawkes' first winged submarine. The pilot lies on his stomach in his horizontal capsule, which ends in an elliptical viewing dome, which takes up the entire front of the boat. With its rather oval fuselage shape, distinctive thrusters and the inclined control fins as a tail unit at the rear, it looks very similar to an airplane. The submarine is controlled via the two combined depth and ailerons as well as different speeds of the two motors. During the test drives, it was possible to swim with a manta ray and to capture the encounter on film.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 2.44 m (wingspan); 1 m (height); 4 m (length)
- Weight: 1,300 kg
- Speed: 12 knots (23 km / h); minimum 2 knots (4 km / h)
- Max Descent Rate: 650 feet / min
- Max. Ascent speed: 480 feet / min
- Operating depth: 1005 m
- Crew: 1
- Year of construction 1996.
Deepflight II
General
The second submarine in the Deepflight series has only existed as a computer model so far. Here the submarine attributes come into their own again, even if the previous line with the aircraft components was consistently retained. The two pilots lie next to each other in two body tubes protruding diagonally from the rectangular and flat fuselage, which are acrylic glazed on the front. The pilots lie on their stomachs, but not completely horizontally, but rather towards the front - towards the head - ascending upwards. In addition, there are two gripping arms at the front of the boat next to the headlights.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 3 m (span); 1.3 m (height); 5.3 m (length)
- Weight: not exactly known
- Speed: 6 knots (11 km / h)
- Max. Descent Rate: 400 feet / min
- Max. Ascent speed: 700 feet / min
- Surgical diving depth: up to 37,000 feet (11,277 meters) depending on the version
- Crew: 2
Deepflight Aviator
General
The third submarine in the series is the Deepflight 502, also known as the Deepflight Aviator . The two-man crew sit in cabins one behind the other, which are closed off by viewing domes protruding from the fuselage. The controls are arranged like an airplane. The rudder is operated via pedals and down elevator (corresponds to the elevator on an airplane) and ailerons are controlled via a joystick. With this control any position in the room can be reached, but due to the batteries used, only a 30 ° incline is permitted. The wings are folded up for transport, the elevator removed.
The submarine was redesigned in 2008. Among other things, a ballast tank and a drop weight were installed so that the lowest possible speed is now 0 instead of 0.6 kn (1.1 km / h). Since then the boat has been called Super Aviator and has a white basic color.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 3.75 m (wingspan); 1.85 m (height); 6.7 m (length)
- Weight: 2225 kg
- Speed: 5.2 knots (9.6 km / h)
- Max Descent Rate: 320 feet / min (98 m / min)
- Max ascent speed: 600 feet / min (183 m / min)
- Operating depth: 330 m
- Dive time 3–5 h
- Crew: 2
- Year of construction 2003.
Data according to Spec Sheet
Deep Flight Challenger
General
The Deep Flight Challenger submarine was built to enable adventurer Steve Fossett to set the unbeatable world record in deep diving by a single person (37,000 feet). In 2007 Fossett was killed in a plane crash before he could achieve his deep diving record. With this submarine, Hawkes Ocean Technologies has the technology to reach the deepest known sea depth ( Witjastief 1 ; 11,034 m). The Deep Flight Challenger was later taken over and operated by Virgin Oceanic of the Virgin Group .
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 3.90 m (wingspan); 1.7 m (height); 5.40 m (length)
- Weight: 4730 pounds ~ 2145 kg
- Speed: 2.2 knots (4 km / h); maximum 3 knots (6 km / h)
- Max Descent Rate: 350 feet / min
- Max. Ascent speed: 350 feet / min
- Operating Depth: 37,000 feet (11,277 meters)
- Dive time: 5 hours
- Crew: 1
Deep Flight Super Falcon
General
This fourth generation winged submersible submarine belongs to a new class of luxury sport submersible. The first boat was built in 2008. Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has purchased a Super Falcon for his private island Laucala.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 3.00 m (span); 1.6 m (height); 6.70 m (length)
- Weight: 1818 kg
- Speed: 2-6 knots
- Max. Descent Rate: 200 feet / min
- Max. Ascent speed: 400 feet / min
- Surgical diving depth: 1000 feet (304 meters)
- Crew: 2
- Year of construction 2008.
Web links
swell
- ↑ SAS Aviator Spec Sheet> subaviators.com ( Memento from November 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Subs Technical Spesifications ( Memento of 7 August 2011 at the Internet Archive ) virginoceanic.com
- ↑ DeepFlIght Challenger: the World's Only Full ‐ Ocean Depth Submersible ( Memento March 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) deepflight.com, accessed April 25, 2012.
- ^ Red Bull submarine in the South Seas Upper Deck Travel, accessed on September 17, 2013.