Human powered submarine

Latest update. Just bulkheads and some body panels this week but it’s coming along.

 

a really good mate of mine, Ollie, built this. we used to whitewater kayak and raft guide together. may be some things that may help you

 

So someone copied the info on the "Sleeping Beauty"?

 

Wayne Nicol, I love the flapping tail on the kayak/sub.

 

Hey, I don't know whether this will meet the rules, though on a quick skim I didn't see anything obvious, but how about a much simpler design:

According to the rules I skimmed, there is a category for non-propeller driven subs.

So!

1. Row it like a row boat, or racing scull. (Though of course the oars need to turn to feather forwards through the water. All you need is a simple structure for the oarlocks and sliding foot rests, that can weigh almost nothing, and a mirror, so you can see where you are going. Possibly add a lightweight skin-on-frame structure to streamline the sculler(s).

That may sound crazy, but amount of the power people are talking about being able to deliver to a propeller is much less than rowers (scullers) generate over such short distances, and scullers can accelerate very fast.

(I don't understand why the delivered power is so low for ISR propeller drives - less than top bicyclists can cruise at - though I realize these are wet subs, so there is water resistance involved with moving parts (human and otherwise) inside the sub, and the available scuba gear might limit the rate of oxygen intake.)

2. Another alternative is nothing more than a feathered two bladed paddle ("feathered" meaning the blades are at an angle to each other, so that one blade can pull back while the other slices cleanly forwards). (BTW, I'm not a great swimmer, but I can personally swim - on the surface - faster with a paddle than without.) Maybe add a freediving fin for the legs. And again, possibly add a streamlining skin-on-frame structure.

3. Put a very good swimmer in a freediving suit, including webbed gloves and an efficient fin. Michael Phelps can swim without aids faster than most one man ISR submarines; add the efficient fin and webbed gloves, and I wouldn't be surprised if he could beat all or most one person ISR subs. Granted, he would need to use an underwater stroke, which is slower than freestyle, and ISR rules require you carry a small scuba tank, but still...

Are these crazy ideas? Have they been tried? Do they break any rules?

BTW, does your son have to be the pilot? Using a the strongest, fittest athlete is going to be a significant advantage.

 

Hi gang, it's been a while but we are approaching completion of the sub and thought you might be interested in an update. We ultimately went with two bevel gears to twin props and chopped down the rear of the sub to reduce drag. Looks like the sub will be featured on a French TV show. They came to our house and filmed us working and will be at the races in the 25th.

 

Do you have pictures of the propulsion units?

 

Great video

 

Hi gang, we just completed the International Submarine Races. After some minor mods we flew straight and true over the 100 yard course. Only 11 of the 19 teams completed the course. She was a dream to fly.

 

Well done.