Ambient Model 3

Ambient Model 3.  1:10th scale.  In the shed. 

I haven’t got a picture of this underwater but this one worked really well.  I had decided that a top hatch was out of the question as the amount of soft ballast needed to give it enough freeboard was just to much.  With these very basic geometric shapes, it was easy to calculate the displacement and required lead static ballast.  This model was stable both on the surface and underwater but the big difference was that it was also stable at the transitional point between the two.  The only bad point was that I’d lost my top hatch, and would have to swim in from underneath.  But then it was only an experiment anyway.

 

The big trouble with all these models was that with the bottom being open to the sea water, and hence changing volumes of air, it was tricky to achieve neutral buoyancy.  The auto compensator I’d designed might have worked if it could deliver and vent air quick enough.

Luckily I decided to scrap these ideas and go for something I know at least will work.

Submersible Build Log