The Superaviator Mini-Sub

Check out the article by Caroline Graham on the Daily Mail website.

The white mini-sub is airplane-like and is 22ft long with a 12.2 foot wingspan. Has a weight of 3,800 lbs. Top speed is 6 knots (but can be boosted to 7.9 knots with thrusters). It is electric powered.

Former U.S. Navy nuclear attack submarine commander, Captain Alfred McLaren said the following about this vehicle, "This is to underwater exploration what the first Wright Brothers plane was to commercial flight."

The sub can dive down to a depth of over 1,000ft at a top speed of six knots. So far, the deepest it has travel is down to 1250 feet down. It is intended to explore the limits of the continental shelves where marine archaeologists would look for ancient ship wrecks, etc. The pilots are encased in one of two cockpit 'pods', which are pressurised spaces topped with thick Perspex domes allowing for a 360-degree view underwater.

Quote: 'This submersible represents a revolution in underwater adventure and exploration. Most subs go up and down using a ballast system, similar to a hot-air balloon. They have limited manoeuvrability and range. Then you have unmanned subs, but they are normally tethered to a mother ship.

'This craft offers a freedom of movement never seen before. It's built along the principles of flight, with thrust, lift and drag allowing you to "fly" beneath the waves. It has wings and a joystick to bank like an aeroplane and it can turn and curve at will. Plus the visibility is much better than with scuba diving. You're not loaded down with heavy gear and you don't have to exert yourself physically in the way you do on a dive. Our sub has the ability to cover large areas for hours at a time without fatigue or decompression worries.

___

Ref: DailyMail, November 10, 2009. by Caroline Graham. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1225515/Its-plane-sailing-The-Super-Aviator-sub-action.html#ixzz0WZDLDiXD).

www.subaviators.com.