AN UNUSUAL submarine took off on its maiden flight last week in the
Pacific Ocean off Monterey in California. Deep Flight鈥檚 designer Graham Hawkes
piloted the minisub on three shallow dives lasting about 4 hours in total, plus
a brief fourth dive at its official launch ceremony 3 days later.
鈥淭he sub flew beautifully,鈥� says a spokeswoman for the project. 鈥淭here are no
kinks to work out, which is rare for a first test.鈥�
The tiny, bullet-shaped craft, which is barely big enough to hold a pilot
lying in a prone position, operates like an upside-down aircraft (鈥淰oyage to the
bottom of the sea鈥�, New 杏吧原创, 25 February 1995, p 26). When the
buoyant vessel moves through the water, 鈥渓ift鈥� from its stubby wings pulls it
downwards. The pilot manoeuvres it like an aeroplane.
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The $1-million craft is the prototype for Hawkes鈥檚 next sub. If all
goes well, he hopes to take Deep Flight II down 11 000 metres into the deepest
part of the oceans, the Marianas Trench.