Hawkes Ocean Technologies, the builders of the world’s only winged submersibles for science, industry, adventure, and film/television, delivered DeepFlight Merlin – the first winged vehicle of a new class of high-performance, positively buoyant “open cockpit” submersible.
DeepFlight Merlin is the smallest and lightest submersible available today. It was designed specifically for operation from yachts or shore, with emphasis on ease of storage, launch and recovery, and highlighting the unique experience of underwater flight.
The craft is configured for safety, comfort and to extend the overall capabilities of scuba, with the full advantages of underwater flight. DeepFlight Merlin features Flight and Navigation Computer (FAN-C), which is inserted exactly as flight computers in advanced fighter aircraft. The main function of the FAN-C is to keep the craft inside pre-proscribed depth limits.
The open cockpit of the submarine combines three cockpits side-by-side with flight controls and instrumentation in each cockpit. The craft can be controlled from any position.
DeepFlight Merlin is highly maneuverable, and can be flown level and gently over the reef, or dive nose-first to depth and spyhop to the surface. The craft can be flown at cruising speeds up to 2-5 knots, or less than 1 knot for observation. The windows provide almost 360-degree vision for all occupants.
The new submarine is eco-friendly. It has zero environmental impact and was designed with the lowest light and noise emissions, enabling unprecedented encounters with big animals.
Specification of DeepFlight Merlin:
Length: 4.6m
Width: 3.0m
Height: 1.2m
Weight: 750kg
Payload: 3 persons
Batteries: Lithium Phosphate, recharge from 20%: 10 hrs
Flight Controls: Pitch/Roll/Yaw mechanical
Performance: cruising 2-5 knots
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Releted links:
Hawkes Ocean Technologies
Photo: deepflight.com