Re: [OT] Re Underwater questions

In a message dated 11/2/99 1:32:28 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
michael@carrickfergus.schoolzone.co.uk writes:

> >I'm working on creating a background for a RPG set on a waterworld
and I 
> have 
>  >the fallowing questions:
>  >1)	What is the maxium practical speed for under water
transporation?
>  >2)	What does a person need to live and what should be in the under
sea 
>  >comunites?
>  Food (no problem in the ocean unless the biochemistry is weird (and
if
>  it is what idiot picked the planet to settle on). Air, no problem,
can
>  be recycled pretty well, oxygen and H2 can be cracked from water
using a
>  bige nuke plant to provide fuel for the smaller subs.

So power, Agri-domes, desalination, space, and air generation, along
with 
some place to build parts and get resouces.

>  >3)	Is there a detailed design system for Submarine design?
>  Why not use Full Thrust, with the hull strength limiting the dive
depth!

That's what I think I'm going to do (Deapth Factor seems to be a good
idea a 
the time) but if I can find a more detailed system, were things like 
configuration would play a part.

>  >4)	Would a submarine fighter (like from Sea Quest or Archemdian
Dynasty) 
> be 
>  >practical?
>  I doubt it, torps are fast but the endurance problem is a killer and
>  they are much slower than fighter aircraft (50kts, admittedly for WW
>  II).

50 knots, that's amost twise the speed of a submarine, I think the big
hurtle 
would be the power plant.

>  >5)	What is the best shape for a lander desgined to move though the
air 
and 
> 
>  >go into the water?
>  Streamlined

Hehe, I was going to use a brick:)

>  >6)	What would be the best simulater for underwater combat be?
>  No idea, but combat would be slow (minutes not seconds) at anything
but
>  knife-fighting ranges.

Okay.

>  >7)	Would "cralwers" be usable?
>  Yes, not very fast and probably limited to shallower water if manned.

most of the water would be around 200 meters, with the deepest part
about 500 
meters.

>  >8)	What does it take to do under water mining?
>  Robots? Pressure is again the problem, Surface mining is easier than
>  actual underground mining, They do mine under the seabed now but they
>  are surface mines that have galleries extending out under the sea and
>  thus relativly shallow. I think it would be possible in shallow water
>  but in deeper water I doubt it.

Okay.

>  >9)	What would be the normal shapes that buildings be based on?
>  Domes, strong and simple,though as long as the pressure balances
almost
>  any shape would do?

I think that domes and spheres would be predomodant.

>  >10) What type of weapons would work (lasers are out, but what about
Sonic 
>  >weapons)?
>  Lasers would work, blue-green ones anyway. Range might be limited
>  though, depending on the clarity of the water, hmmn, estury mouth,
lots
>  of suspended sediment, 1/4 range.
>  Almost anything would work but ranges would be way down, tens of
metres
>  instead of hundreds for any projectile hand weapon.
>  Torps. Im thinking of the Russian rocket powered torps, cannot
remember
>  the speed but fast.

I think you're talking about a 200 knoter, it was rocket propelled and 
carried a nuke warhead. 
  
>  What were those David Drake (?) stories about a waterworld with
really
>  hostile plant life on the islands?
>  
>  Another nice book is T.J. Bass's 'The Godwhale'.

Thanks,  I'll check into them.
-Stephen