Deep Flight Super Falcon

The sub-aquatic terrain from ocean's surface down to about 100 feet is where most marine life forms hang out. The best place by far to experience fish and other sea life is in the shallow areas where the sea meets the land.  I've been lucky enough to have a few experiences like that.

In recent years, there's been a lot of technical innovation with submersibles designed for personal exploration of the marine environment.  Almost all of these personal submersible craft depend on filling ballast tanks with water to operate beneath the water's surface. Getting back to the surface safely requires a system to purge the water ballast with compressed air, thus returning buoyancy to the submersible.  While margins of safety are built into this kind of submersible, there is always a risk.

A new submersible design  developed by Graham Hawkes does away with the need for ballast. Called the Deep Flight Super Falcon,  this new submersible works on the same principles as an aircraft.  It remains positively buoyant at all times, providing a high margin of safety. In essence, it 'flies' underwater. It's electric propulsion system provides the forward thrust required to submerge and keep the craft beneath the water's surface.  Like an aircraft, the submersible Falcon has steerable 'wings' that allow it to be controlled.  Most important,  if power is lost, this submersible will return to the surface on its own.

The things I've read about this technology don't give an indication of the cost. I'm guessing the Falcon is too expensive to be anything more than a research tool for well funded institutions or a new kind of 'toy' for the super rich. 

Still, it is a very worthwhile innovation and offers the possibility of making underwater exploration safe and accessible to more people than ever before. 

Deep Flight Super Falcon

Here is a link to Hawkes Ocean Technology   http://www.deepflight.com/

Here is a You Tube link of the Deep Flight Super Falcon flying beneath the sea... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsV_eUovKw#t=22