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SP-350 Diving Saucer "Denise"

Soucoupe Plongeante Depth: 350 (SP-350) christened as "Denise" she was also called the "Diving Saucer" namely because of her futuristic design. From 1959 onward she came along with Cousteau aboard R/V Calypso on many of his voyages. Often controlled by the capable hands of Calypso's First Mate, Albert Falco; she made more then 1500 dives all over the world and could dive to a depth of 350 meters. She accomplished many firsts in her time and not unlike her mothership Calypso was famous around the world.

Stormworks SP-350:
I try very hard to remain as faithful to the real life craft I'm replicating within Stormworks whenever possible, because of the SP-350's small size I had to make many concessions in this case, particularly on the interior. Operationally she's not much different to her real counterpart, although she traded in her water jets for propellers. One key similarity is her buoyancy. With a ballast weight she is (only very slightly) negatively buoyant which means she will descend unaided, albeit very slowly, and at the stern because she is slightly unbalanced (again due to space limitations). This offers the advantage that she can dive to any in game depth and you will not need to pump out water to ascend. In an emergency you can drop the ballast weight and she will surface unaided and relatively quickly (very handy when the batteries have been almost depleted and you are stuck on the bottom).

Operation:
*Note: If you are playing alone I would recommend following these steps closely because if you do not she might sink.

DIVE PREPERATIONS:
- Before diving operation begin ensure the batteries are charged. If they require charging use the electrical plug located on the aft bulkhead in the aft hold.
- Turn ON either the Port or Starboard Battery Cut-ins
- Turn ON the Miscellaneous Systems Breaker
- Set the Radio Frequency and Video Transmit Channel appropriately

DIVING:
- Use the deck crane to lift and swing the SP-350 over the deck and into the water.
- Only lower the SP-350 far enough into the water so as the hatch is the only thing above water. Try to prevent as much water from entering the SP-350 as possible. If she is swamped lift her from the water allow the bilge to drain the water and try this process again.
- Once in the water you can turn off the Deck Crane compressor
- Board the SP-350 and immediately close the hatch
- Observe that any water that entered while the hatch was open is drained.*
*Any amount of water in the crew compartment can affect the submarines buoyancy negatively.
- When ready disconnect the Recovery Hook (turn the Key on).
- When cleared to dive, turn ON the 'Flood/Blow Ballast Tanks' Switch and leave ON.
- When nearing the desired depth turn ON the 'Neutralize Buoyancy' switch.
- If the submersible is tilted left or right turn ON the 'Ballast Trim System' this will assist in keeping the submersible on an even keel
- Propulsion and pitch are controlled exclusively from the left seat. Information on the power output of the propulsion motors and the throttle setting (sticky/reset) are viewable from the Pilot's chin rest.

SURFACING:
- When cleared to surface turn OFF the 'Flood/Blow Ballast Tanks'
- Turn OFF 'Neutralize Buoyancy'
- Turn OFF the 'Ballast Trim System'
- Turn OFF the Recovery Hook
- Propel yourself to Calypso and get within range of the deck crane's recovery hook and allow the connectors to connect.
- At this point you can open the hatch and egress the submarine.
- Water may enter the submarine but as long as the crane and submarine are connected you won't loose it.
- Lift the submarine aboard, stow it back in its mount and tie it down.
- If needed charge the batteries and replace the ballast weight.
*Note: Due to space constraints it might be easier to reattach a new ballast weight while the crane is still connected and about 1M above the aft hold deck.

EMERGENCIES:
In the event you find yourself low on electricity and unable to ascend under your own power you can release the ballast weight. Be advised however that this method is not recommend for regular use. As your ballast weights are in limited supply and if you deplete all that you have stowed aboard Calypso the SP-350 cannot descend without them and will be rendered useless for further dives.

MULTIPLAYER:
As in real life, SP-350 operation(s) were not conducted solo, the entire crew participated in its launching and recovery. The only difference with the procedures listed above is that the submersible pilot can board and close the hatch from the safety of the hold. Then be lifted out by someone operating the deck crane. Of course the sub can then be recovered in a similar manner.

UPDATE 20 APR 2022:
- Complete rebuild of all systems
-Now includes seating for two
- Interior rebuilt to look more akin to the real submersible

ENJOY!