We call it, the Deep Flight Merlin, but Virgin calls it the Necker Nymph. Either way, this scuba sub, is soon to get a taste of clear blue Necker water!
Initial Sea trial image of the assembled sub
And...yes... I'm drilling a hole in it. hahahahaha
BUT FINALLY... we got rid of the sub... after an insane build with an impossible deadline after losing 5 weeks of build time along with no one else left in the company to finish the sub, besides me and josh, with the help our buddies - Barca, Erich, Carlos, Steve, Chris - we made it.
Working till the last moment as the sub went into the container that Virgin Limited Group sent, we all finally got some sleep. I almost died on the way home due to constantly falling asleep at the wheel and at intersections and even... MIDDLE of the intersection, dude what a trip because didn't remember how i got home after waking up in my own comfy bed 16 hours later.
It was all a fuzzy memory past 2 months especially final 5 days or so, luckily we had pictures reminding us of the craziness. Still more work to be done, and more sea trials and such, but that will happen later and live updates as it happens and as we deliver! Crossing my fingers since the future rests on our client's experience.
I'm just going to load a bunch of pix, they're self explanatory~
Picked up the body
Had a well deserving lunch mmmm BBQ oysters
Fitting various heights to make sure Branson fits. As you see... our shop is a mess, like a bomb went off and it's a mess!! this is what happens during crazy build, no sleep 4 days i went home once.
yeah... my desk exploded too... I had enough wire diagrams to make wall paper. yes most of it is not in this picture because it's everywhere
After getting the sub onto it's lauch dolly i passed out literally on floor. dropped, fell asleep.
Positioning the sub in place to back it into the container. DUDE backing this up sucked because there are two pivot points, takes mad skills yo!
There it is!! In the container and out of our hands FINALLY. We're so excited to get rid of it since we've been working like nuts. However, it was a great experience and hanging out with the team. Forever references to the final build of this project, leaving a few good quotes that we will remember
- "I got kicked by a horse" (while dropping his pants to show us the bruise on his leg) - A
- Barca, No Duck Porn - CC
- "your tool is too nasty for this" - JG
- "I hate wires" - CC
- "OHHH it's wet...it's dripping in my ear" followed by "that's what she said" - CC & JG
- "Come here, I want to put something in your mouth" - JG
- "Is this how NASA would do it?" - EC
- "The color is the color" - Carlos
- "Charles are you ok?" (my leg sticking out of the cockpit upside down, asleep passed out 5:30am inside the submarine, after dropping a drill on my face without knowing)
- "I hate the blue shaft"
- plenty of "that's what she said"
After too much pizza, coke, pepsi, coffee, falling asleep on any flat surface possible, kicking the tow hitch on the long bar many times by accident and never learn that it's there, we got it done.
More to update, depending on how it goes on Necker Island, and available internet access, I'll be updating LIVE! so follow my page! first dibbs on trials, delivery and handing over the Sub to Branson.
Sleep time, packing still, so much more to do!! It... never... ends...
but this should be fun. we'll find out!
Dylan edits Wired.com's Gadget Lab blog, and likes to write about technology, science, gadgets, and their impact on society and culture.
