FNRS-2 



LENGTH: 22.75 ft HATCH DIAMETER : 16.9 in. ID, 21 .65 in. OD 



BEAM 10.4 ft LIFE SUPPORT (MAX): lOOman-hr 



HEIGHT: 18.9 ft TOTAL POWER; NA 



DRAPT: 10 ft SPEED (KNOTS): CRUISE 0.2 knots 



WEIGHT (DRY): 28 tons MAX NA 



OPERATING DEPTH: 13,500 ft CREW: PILOTS 1 



COLLAPSE DEPTH: 20,000 ft OBSERVERS: 1 



LAUNCH DATE: 1948 PAYLOAD: NA 



PRESSURE HULL: Spherical shape composed of two hemispheres cast of Ni-Cr-Mo steel 6 ft 7 in. OD, 3.54 in. thick reinforced to 5.91 in. at 



viewports and held together with clamps along an equatorial ring. Weight in air of 1 tons. 



BALLAST/BUOYANCY: Positive buoyancy is obtained by 6,600 gal (1,059 ft^) of gasoline contained in six upright, cylindrical tanks within a 



22. 75x10. 4xl3-ft, 0.04-in.-thick, iron float. Approximately 8 tons of gravel, scrap iron and iron shot are electromagnetically held to provide 



negative buoyancy: the iron shot may be dropped incrementally. A "horsetail" of thin cables serves as a near-bottom guiderope and fine buoyancy 



control, 



PROPULSION/CONTROL: Two electric motors (1-hp each) are mounted topside port/starboard and drive the vehicle forward or reverse. 



TRIM; No systems available. 



POWER SOURCE: One externally-mounted, pressure-compensated, droppable, lead-acid battery of 14 cells and 900 amp-hr supplies primary 



power. A reserve battery of 120 cells is also carried. Both batteries are electromagnetically held below the float. 



LIFE SUPPORT: O2 is carried in the pressure sphere and released into the cabin automatically. Cabin air is blown through soda-lime cartridges to 



remove CO2. Humidity is reduced by silica gel. 



VIEWING: Two viewports, each is 5.91 in. thick, 15.75 in. OD, 3.94 in. ID. One looks downward from the vertical (about 30°) and forward. The 



second is in the entrance hatch and looks aft, upward toward the float. 



OPERATING/SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT: Tachometer for vertical speed, pressure gage. 



MANIPULATORS: None 



SAFETY FEATURES: Snorkel for breathing when surfaced. Batteries (2,650 lb) and all ballast droppable. 



SURFACE/SHORE SUPPORT: Can be transported aboard ship and launched/retrieved at sea. Normally it is towed to dive site. 



OWNER: French Navy. 



BUILDER: Auguste Piccard, with funds from the Belgium National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS). 



REMARKS: Reconfigured to FNRS-3 by the French Navy in 1949 1953 after severe damage to float while in tow during heavy weather. 



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