Paddlewheel submarine?

[Eddy Matthews]

Okay a crazy question, but a friend of mine who's heavily into model submarines has asked if there was ever a submarine powered by paddlewheels? Has it been attempted, could it even work?

Can anyone help?

[steamboatmodel]

One of my first paddleboats still had the wheels turning as it sank! but I don't think that would qualify. I have never heard of one, but sheerly someone must have tried one.
Regards,
Gerald

[Eddy Matthews]

Nice try Gerald! Seriously I seem to have something in the back of my mind that says it has been tried - Though I'm damned if I can remember where I read it!

The obvious problem is that the bottom of the paddlewheel would try to drive the boat forwards, but the top would be trying to go astern.... Would it work with a paddlebox fitted so that the top of the wheel had no effect on the propulsion?

As I said originally, it's a crazy question, but I still have this feeling that I've read something about it somewhere!

[WVOUGHT]

Seems to me that I once saw a Dutch model in Amsterdam of such a beast. Will check some books for further info.      :news

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks Bill, if you can find anything it would be greatly appreciated!

[mjt60a]

Strangely, I have in the past designed such a boat! The idea was that the wheel would be covered all over except for a 'tunnel' below the sponsons and a circular vent on the side. it'd work in the usual way when on the surface but when submerged, the front of the tunnel would be closed off and water would enter through the paddle vent and be expelled through the tunnel, like a turbine! when the wheel is reversed the front of the tunnel would open and the back would close.......main problem in such a model (that I could see) would be to get it to float on the surface high enough for the paddles to work but still able to submerge.....
....and no, I never tried to build it  :lol:

[Khephre]

Grief Eddie, some of the subjects that you raise.....

try this link for something that's not quite but almost what you're referring to:
http://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/watercraft_technology/

Not powered by paddlewheels but a wheeled sub nonetheless.

And on the same page there's a few notes on the first amphibious vehicle, the Oructor Amphibilos (!) powered by a paddlewheel whilst in the water.

Cheers
Tony

[Eddy Matthews]

Grief Eddie, some of the subjects that you raise.....
Cheers
Tony

I can't be the only one that thinks of these things can I? Maybe my mind is so warped that I am the only one, who knows? :-)

A great link never the less, and some interesting craft shown there, thanks Tony.

[thewharfonline]

it wouldn't work as a war sub but I was thinking about a paddle on the top of the water which is attached by chains to the sub underneath the water...dunno if it would work though but thats how I thought it would work.

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[ajg141]

Eddy

I'm certain that there was such a device at one time - I can remember reading about it somewhere or other. Unfortunately I have just searched  through all my various books and can find no reference in any of them. However I'll keep digging and post something when I find it.

Andrew

[frankmcneilll]

The Good News is that after much research and a lot of head scratching that left me completely bald, a method for providing paddle wheels for submarines has been found!
The Bad News is the paddle wheel design is based on the design of WW1 airplane engines that rotated around their crankshafts. Remaining engines of this kind are probably located in museums, so sneak in when the guards aren't watching.

[mjt60a]

Strangely, I have in the past designed such a boat!....and no, I never tried to build it  :lol:

This was it...