The Tricycle Submarine

[Timerover51]

This should be an interesting challenge for those working on Vehicle-Maker. Simon Lake's Argonaut 2 submarine. The following is a short description. The submarine was equipped with two masts which projected above the water so as to allow the use of the gasoline engine while submerged. They could be used down to 50 feet.

Argonaut No. 2 was a much bigger boat, and proved that Mr. Lake's theories were substantially correct. She is 36 ft. long. Her diameter amidships is 9 ft. ; her displacement when entirely submerged is about 59 tons ; her draught when at the surface is 10 ft., and when submerged 15 ft. She is built of steel plates 3/8 inch in thickness, double-riveted over strong steel frames. She is provided with a 30 h.p. "White and Middleton " gasoline engine, which propels her both on the surface and while submerged, and runs all the auxiliary machinery. She has two Mannesmann steel reservoirs for the storage of compressed air, which have been tested to a pressure of 4000 Ib. per square inch. She is provided with air compressors, water-ballast pumps, and hoisting machinery for raising or lowering her two downhaul weights. She is lighted by incandescent electric lamps throughout, and carries a 4000 candle-power searchlight in her bows, all run by a dynamo. Machinery for rotating her side driving-wheels and various gauges for determining depth, rate of speed, and air pressure are also provided, together with a complete outfit for divers, who are equipped with telephones and electric lamps.

That is taken from the following book on archives.org: SUBMARINE WARFARE: Past and Present, by Herbert Fyfe, 1907. The Lake submarines are covered in Appendix V.

https://archive.org/details/submarinewarfare00fyferich

Then there is Simon Lake's own description in his book: The submarine in war and peace; its developments and its possibilities, 1918. Lake was the one competitor of John Holland, and had some very interesting ideas for commercial submarines. His book may be downloaded here:

https://archive.org/details/cu31924030902328