Local Engineer’s Homemade Sub to Get Maiden Voyage

Local Engineer’s Homemade Sub to Get Maiden Voyage

Published: February 6, 2013 (Issue # 1745)

Mikhail Puchkov, an engineer from St. Petersburg, is planning to launch a private submarine that he has made himself, Interfax reported.

Puchkov began building the submarine in the 1980s. At first, he worked on it only during the summer, as he didn’t have any suitable facilities for the winter, but for the past few years he has been putting the finishing touches to it in a heated garage.

“I’ve tested the submarine 100 kilometers from St. Petersburg in Lake Ladoga and in the Gulf of Finland, and I’m planning to launch it this summer during my vacation,” Puchkov said.

The submarine, named Kit (Whale), is five meters long and weighs about three tons. It has a top speed of three knots and can submerge to a depth of 10 meters.

For short trips, the submarine can accommodate two people, but for longer trips it is only really comfortable for one person. Kit has enough air reserves to allow the person inside to stay underwater for one-and-a-half to two hours.

Its fuel tank holds 200 liters of gas, and it uses about four liters of fuel per hour.

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