The DeepFlight Super Falcon is a personal submarine

Personal submarine

A personal submarine is a submarine, usually privately funded and constructed, which is usually primarily intended for recreational use, though some are used also for scientific purposes...

 designed by Graham Hawkes

Graham Hawkes

Graham Hawkes is a London-born marine engineer and submarine designer. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Hawkes designed 70% of the manned submersibles produced in those two decades...

, a former civilian ocean engineer. It was hoped that the technology used in this submersible would allow travel to the deepest parts of the ocean.

Development

The Super Falcon was designed by Graham Hawkes. Later, he started designing submersible vehicles for both the oil industry and those in the scientific research sectors. One of his earlier submersibles was featured in the James Bond

James Bond

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

 film For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only (film)

For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...

. Another was used in producer James Cameron

James Cameron

James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...

's Aliens of the deep

Aliens of the Deep

Aliens of the Deep is a 2005 documentary film, directed in part by James Cameron alongside fellow cameraman Steven Quale, who would later go on to direct Final Destination 5 six years later, and filmed in the IMAX 3D format. It was produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures...

.

In 2005, Hawkes and adventurer Steve Fossett

Steve Fossett

James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...

 teamed up to create a submarine that could be piloted by an individual to the deepest part of the ocean. This spot in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

, called Challenger Deep

Challenger Deep

The Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the oceans, with a depth of to by direct measurement from submersibles, and slightly more by sonar bathymetry . It is located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench near the Mariana Islands group...

, is approximately 36201 feet (11,034.1 m) under the ocean's surface and is thought to be the deepest point in the ocean.. Together they began to develop the Challenger submersible with this goal in mind. However, in 2007 Fossett lost his life in a fatal accident over the deserts of Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 before the feat could be attempted.

The first test flight of the Super Falcon ran into a few problems including getting the submersible stuck in a kelp bed, which had to be cut free with the help of a safety diver. Other initial problems included a broken prop and rudder while performing vertical dives and 90 degree rolls.

Design

The Super Falcon is classified as a winged submersible with a numerical design designation of DF 302. With its wings deployed, it measures 3 m (9.8 ft) wide x 1.6 m (5.2 ft) x 6.7 m (22 ft) long. The width is reduced to 1.4 m (4.6 ft) with the side wings folded.

The electricity that drives the propulsion system is from batteries

Battery (electricity)

An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...

, the Super Falcon's cruise speed is between 2–6 kn (1.1–3.3 ). Its maximum thrust is 508 lb (230.4 kg). The maximum rate at which it can make a descent is 200 ft/min and the maximum rate at which it can ascend is 400 ft/min. It can operate at a depth of 1,000 fsw with a payload of 230 kg (507.1 lb), or 2 persons. It has a launch weight of 1818 kg (4,008 lb).