- Necker Nymph
-
Career Name: Necker Nymph Owner: Virgin Limited Edition Operator: Virgin Oceanic Builder: Hawkes Ocean Technologies Cost: £415,000 General characteristics Class and type: DeepFlight Merlin Displacement: 750kg Length: 4.6m Beam: 3.0m Capacity: 3 Crew: 1 Necker Nymph is an open-cockpit submersible vehicle that relies on hydrodynamic forces for anti-lift force, and is positively buoyant. It is the initial example of the DeepFlight Merlin class of submersibles manufactured by Hawkes Ocean Technologies, based on the DeepFlight submersible technology.[1] The Nymph is operated by Virgin Aquatic,[2] from the 105-foot yacht Necker Belle[3] that is based at the Virgin Limited Edition resort Necker Island.[4]
The Nymph is 15-feet long, capable of 360-degree "hydrobatic" maneuvers, diving up to 130-feet underwater, seating one pilot and two passengers in an open cockpit (necessitating wearing scuba gear).[5][6][7] Occupants have a "windscreen" to protect them from the water's slipstream. It is the first of the DeepFlight Merlin series of submersibles.[8]
References
- ^ gizmag.com, "Necker Nymph: underwater flying becomes Virgin territory", Noel McKeegan, 21 January 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ Time Magazine, "Virgin Founder Richard Branson", Dan Fletcher, 1 September 2009 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ SuperYachts.com, "Necker Nymph ‘Underwater Aircraft’ announced by Virgin Limited Edition" (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ New York Daily News, "Richard Branson's latest toy? An underwater plane called 'Necker Nymph'", Catey Hill, Monday 1 February 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ Jaunted.com, "Richard Branson Has a New Toy: An Airplane-like Submarine!", 2 February 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ Forbes.com, "What billionaires do on summer vacations", Katie Evans, 16 June 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ The Sun (London), "Submergin' Atlantic", Richard Moriarty, 29 January 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
- ^ Daily Mail, "What to get the man who has everything? An underwater plane of course", Claire Bates, 29 January 2010 (accessed 25 July 2010)
External links
- Necker Belle, Necker Nymph webpage (official)
- Necker Island, Necker Nymph webpage (official)
- Virgin Limited Edition, Necker Nymph webpage (official)
Categories:- Virgin Limited Edition
- Personal submarines
- Wet submarines
- Tourism stubs
- Submarine stubs
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