Aluminaut

"Aluminaut" was built in 1964 and was the world's first aluminum submarine. The 80-ton, manned deep-ocean research submersible was built by Reynolds Metals Company, which was seeking to prove the utility of aluminum.

Designed to be an experimental vessel, the "Aluminaut" was based in Miami, Florida, and was operated from 1964 to 1970 by Reynolds Marine Services, doing contract work for the U.S. Navy and other organizations, including filmmaker Jacques Cousteau.

"Aluminaut" is best known for helping recover a lost unarmed U.S. atomic bomb in 1966 and recovering its smaller fellow Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV), "Alvin (DSV-2)" in 1969, after "Alvin" had been lost and sank in the Atlantic Ocean the previous year. After retirement, "Aluminaut" was donated to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, where it is on permanent display.

Reynolds Metals: seeking new uses for aluminum

Reynolds Metals was founded in 1919 as the U.S. Foil Company, and grew to become the second largest aluminum company in the United States and third largest in the world. A wide range of consumer products include its most famous creation, Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil, introduced in 1947, and many other household and industrial products. [ [http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr2006/may06/lookback.shtml Virginia Business] .]

Reynolds Metals was also a pioneer in research and development of other products using aluminum, many of which were less well-known to the public. Not all of its products became commercially viable for the company. These included an aluminum transit bus developed with ROHR Industries, and other aluminum motor vehicles, where the weight advantages of aluminum proved to be literally and cost-wise surpassed by steel, plastics and fiberglass, although certain automotive components did begin to utilize aluminum. [ [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Alcoa-Inc-Company-History.html Alcoa, Inc. Company History] .]

In the 1960s, Reynolds Metals' aluminum submarine, dubbed "Aluminaut", was both an experimental product and one which participated in important work. It was to became part of the Reynolds Metals Company legacy in Richmond, Virginia.

1964: Aluminaut: the world's first aluminum submarine

The concept of an aluminum submarine was originally developed at Reynolds Metals Company during World War II in 1942 by Executive Vice President Julian "Louis" Reynolds, a son of the founder. At 34, Louis Reynolds was in charge of the foil division, which accounted for 65% of the company's sales before the war. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,802839,00.html Time Magazine] .] Reynolds Metals played an active role in the U.S. war effort, and its aluminum was a critical component in aircraft. However, it would be more than 20 years before the aluminum submarine concept became a reality. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,830674,00.html Time Magazine] .] [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/reynolds-metals-company Answers.com] .]

In 1964, Reynolds had the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut build the world's first aluminum submarine, which it named "Aluminaut". The submersible was operated by subsidiary Reynolds Marine Services based in Miami, Florida. Compared to many deep sea vessels, "Aluminaut" was large. It weighed 80-tons and could accommodate a crew of 3 and 3-4 scientists. It was equipped with four view ports, active and passive sonar, manipulators, side scan sonar, and could accommodate 6000 pounds of scientific payload. [http://www.smv.org/exhibitions/permanent/aluminaut.asp Aluminaut] at SMV.]

Reynolds had the "Aluminaut" designed and built as an experiment itself, and for maximum flexibility, it was outfitted for many types of oceanographic and salvage missions. Time Magazine reported in September 1964 on the unique specifications, reporting that the vessel's "51 ft. hull consists of eleven forged cylinders. Since aluminum's strength-to-weight ratio exceeds that of steel, the Aluminaut's 6½-in.-thick shell will withstand pressures of 7,500 lb/in² (52 MPa) at the sub's 17,000 ft. maximum diving range. At the same time, the craft is buoyant enough to surface, submerge and operate easily under its own power."

1966: Helping recover a lost unarmed atomic bomb

Before very long the "Aluminaut" became useful during an incident which could have had major implications. On January 17, 1966, a 1.45-megaton hydrogen bomb was lost in the Mediterranean Sea during a United States Air Force Palomares hydrogen bombs incident over Palomares, Spain.

Eight crew members were killed in the mid-air crash of a B-52 bomber and a KC-135 refueling plane. The crash dropped three hydrogen bombs on the land, and one in the sea. Although the others were quickly located, the bomb which had fallen into the ocean could not be located promptly. [ [http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/this_day_in_history/this_day_January_17.php This Day in History, January 17th] : The History Channel.]

The U.S. Navy responded to the coast off Spain with an 18-ship, 2,200-man recovery task force under Admiral William S. "Wild Bill" Guest. In addition to military ships, the civilian-crewed "Aluminaut" and its fellow Deep Sea Submersible (DSV), "Alvin (DSV-2)", were both used to respond to this urgent situation as part of the task force, with other specialized equipment on-hand as well. Once on scene, "Aluminaut" and "Alvin" were put to work to searching the ocean depths to locate and recover the submerged bomb. For eighty days the search went on, straining the U.S. relationship with Spain, and giving Soviet propagandists what "Time" magazine described as "a rich fallout of anti-American gibes". cite web | date = 1966-04-15 | accessdate = 2007-05-30 | title = Untitled "Time" Archive article | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,835345-1,00.html ]

The bomb was found by "Alvin" resting nearly 910 meters (3000 ft) deep, and was raised intact on April 7, 1966. [ [http://www.brook.edu/fp/projects/nucwcost/palomares.htm Palomares] , Brook.] [ [http://classicdivebooks.customer.netspace.net.au/oeclassics-oceanography.html Classic Dive Books] .] [ [http://www.ukdivers.net/history/oceans.htm UK Divers] .] Admiral Guest allowed it to be photographed by the news media, allowing the world at large its first peek at an H-bomb as it sat secured on the fantail of the 2,100-ton submarine rescue ship USS "Petrel".

1969: Rescuing a fellow DSV

Although both were put into service in 1964, the smaller "Alvin" was to have a much longer life, and 35 years later, was still doing important work. Yet, "Aluminaut" proved vital to that in 1969.

In October 1968, the "Alvin" was being transported aboard the NOAA tender ship Lulu. The "Lulu" was a vessel created from a pair of decommissioned US Navy pontoons with a support structure added on, and carried "Alvin" on a steel cable. The cable snapped with three crew members aboard and the hatch open. Situated between the pontoons with no deck underneath, the "Alvin" hit the water and rapidly started to sink. The three crew members managed to escape, but the sub sank in 1500 meters (5000 ft) of water.

In September 1969 the "Aluminaut" was used to secure a line on the "Alvin", located almost a mile beneath the surface and intact, which was then hauled up. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A798230 BBC] .] Lunches left aboard "Alvin" were found to be soggy but edible. This incident led to a more comprehensive understanding that near-freezing temperatures and the lack of decaying oxygen at depth aided preservation. The "Alvin" required a major overhaul after the incident. [ [http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7541 WHOI] .]

Other missions

"Aluminaut" also did other work for the U.S. Navy, recovering a 2,100-pound current array torpedo at the Navy's acoustic testing facility in the Bahamas. She helped make movies for Jacques Cousteau and Ivan Tor Studios. Depths up to 6,000 feet were reached while surveying for the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office. [ [http://hnsa.org/ships/aluminaut.htm Aluminaut] , HNSA.]

Retirement, display

The "Aluminaut" was retired in 1970. Subsequently, she was donated by Reynolds Metals Company to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. There the world's first aluminum submarine is on permanent static display. The "Aluminaut" display serves to remind museum visitors of the role of aluminum and Reynold Metals Company in the growth of both Richmond and the United States.

See also

*Black smoker
*hydrothermal vent
*Deep submergence vehicle
*Oceanic ridge

References

External links

* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/aluminaut.htm "Aluminaut" at Science Museum of Virginia]
* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/aluminaut.htm Historic Naval Ships Association "Aluminaut"]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,830674,00.html "Time Magazine" story "Aluminaut & Aqucmauts" September 11, 1964]