Man Allegedly Builds Homemade Submarine

By John Farrier in Auto & Transportation, Science & Tech on Sep 6, 2009 at 7:47 pm

Photo: China Daily

Tao Xiangli, a Chinese inventor, is reported to have built a functional submarine:

Amateur inventor Tao, 34, made a fully functional submarine, which has a periscope, depth control tanks, electric motors, manometer, and two propellers, from old oil barrels and tools which he bought at a second-hand market. He took 2 years to invent and test the submarine which costs 30,000 yuan (US$4,385).

This comes a month after a Chinese farmer was reported to have built a helicopter from spare parts.

Link via Gizmodo

Tags: submarine, submarines, Tao Xiangli

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Jill
Sep 6th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Well, maybe he did, but I’m not holding my breath…lol

If he did, I hope he has a good escape hatch, and doesn’t go too deep.

Jill
Justin
Sep 6th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
This may be true, I’m not really sure. However, it seems every other month another Chinese farmer makes some sort of crazy contraption out of spare parts.

I’m a little skeptical how he managed to not only get the money together, but build a submarine without any help. I really wouldn’t put it past the Chinese State media to either completely fabricate, or greatly exaggerate these stories.

I mean, did you guys see the comments on website? It made me laugh so hard. Here is one from a supposed American commenter:

“I love this story and if America could remove some of the laws that stop Americans from building and doing we would become a better nation. My Hat is off to you.”
Chang
Sep 6th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
chan chan the chinese man
calvin
Sep 7th, 2009 at 12:58 am
what’s next? robots?
Yang
Sep 7th, 2009 at 1:23 am
Well I don’t think our state media have any reason to make this up…however I can’t say the same for some tabloids.

From what I know American amateurs do build much grander things? Like spaceships?
Sid
Sep 7th, 2009 at 1:54 am
It’s not invention, if you build something that already exists…
dashiell hammett
Sep 7th, 2009 at 3:18 am
Well I am American and I just built my own pair of chopsticks. TAKE THAT MR. TAO.
dildozer
Sep 7th, 2009 at 4:11 am
^ comes on midgets
dildozer
Sep 7th, 2009 at 4:12 am
why is my wiener so huge?
Foreigner1
Sep 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am
So what’s next- A Chinese farmer that out of scratch / rubbish builds his own working space rocket?
Shannon
Sep 7th, 2009 at 8:35 am
This is actually an older story, and lots of pictures of tihs sub have been floating around for months. I’m sure it’s real. However, from the construction I can’t imagine that the sub can dive to a depth of much more than ten feet safel without the hull collapsing — it doesn’t look very strong.
Jev
Sep 7th, 2009 at 10:51 am
What an amateur…

A group of friends and I build a sub too.

Much bigger

17.6 meters, 32 tons

Theoretical crush depth 470 meters, but we plan only to dive down to 100 meters.

Its a diesel/electric, and took around 3 years to build.

Its the 3rd sub we build. And the biggest.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hobonerd/2784123565/sizes/l/in/set-721576 06395935820/
Jev
Sep 7th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Better picture of Nautilus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hobonerd/2784975532/sizes/l/in/set-721576 04823470166/
Kevin
Sep 7th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Columbian drug runners have been using their own home-made submarines to get cocaine to the U.S. for years.
Justin
Sep 7th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Colombian drug running operations have the backing of millions of dollars, a large organization, and a lot of motivation to be undetectable.

This guy supposedly had only an elementary school education.
Jev
Sep 8th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Remember the drug runners dont have a real submarine, it cant dive or sail underwater.

Its more a boat with a low waterline, thats sinkable incase they get caught.

And in my book thats not a sub.

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