6.2.08

Fulton Skyhook Video

Fulton surface-to-air recovery system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This system was developed by inventor Robert Edison Fulton, Jr. for the United States Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1950s. It was an evolution from a similar system that was used during World War II by American and British forces. The earlier system did not use a balloon, but had a pair of poles that were set in the ground on either side of the person to be retrieved, with a line running from the top of one pole to the other. An aircraft (usually a C-47 Skytrain) would trail a grappling hook and engage the line, which was attached to the person to be retrieved.

In Thunderball (1965) film, the sky-hook system is used at the end to pick up Bond and Domino from a life raft.

Fulton surface-to-air recovery system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diver Daves' Mark-15 Backplate Page

Making or buying backplates and wings for the Mark-15 series has always been the first job any new Mark-15 diver needs to deal with. The issue is that the back of the chassis of the Mark-15 has a definite angle to it, and thus a standard backplate will not fit. In addition, there is the problem of Work of Breathing (WOB), which increases dramatically if the rig is spaced at any distance from the divers back. Lastly, the counterlung needs to displace water into and out of the chassis as each breath is taken, and the water was designed to flow through a series of large holes in the back of the rig. For these reasons, differing success has been had using various systems to add a BC or wings and a backplate.

Diver Daves' Mark-15 Backplate Page: "Mark-15 Backplates and Wings"

mk 15 rebreather - Google Image Search

Sometimes it is fun to do an image search on google on an interesting diving product or service and see what comes up. It can be an interesting way to get different looks at the thing you were looking for.

mk 15 rebreather - Google Image Search