This invention gives the directions for the design and building of a
vehicle which will be supported in water by the installation of a
Floatation Material. The design is so that the vehicle, occupants, and
cargo will be supported so that the vehicle will come to rest in the
upright position and with the water level below the upper torso of the
occupants. There are several demonstrations presented on a regular basis
which show how to escape from a vehicle that has suddenly become immersed
in water: a lake, river, etc. Escaping is portrayed as a fairly simple
procedure when performed by someone who is coached through the process,
and by an individual who knows the vehicle is supported by a crane. The
design presented in this invention provides a vehicle that will float
while requiring no effort from the occupants, nor does it depend on the
performance of some mechanism, i.e. switches, relays, or some
mechanically activated procedure that requires intervention by the
occupant. Several options were considered and examined before the design
presented in this invention was chosen as the best, and safest. There
have been designs using inflatable objects. The inflatable object
approach has several shortcomings. The most obvious is that the vehicle
may not assume the upright position. The material-supported vehicle
design presented in this invention, when implemented, will generate a
vehicle that will end up in the top-up position when placed in deep
water. If the vehicle goes into the water top first, the vehicle will
quickly correct to the top-up position.