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 advertise the utility of aluminum . 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 marine biologist 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 . 1964 : Aluminaut : the world ' s first aluminum submarine . Reynolds Metals was a pioneer in research and development of other products using aluminum . These included an aluminum transit bus and other aluminum motor vehicles . The concept of an aluminum submarine was developed at Reynolds during World War II in 1942 by Executive VP 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 . Reynolds Metals played an active role in the U . S . war effort , however it was 20 years before the aluminum submarine was built . In 1964 , Reynolds had the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton , Connecticut build the world ' s first aluminum submarine . 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 had four view ports , active and passive sonar , manipulators , side scan sonar , and could hold of payload . Reynolds had the " Aluminaut " designed and built as an experiment . For 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 hull consists of eleven forged cylinders . Since aluminum ' s strength - to - weight ratio exceeds that of steel , the Aluminaut ' s thick shell will withstand pressures of 7 , 500 lbf / in² ( 52 MPa ) at the sub ' s maximum diving range . The " Aluminaut " was designed at Woods Hole Marine Station in Massachusetts and first tested in 1956 . A full - scale wooden mock - up was built to engineer the interior spaces . The project was classified as top secret at that time . At that time it did not have a conning tower entry and it immediately flooded and sank . The tower entry was designed and added and in the first test turned the submarine upside down . It was thought at that time that the design was impractical and was almost scrapped ( Dr . David Guy Harden , personal observation ) . A one - sixteenth scale model of the final design was built in 1960 and run through stability and pressure tests . 1966 : Helping recover a lost unarmed atomic bomb . Before long the " Aluminaut " became useful during an incident which could have had major implications . On 17 January 1966 , a 1 . 45 - megaton - of - TNT [ Teller – Ulam design ] thermonuclear bomb was lost in the Mediterranean Sea during a United States Air Force 1966 Palomares B - 52 crash 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 thermonuclear 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 . 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 " magazine described as " a rich fallout of anti - American gibes " . The bomb was found by " Alvin " resting nearly 910 meters ( 3000 ft ) deep , and was raised intact on 7 April 1966 . Admiral Guest allowed it to be photographed by the news media , allowing the world at large its first peek at a thermonuclear bomb as it sat secured on the fantail of the 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 " Alvin " 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 pontoon boats with a support structure . While " Alvin " was being lowered over the side of " Lulu " , two steel cables 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 lines and a net to the " Alvin " , which was located , intact , almost a mile beneath the surface . " Alvin " was then hauled to the surface by " USS Mizar " . 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 . Other missions . " Aluminaut " did other work for the U . S . Navy , recovering a current array torpedo at the Navy ' s acoustic testing facility in the Bahamas . She helped make movies for Jacques Cousteau and Ivan Tors Studios . Depths up to were reached while surveying for the U . S . Naval Oceanographic Office . Retirement . 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 .