Floating Tensegrity Tiger Shark

     Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are, after the great white, the most dangerous sharks. With a size of up to 15 feet and extremely serrated teeth, that is understandable. The teeth that in part make them so dangerous also earns them their nickname, the 'garbage cans of the sea'. The way that their teeth do this is by allowing them to eat almost anything; they have been found with license plates, tires, and even a suit of armor in their stomachs! Another thing that makes them so dangerous to humans is the fact that they have a very poor sense of taste, so if they bite a human, it is unlikely that they will just spit them out and swim away, as the great white might.

     In this set I have made an about 1:14 scale model of a tiger shark, displayed in a lifelike swimming position using tensegrity. It is a very large and heavy model, in explanation of the extra chain piece, which is being used to keep the L shaped pieces (the hanging part) from bending. The dorsal (top) and caudal (tail) fins are posable, as is the lower jaw. There are also two joints on the tail.

      I think that this would make a great set because who wouldn't like a 'floating' shark display in their house? Also, I built his set because I wanted to remake a previous (and not as good) model so that it would look like it was swimming using tensegrity.

(To create a more realistic swimming, blow very gently on the tail fin, and it will move back and forth.)

(The tiger shark is named for the tiger- like stripes on the body of juveniles, which fade in adults.)