??? ... a boat with 4 retractable legs w/lifting foils

[lobsterman]

Hi was was wondering if anyone has or can find any images of a boat that has 4 retractable lifting foils ???. It sort of looked like a boat with 4 legs and wing shaped feet. I remember seeing something like this before but now i can't find a pic of this rather strange styled hydrofoil concept type vessel.

[Tiny Turnip]

Not a boat, but retractable hydrofoils, yes...




http://s3.e-monsite.com/2011/02/15/5...coming-pdf.pdf
http://s3.e-monsite.com/2011/02/15/3...ming-2-pdf.pdf

[lobsterman]

LOL thats a good one, i like that, it shows someone was thinking outside the box.

[Tiny Turnip]

...and there's one here in our own gallery:

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/sh...php/photo/8403

[HJS]

Watch this foiler by Alexander Sahlin, Sweden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klAggNIir9A

http://www.elektrofoil.se

[intrepid71]

Originally Posted by HJS

Watch this foiler by Alexander Sahlin, Sweden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klAggNIir9A

http://www.elektrofoil.se

Thanks for the links. I would like to see someone successfully commercialize a small hydrofoil powerboat. You would think there would be a niche market for a fuel efficient powerboat that can offer smooth ride at speed through chop.

I guess the closest to this would be the Russian Volga hydrofoil. I believe they made several thousand of those but production ceased several decades ago.

[keysdisease]

These were awesome, the entire squadron was stationed in Key West when I lived there in the 80's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cJKwJHR03U

And yes, they are retractable, see this video for one thats very sadly laid up in the woods somewhere but shows the foils retracted.

Go right to 3:30 on the counter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyCT4lK99G4

Steve

[BMcF]

That's the Aries, all right. The only PHM that is still intact. The restoration plans never got very far unfortunately. See here:

http://www.ussaries.org/index.html

[BMcF]

Peter Payne had some 'interesting' designs for foil-supported craft.



More info here..

http://www.foils.org/invent.htm

[keysdisease]

How very sad. I remember when the first in class Pegasus pulled into Key West Harbor to park on Pier D1.

They were really awesome machines, it was something to see them on the horizon foilborne.

Steve

Originally Posted by BMcF

That's the Aries, all right. The only PHM that is still intact. The restoration plans never got very far unfortunately. See here:

http://www.ussaries.org/index.html

[BMcF]

Originally Posted by keysdisease

How very sad. I remember when the first in class Pegasus pulled into Key West Harbor to park on Pier D1.

They were really awesome machines, it was something to see them on the horizon foilborne.

Steve

The company I was part of "way back then" provided technical support for operations to the PHM squadron (the project leader a former PHM skipper in fact..) and also, to a lesser but still significant extent' support to the USCG WSES squadron that shared that port and 'theatre' of drug interdiction efforts. Both classes of advanced high performance vessels were superb performers and have never since been 'replaced' in any real sense of the word.

[keysdisease]

Yeah, I was there BMcF, but the PHM's looked and ran awesome. The SES was butt ugly

Steve

[BMcF]

Originally Posted by keysdisease

The SES was butt ugly

Steve

LOL..a common description/reaction, I'm afraid. Having helped design and launch over 40 of them over the years, about the best we ever managed to elicit was "reasonably cool looking" (Cirrus and SEMO ferries) or 'wicked looking' (Skjold missile craft). A couple of attempts by folks to design yacht SES' were met ..shall we say...with less than positive responses on their aesthetics.

[intrepid71]

Originally Posted by BMcF

Peter Payne had some 'interesting' designs for foil-supported craft.



More info here..

http://www.foils.org/invent.htm

Here is the patent for that boat.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5469801.pdf

I have to say I don't really get it. It appears the invention is essentially putting an active suspension between the foils and the hull, to deal with the random movement of the water from waves. He apparently believe the the conventional methods of incidence control or flap control to increase or decrease lift would be insufficient to create a smooth ride. The videos of the PHM in the open ocean look pretty smooth to me. Maybe someone who has experience with fully submerged hydrofoils can correct me, but I always thought that a smooth ride in rough water was quite achievable with a conventional fully submerged foil system. The invention would therefore seem to add quite a bit of complexity to a standard hydrofoil in an attempt to solve a non-problem. He is taking a design concept (hydrofoils) which is rarely used because the added complexity and cost compared to a conventional boat is not justifiable and makes it even more complex. I am guessing that patent wasn't a big money-maker for him. Still fun to look at though.

[keysdisease]

In other words, butt ugly. What a contrast to the PHM's.

In all fairness I felt the same way the first time I saw a plumb bow, so what's aesthetically pleasing can change, especially if it works.

Steve

Originally Posted by BMcF

LOL..a common description/reaction, "reasonably cool looking" 'wicked looking' ...with less than positive responses on their aesthetics.