BS meter - Jet Wings for PWC

[kach22i]

Tell me what you think of their claims and reasoning. Something tells me it's just not right.

Jet Wings
http://jetwingshawaii.com/index.htm

Jet Wings' toed-in, cambered out fins provide a centering influence that fits with the flow of water around your ski - the shape, in effect, is like an arrowhead penetrating the water. This keeps your PWC centered and predictable at all speeds, unlike conventional sponsons' parallel orientation which causes hunting and grabbing.

[Loveofsea]

I have never driven a jet ski, but i can tell you that much added lift will definately make a difference in stability on a small craft. The wings would have an effect similar to that of trim tabs. Trim tabs, like the legs of a table, give the greatest stability the farther apart they are. Those wings are as far apart as you can get them so they would add noticable stability to the hull. If i were to install them [not likely] i would make the fwd hole net, and slot the aft two a little so i could experiment with the angle of incidence

They look like a great idea, but i wonder why the hull would require such a dramatic augmentation if not to cover up an inherent flaw.

[RAWRF]

you would never need the stability those things offer on most modern sitdown skis, but they might help a little on a blaster or a standup ski. Any time you add things like that or those "hydrofoil" things people put on their outboards, you also create a little drag that slows you down some. if you go fast wfo all the time those things probably wouldn't even be in the water unless you are 2 up or are really overweight. IMO, those are rinky dink things that aren't worth the money.

[Loveofsea]

I agree with you about the "hydrofoil" things, if you need one of those, it indicates a flaw in the hull design. Proper lift is the job of the hull, not the engine...The engine should be unencumbered and left to do the one thing it does best...

There may very well be a penalty in performance, but if the hull needs help, it is probably worth it.

i differ with you about the quality of those wings. They look pretty rugged to me and they look like they are pretty well thought out.

I wonder how you would know precisely where to place them without experimenting. There has to be an optimal location, so how would you know that you got it right the first time unless the Mfg worked it out for your particular hull?

not knowing for sure would drive me crazy :-)

[kach22i]

1. The only image I could find on their website intalled on a Jet-=Ski was the ptototype without the winglets tips and the very far away view - CONCERN.

2. Their claims include; help in a turn by digging in and I assume helping to prevent sliding across the surface sideways. So yes under certain conditions the fins will indude drag in trade for "stability".

3. I think the wings can only be as strong as their attachment, adding a point stress to a hull not designed for it could be problematic.

4. I'm not sure what all the surfboarding images on their site were supposed to prove. Where the fins first develolped for surfboards then later attached to Jet-Ski's?

5. Why did they add the winglet tip extentions? Was it marketing or science?

I'm not saying adding "Jet Wings" to your PWC will do nothing and is a waste of time. However the concern exists of wheather or not they will do more harm than good. The inventor/experimenter inside of me wants to play with this stuff.

Who knows, maybe next year all the PWC coming out of the factory will come with these as standard equipment or all the hulls will be modified as to incorporate them.

[RAWRF]

Those hydrofoil things on outboards actually aren't all that bad, I had one on an engine once and it helped dramatically with the stability (on a 18' Lund Semi-V with 5' beam), I no longer had to move stuff around in the boat to keep the hull level, but the claims those things make of increased gas mileage and faster time to plane, I didn't see that. Instead of a bolt-on plastic one-size-fits-all tho, I think one you custom make out of aluminum would be better, without all the bolts and grooves to catch water and create drag.