Robert Gilruth: The First Foiling Catamaran-1938

Robert Gilruth: The First Foiling Sailing Catamaran-1938

I love it when I learn something new and I just heard about Mr. Gilruth's hydrofoil development today. He was the head of NASA's Manned Space Program for many years but before then , in 1938 , he developed what was probably the first foiling sailboat and certainly the first foiling catamaran.
Found the story here: http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=171516

Gilruth is mentioned in this article: http://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/870

"But it wasn’t until 1938 that a sailing boat got up onto foils with Americans Robert Rowe Gilruth and Carl William Price, who managed to achieve the same feat, albeit more slowly, under sail."

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From www.foils.org/popmags.htm--a book by William P.Carl:

"This story begins in 1938, in Bob Gilruth's bathroom... he started with 6-inch models...from the model tests, a full scale, 12-foot sailing catamaran with hydrofoils, CATAFOIL I was built and operated in the Chesapeake for several years."

The first sailing catamaran foiler, CATAFOIL I:

 

Found a bit more on Gilruth's foiler design in this AYRS paper:

R. Gilruth and Bill Cart, also of the US and of the NACA started experimenting
with foils in 1938. They successfully flew a catamaran hydrofoil
sailing craft which took off at 5 knots and cruised at 12 knots. The main
foil had an aspect ratio of 11 : I, a 12 ft span, a I ft chord and the remarkable
L/D ratio of 25 : I. The foil section was one of big camber for high lift at low speed, like NACA 65-506. (Bold by DL)

The AYRS document is too large for this forum. If you're interested in it,e-mail me and I'll send it.
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Gilruth's patent: http://www.google.com/patents/US2703063

 

Catafoil

The patent also shows the rear foil and how it is rigged.

 

That's cool.

I found this from a little later about Gordon Baker.

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

 

Gordon Baker

I hadn't seen that great article before-thanks, Hoyt!