Why aren't offshore tunnel hulls using forward wings to control bow lift?

Moving forward wings work on Unlimited hydroplanes. Why not the big tunnel hull boats?

 

My guess would be pitching amplitudes of offshore boats are such that wings would be ineffective in giving a controlled amount of lift/downforce, if just fixed in place. And having them automatically constantly adjusting to pitching angles seems a touch problematical.

 

The hull is already designed to provide downforce. If it lifts the wing on top will stall out anyway because of the airfoil of hull blocking it. Wings add downforce but they also produce drag.

 

Doesn't seem to slow down Unlimited hydroplanes.

The drivers use a foot pedal to control the wing so they either fly the boat or drop the bow if it's about to blow over.

 

The hull is designed to provide LIFT, not downforce.

 

The pedal controlled wing could produce some shattering re-entries offshore if over-applied, IMO.

 

The bottom part provides lift, the top is designed to provide some downforce and stability.

 

So? Hydroplane drivers face the same conditions and they're in the front of the boat, not the back.

 

The difference is in the waves encountered offshore.

 

Offshore hulls are built to take their bows slamming into waves. What they're not built for is blowing over.

 

The wings used on three points work in a different way, as pointed out, but another consideration is the concentration necessary to use them. It's one thing to ask it be adjusted manually in a relatively short, near shore race. It's entirely a different matter to ask it be continuously employed offshore, where the races and sea state conditions range considerably. Now, it would be possible to hand over control to a computer and some sensors, though I wouldn't want to be the programer.

 

Give me a break. An Unlimited hydroplane has a crew of ONE who has to do EVERYTHING. An offshore tunnel hull typically has a crew of two to three.

 

That is pretty much how it was explained to me by a friend of mine who has raced both types for decades. In his hydro, the front wing is coupled to his steering yoke (it slides in and out) and skill managing that wing is important to keep the angle of attack of what is essentially a boat flying in surface effect very constant.

Ofshore racing hulls are more dominated by hydrodynamic planing forces and the pitching of those hulls would be little affected by twiddling a small trim wing.

 

Unlimited hydroplane drivers use a foot pedal to control the front wing.

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1210/902227350_decd8d3f63_z.jpg

And WTF said I was talking about a "small trim wing"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPAxuoPpXo

And guess what? Most of the boat is not even touching the water. NOT dominated by hydrodynamic forces.

 

There is no need for "WTF" or other of your comments. Please be polite.