Flying B-Boat

Wow, that's a neat boat. and goes fast. Also fly by wire, since it's got a computer (and I suppose a rate gyro) for roll control, with a sensor on an arm out front for pitch. They also must have extended the i/o drive.

I'd certainly like to get a ride on it. Think it'll start a run on Bayliners? Any close up pictures of the boat?

Boris
 
journey on":3e39ajyq said:
Wow, that's a neat boat. and goes fast. Also fly by wire, since it's got a computer (and I suppose a rate gyro) for roll control, with a sensor on an arm out front for pitch.
Click to expand...

According to the YouTube blurb, he's an ex-Boeing employee.

Which should allow those of us sharing the waters with him, to breath a small sigh of relief...let's all be thankful he didn't work for Toyota. :lol:
 
Interesting foil boat. But the one statement I would disagree with is "no wake" and seeing him flying into a congested area--would give me pause. As any foil boat comes down into displacement mode, there will be considerable wake--maybe that explains the last few seconds of the actual video!

Agree, there has to be considerable extension of the lower legs of the outdrive.
 
Boeing was into hydrofoils a few years back. I remember seeing pictures of some of the hydrofoil boats they designed and built. If I remember correctly, they built some ferries for the commercial trade. Anybody in Boeing country remember that?

Also saw a hydrofoil ferry down in the Virgin Islands in the mid '80s.

The hydrofoil concept applied to boats (OK, to what else would you apply a hydrofoil?) certainly isn't new. It's been applied to sailboats, which have gone awfully fast and were built for maximum speed sailing records.

So I guess this exercise was to prove one could put foils on a Bayliner?

Boris
 
Interesting video from a historical prospective. I suspect it was made some time a few years ago. There was a navy foil frigette in S. Calif back in the late 70's or early 80's out of Long Beach. She seemed larger than any of these vessels pictured and had at least one turbo jet engine (don't think it was one of the Pegasis, whcih were stationed out of Key West). As I recollect the top published speed was 46 knots. It was an impressive vessel.

The problem with many foils is the debris in the water, and the PNW is esepcially a problem for this issue. There was a foil whcih ran to Catallina at one time, but disconditnued because of debris issues.

It seems as if the large cats seem to be a better solution--but some of these have foils also.
(between the hulls). There are some smaller foil cats--even down in the 16 foot category. Maybe thats a solution for the Tom Cat!
 
Here is a picture of a Boeing hydofoil that crashed in it's first test run in 1963. The Fresh 1 was Boeings first hydrofoil I think. It was doing a speed test near Seattle with test pilots from Boeing. At 70 knots they tried to correct what they thought was a problem with the bow being too high. Their airplane flight experience didn't cover the complexities of the hydofoil. Pushing the bow down took away stability from the stern and the boat veered off coarse and rolled. All three aboard were unhurt except for a few cuts form the glass windows.

fresh1.jpg

The Fresh 1 was powered by a jet engine, mounted behind what looks like an airplane cockpit.

I don't remember seeing the Fresh 1, but I sure remember the High Point. It was tested extensively in Puget Sound in the late 60's. Quite a sight if you had never seen one before.

300px_USSHigh_PointPCH1.jpg

The hydorfoils ferrys that ran from Seattle to Victoria were short lived. As I recall it was a debris issue, plus they were expensive to operate,and I think noise was also an issue.

The Navy wanted a boat that could run at 100 knots. Even at 50 knots, the destruction caused from hitting a log, whale, seal or a container would be quite compete to the foil system I would think.


Robbi
 
Boris,

I was deeply involved iin the Boeing foil. And yes, it was used commercially but not very successfully. The Hawaii operation was a total disaster! If you'd like more please PM. Too much BS to post here -- don't want Bill to ban me!! :wink:

Dusty
 
Dusty, I was too.... Program Manager when the PHMs were built by Boeing, pretty good boats but they had some problems with whales between Key West and Cuba.

The squadron of 6 boats was berthed at Truman Annex there. They were most useful in chasing druggies, they could have shot them out of the water with their 76mm guns or even with a Harpoon missile but chose mostly to chase them, round up in front of them and "crash" off the foils, creating a mighty big wall of water which would swamp the bad guys! :cry They had LM2500 gas turbines driving a jet pump with diesels for hull borne propulsion.

Another problem they had was when the skipper forgot he was on foils and landed in less water than the boat drew. It was nearly 30 feet with the foils down. It only happened a couple of times but then the boat looked like a "hootch" on it's stilts.... Lindsays Law* will get you every time!!

Those were the fun days!!

Charlie
*Lindsays Law... "When the draft of your vessel exceeds the depth of the water, you are most assuredly aground!!
 
there a lot of video on utube of the old boeing ferrys still in use in china. Seems to work good for them. I have never rode on a hydrofoil but i think it would be fun. I have seen ,twice, a small foil in the san juans. 20 to 25 ft long and a ski boat type hull and seating.
 
Robbie said:

"The Navy wanted a boat that could run at 100 knots. Even at 50 knots, the destruction caused from hitting a log, whale, seal or a container would be quite compete to the foil system I would think. "

Actually, everytime a PHM hit a whale at 50+ knots, the whale lost. They had to be very careful not to do it, it was frowned upon even 25 years ago.

Charlie
 
Back
Top