If I remember somewhere in some of my research I remember seeing a CAT that
had foils between the two hulls. Wonder how that would make out? Or does
that make it ride like a flat bottom boat?



"Roger Derby" wrote in message
link.net...
I might suggest that "most comfortable ride" and "60+ mph" would combine to
require a hydrofoil.

Actually the boats I was thinking about was the HySuCat. Any idea "Except
cost" why we don't see more power cats or power cats with foils? I'm reading
a lot of this with a lot of scepticism since some of this sounds a lot like
"perpetual motion"




"HotRod" wrote in message
...
If I remember somewhere in some of my research I remember seeing a CAT
that had foils between the two hulls. Wonder how that would make out? Or
does that make it ride like a flat bottom boat?



"Roger Derby" wrote in message
link.net...
I might suggest that "most comfortable ride" and "60+ mph" would combine
to require a hydrofoil.

Maybe cost/benefit ratio? I was briefly, tangentially, involved with a
couple of high speed ship designs.

In about 1964 our (GE) flight controls group did a pitch control system for
a hydrofoil ferry for some outfit in the Northwest (Seattle?). An air type
sonar measured the height of the on-coming waves and adjusted the "elevator"
to give a smooth ride (and prevent pitch-poling). At speed, water is HARD!
I didn't work on the project myself, but if I remember correctly, it did go
into service, at least for a while.

In the 1970s we briefly partnered with Rohr on a high speed landing ship.
Tunnel hull with six GE LM2500 gas turbines (that's 25,000 hp each) -- four
to provide thrust via jet pumps and steering and two to inflate the area
between the hulls so the draft was extremely shallow. The test pilot flying
the 35' "model" was killed, Rohr did not want us to have any of the monies,
and eventually the whole project went away before I was properly up to
speed. The problems were incredibly complex and included such things as
destructive resonances in the air plenums.

I think maybe the Russians with their "ground effect" seaplanes have a more
workable solution, but it sure is hard on recreational sailboats.

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm

"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Actually the boats I was thinking about was the HySuCat. Any idea "Except
cost" why we don't see more power cats or power cats with foils? I'm
reading a lot of this with a lot of scepticism since some of this sounds a
lot like "perpetual motion"




"HotRod" wrote in message
...
If I remember somewhere in some of my research I remember seeing a CAT
that had foils between the two hulls. Wonder how that would make out? Or
does that make it ride like a flat bottom boat?



"Roger Derby" wrote in message
link.net...
I might suggest that "most comfortable ride" and "60+ mph" would combine
to require a hydrofoil.