Hydrofoils - why not?

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2ply

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Why don't more people fit hydrofoil blades to speedboats. Is it harder than it looks? I've been inspired by the Russian job on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hydrofoil-Power-Bo...1QQcmdZViewItem (and a couple of pints of Guinness at lunchtime) to consider my newly resurgent 16ft plywood runabout as a candidate for water wings. Has anyone out there messed about with making this sort of thing? Why has the idea never really er.. taken off?
 
You will need a fair amount of engineering to support the weight of the vessel on an array of foils, thus defeating the first requirement - light weight (note the featured craft is made of aluminium).

Some sort of extended surface drive makes sense, so it is not too deeply immersed whilst accellerating, but remains in the water when fully planing.
 
Mariposa, at high speed it might be preferable to hit solid submerged objects with only a foil, and not the hull – in fact the foils could probably be 'semi-sacrificial' for just such an eventuality. Wayward seals will be scalped, I'm afraid.

Andy, with a small 16ft boat, I'm sure a couple of small aluminium pylons/struts at either end could easily support the hull. Keeping an outboard prop in the water might not be too difficult either as the rear foil would only need to lift the transom a few inches to be clear of the water.

I'm still in favour!
 
i remeber these were more popular in Us in the seventies, perhaps when big engine power wasn't so easily available. AFAIK they are ok for light wieright smooth conditions - lake boats. And not many lakes in uk...
 
Hi 2ply, check out a site www.foils.org, they have many years of experience with putting foils on all size craft. Lots of pics,explanations, links and theory.
Invaluable if youre really foiling keen or if you just want to see something different.
Regards, S.
 
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