Not supercavitating. Supercavitation is based on cavitation, not sucking down air from the surface. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercavitation. And the amount of energy needed to create a supercavitation void around those hulls ... The Shkval is essentially an underwater rocket and it still uses exhaust gases to top up the bubble in which it flies (see the little holes near the nose) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-111_Shkval.
Not a hydrofoil. No foils. It looks to be a SWATH hull (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) another great Canadian invention. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-waterplane-area_twin_hull
Who did this guy know at Businessweek to get this sales pitched turned into an "article"?
RE: SWATH: their patent http://www.rexresearch.com/sancoff/sancoff.htm discusses hydrofoils and SWATH as prior art [0182], [0183], but fails to describe how their "buoyant tubular foils" (BTFs) [200] are different.
Supercavitating hulls (ie the ShVal torpedo) suspend themselves within a bubble via their noses. They are moving so fast that the nose, the only spot where the torpedo touches the water, provides enough lift to keep the thing in the bubble. But you need rocket-like accelerations to keep this going.
From their patent "whereby to provide propeller generated super-cavitated water flowing from the propellers and thence along an outer surface of said vehicle;" WTF? There is no such thing as super-cavitated water. Cavitation presupposes a CAVITY, a void ... something other than water. Maybe water with bubbles? Prop wash?
Note also that real hydrofoils angle their foils in parallel to the hull. It's essentially a dihedral effect like that of an airplane. As the ship lists one way, the foil on the downward side pushes more directly upwards, righting the ship. The 'foils' on the OP are mounted in the opposite manner, generating opposite effect. If they generated any actual lift the ship would flip instantly.
oh well. at least we're safe from COBRA.
Maybe you missed this while scanning the article. This would allow the boat to sit high or low on the water; reminds me of the citroen cx which had high adjustable suspension.
1: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/19/article-2005464-0C...
That's a disappointing comment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-111_Shkval
Max speed is 200 knots (230 mph) and it can go for almost 10 miles. That seems almost unreal, an object that size, going at that speed under water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M80_Stiletto
50+ knots top speed, 4 x 1,650 hp engines
can carry a landing craft, 12 troops, and up to 20 tons of cargo
“A key feature of this vessel is that it can set up a network between a special forces team by launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that relays information between the team and boat. The Stiletto can also carry surveillance UAVs to provide reconnaissance for the SEAL team, and, using a clustered supercomputer on board, will be able to send real-time images to the team on shore.”
Cost between $6 million and $10 million each.
For extremely stealth missions SEALs would use a underwater vehicle deployed from a C-130, another ship, or a submarine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAL_Delivery_Vehicle
“The 88-foot (27 m) long vessel has a notable hull design, an M-shaped hull that provides a stable yet fast platform for mounting electronic surveillance equipment or weapons, or for conducting special operations. The hull design does not require foils or lifting devices to achieve a smooth ride at high speeds in rough conditions. Its shallow draft means the M80 Stiletto can operate in littoral and riverineenvironments and potentially allows for beach landings. The faceted design suggests that the vessel has a low radar signature (i.e., stealth) in the frontal aspect and somewhat so from the sides.”
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/m80-stiletto/
http://www.wired.com/2008/09/stiletto-vs-dru/
http://www.gizmag.com/stiletto-experimental-ship-with-carbon...
(And hydrofoils, I was very excited by hydrofoils when I was a kid)
