|
Guest -> Unexplored territory for jet speed records (9/5/2004 8:26:25 AM)
|
Here are some engineers who believe a hydrofoil boat can reach 1,200
mph.
http://www.hydrofoil.com/gallery.htm
http://www.foils.org/knots.htm
The Miss Stars Stripes II jet hydroplane, built by Les Staudacher, was
owned by Detroit industrialist Bob Evans, president of the Nash motor
company. In the early thirties Evans father, E.S. Evans, had made an
unsuccessful attempt on the water speed record with a hydrofoil boat
named the Whale.
Brennan, Walter X., "The Newest Hydrofoil Boat," Yachting, Jan 1936,
pp. 55 & 88. Contemporary news and background on the U.S. 3 hydrofoil
racing boat (incl. 3 small B&W photos). Excerpts from the article:
"The launching and first trials at Detroit of the new Evans hydrofoil
boat aroused considerable interest in the subject... The hull, which
was designed by P. L. Rhodes with F. W. (Casey) Baldwin as consultant,
and built by John L. Hacker, is double planked and is extremely
light... The weight of the entire hull is said not to exceed 850
pounds... A Packard Gold Cup motor is used, and aeronautical engineers
who are working on the boat estimate a speed of over 150 miles per
hour... Using the data they obtain in tests, they plan to build a
larger boat with 50 percent more power if the plan appears
practicable... More tests are to be made in Detroit waters until it
becomes too cold, when the boat will be shipped to Florida for further
experiments."
(It was not until 1976 with the development of supercavitating foils that a hydrofoil boat exceeded 100 knots, reaching a speed of 130 mph that still stands.)
[10 Feb 02] Do you know anything about a hydrofoil named the MISS
U.S.-3? I have two pictures of it in a 1964 book by E.A. Steiner Jr.
and Lee Schoenith called Unlimited Incorporated, with a picture of the
1962 record-setting MISS US on the cover. It made an attempt at the
world's water speed record in the 1930s. This was supposed to be the
first high-speed hydrofoil. E.S. Evans Sr. was involved. (He is the
father of Robert B. Evans who had the hydroplane MISS UNITED STATES
III and later the STARS AND STRIPES jet hydroplanes.) The craft,
nicknamed the "Whale," was powered by aircraft engines of some type.
It rode on a type of 3-point suspension on two hydrofoil wings and
rudder-wheel system and was designed on a hydrofoil principle. It had
two ladder foil structures on each side, with two steps on the inside
one and three on the outside one. The craft had three open cockpits at
the bow, and it looks like they each held one person. On the bow were
the numbers 55-A. There was a red, white, and blue burge type flag
that had three stars and was inside a triangle with MISS US-3 in
front. I would like any information on this craft you could come up
with, if possible. -- Michael Prophet (sharonandmike@mindspring.com)
Response...
[10 Feb 02] IHS has no information at hand on this; it is not
mentioned in the hydrofoil history references that I have seen, such
as D.W. Fostle's book Speedboat. Note that MISS US-I, MISS US-II, and
MISS US-IV were all "hydroplane" racing boats, and we have done
nothing with those on our site. A better reference would be Leslie
Fields' Hydroplane History website. We would be interested in a copy
of any info you can dig up on the vessel and its designer and builder.
As to the first high speed hydrofoil, that would probably be the HD-4
by Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin, which set a record of
70.86 mph in 1919. This speed was not exceeded until MISS AMERICA VIII
achieved 75.28 mph in the Harmsworth Race in 1929. -- Barney C. Black
(Please use the BBS to reply)
[10 Mar 02] The name 'Bob Sellars' does turn up on the website of
Simon Lewis and clarifies the question: "...During the build, Vaughan
also recalls that some work was done by Bob Sellars, exactly what it
was he isn't sure, but Bob Sellars went on to design part of the
Lightning fighter plane." The English Electric P.1B research prototype
first flight was on 4 August 1954. The production F.1 Lightning began
entering service in 1959. This was a UK post war jet fighter aircraft
and not the WW2 US designed twin propeller aircraft of the same name.
These dates also line up well with the time that the 'White Hawk' was
being run in the UK in 1952. -- Martin Grimm
(seaflite@alphalink.com.au)
Follow up...
[15 Jul 02] I finally got a scanner. Here are two pictures of the
U.S.-3 hydrofoil. These are out of a book called Unlimiteds
Incorporated by Lee Schoenith and E.A. Steiner, Jr. It was written
about 1965 to introduce people to the owners, drivers, mechanics,
sponsors, race officials, and people involved in the sport of
hydroplane racing. It was a limited edition collector’s book, until
someone reprinted it around 1999. It was un-copyrighted at the time
and was written for the good of the sport. -- Michael Prophet
(sharonandmike@mindspring.com)
http://www.foils.org/US-3%20Hydrofoil.jpg
http://www.foils.org/US-3%20Hydrofoil-2.jpg
(Above) Powered by aircraft engines the WHALE rode on a type of
three-point suspension on two hydrofoil wings and rudder-wheel complex
also designed on a hydrofoil principle. Click Here for larger version
of this photo (234 kb).
(Left) The first American attempt at high water speed. The first
attempt by E.S. Evans, Sr. to break the world’s water speed record
occurred in the 1930s. The record was held by Gar Wood at just over 60
mph. Young Bob (Evans) is seen sitting on the deck of the high speed
hydrofoil. Click Here for larger version of this photo (550 kb).
|
|
|
|
