Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (October 2014)

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ercraft capable of carrying up to fi ve persons or payload up to 837 pounds. The 28 feet Griffon 995ED is a fully amphibious diesel powered and electric drive hovercraft capable of carrying up to eight persons, or payload up to 2193 lbs (995kg). Griffon Hovercraft benefi ts from being road trailerable using a purpose designed ‘hover-on / hov- er-off’ road trailer which can be towed behind most 4x4 vehicles or trucks, allowing rapid deployment in roles such as surveying, search & rescue and fl ood relief. The 380TD hovercraft is easy to operate due to the ability to control lift and thrust independently.

A growing number of small craft are incorporating hy- drofoils to improve effi ciency at speed. When the craft is moving the hydrofoils create dynamic lift for early planing and reduced wetted area. The HYSUCAT (Hydrofoil Sup- ported Catamaran) principle uses a hydrofoil system in the tunnel between two asymmetric hulls. The system consists of a main foil located slightly forward of the craft’s center of gravity which carries part of the craft’s weight at speed.

Two smaller ‘trim’ foils in the tunnel near the transom act like tail wings on an aircraft to provide longitudinal trim stabilization of the hull.

The Hysucat Extreme is a 28 foot) catamaran RHIB fi t- ted with the hydrofoil system. Malan Conradie, designer and Director of the South African manufacturer, explains, “Less resistance and increased buoyancy enable the Hys- ucat to carry more weight at speed with less power. The hydrofoil technology can also provide high speed opera- tions in excess of 70 knots. Operational benefi ts include reduced wake, reduced fuel consumption and increased range.” Conradie adds. “We are building boats for Kuwait and the U.S. We are currently working on a project for a full electric water taxi for Belize, showing a running time of more than 2 hours at 25 knots with a single 180 hp electric engine.”

Smaller Craft, Bigger Potential

Smaller, lighter, easily transported and occasionally man-handled to launch and recover are requirements for some professional users. The UK built C-Fury Patrol is a 13 foot hybrid RHIB designed to deliver high levels of control from low speed to over 40 knots whether empty or fully loaded. The composite FRP hull combines a catama- ran for ride quality, an assister hydrofoil for effi ciency and ride enhancement plus large air tunnels for stability and shock reduction. The hydrofoil provides up to 30% lift, while the air trapped and being compressed in the tunnel provides up to 5% lift. The result is that the hull planes high in the water and the reduced wetted area of the hull www.marinelink.com

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