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Hydrofoil

Waterborne Mode

A waterborne transport mode whose hull is fitted with underwater wing-like foils that generate lift as the vessel gathers speed, raising the hull clear of the water to cut drag sharply and allow faster, more fuel-efficient travel than a comparable displacement hull. Alexander Graham Bell's HD-4 set a world marine speed record of 114 kilometers per hour in 1919, and the Swiss company Supramar built the first commercially operated hydrofoil, the PT10 Freccia d'Oro, in 1952. Hydrofoil ferries have since served many short coastal and inter-island passenger routes where speed matters more than cargo capacity. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Core Concern
Lifting a hull clear of the water on underwater foils to cut drag and raise speed 1
Origin Year
1919 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hydrofoil
Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water.
  • Overview
    As a craft gains speed, the hydrofoils lift the boat's hull out of the water, decreasing drag and allowing greater speeds.
  • History
    The first evidence of a hydrofoil on a vessel appears on a British patent granted in 1869 to Emmanuel Denis Farcot, a Parisian.
  • In Category: Modes
  • Part Of: Maritime Transport
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