|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
hydrofoil
hydrofoil, a type of craft beneath which planes or foils are fitted which lift the hull of the vessel clear of the water when travelling at high speed. Research in this field began in 1891 and trials took place on Lake Maggiore in 1906 with a craft designed by Enrico Forlanini, which was fitted with ladder-type foils, and reached a speed of 38 knots. Three years later the USA conducted successful experiments with submerged foils and in 1927 German engineers evolved what is known as a surface-piercing foil. In 1956 the first commercial hydrofoil went into operation between Sicily and Italy, and the following year the first passenger-carrying hydrofoil was launched in the Soviet Union.
Today there are basically two types of hydrofoil craft, those fitted with the ‘canard’-type foil in which 30% of the boat's weight is supported by the forward foil and 70% by the after foil, and the conventional type in which the weight distribution is reversed. With the former the boat rides clear of the water above the surface-piercing foils, whereas with the latter, though the hull is lifted clear of the water, the foils remain submerged, giving greater stability though not such high speed. The naval use of hydrofoils has been pursued by a number of countries without any significant lasting results. However, their commercial use as ferries is quite widespread, particularly in Russia. |
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-hydrofoil.html "hydrofoil." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-hydrofoil.html |
|
hydrofoil
hydrofoil flat or curved finlike device, attached by struts to the hull of a watercraft, that lifts the moving watercraft above the water's surface. The term is often extended to include the vessel itself. Like an aircraft wing in its appearance and function, the foil develops lift as it passes through the water; the hull is raised above the surface, and the drag caused by the vessel's contact with the water is thereby reduced. Hydrofoil vessels are capable of traveling faster than 70 mi (113 km) per hr. They are used for ferries in many countries in Europe and Asia; in the United States they are used mostly for military purposes. In addition to offering greater speeds, such vessels do not pitch and roll as do conventional watercraft. Foils may be of the submerged or the surface-piercing type. On oceangoing passenger ships a type of hydrofoil called a stabilizer is used to minimize wave action on the vessel. The first hydrofoil vessel was built in 1905 by the Italian engineer Enrico Forlanini. In 1918, Alexander Graham Bell built the HD-4, a vessel 60 ft (18.3 m) long that attained a speed of 70.86 mi (114.03 km) per hr.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hydrofoi.html "hydrofoil." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hydrofoi.html |
|
hydrofoil
hy·dro·foil / ˈhīdrəˌfoil/ • n. a boat whose hull is fitted underneath with shaped vanes (foils) that lift the hull clear of the water to increase the boat's speed. ∎ another term for foil4 . |
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hydrofoil.html "hydrofoil." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hydrofoil.html |
|
hydrofoil
hydrofoil Boat or ship whose hull is lifted clear of the water, when moving at speed, by submerged wings. They usually have gas-turbine or diesel engines that power propellers or water jets. Speeds range from 30 to 60 knots.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-hydrofoil.html "hydrofoil." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-hydrofoil.html |
|
hydrofoil
hydrofoil n.
1. a boat whose hull is fitted underneath with shaped vanes (foils) that lift the hull clear of the water to increase the boat's speed. 2. another term for foil. |
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-hydrofoil.html "hydrofoil." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-hydrofoil.html |
|
hydrofoil
hydrofoil
•boil, Boyle, broil, coil, Dáil, Doyle, embroil, Fianna Fáil, foil, Hoyle, moil, noil, oil, roil, Royle, soil, spoil, toil, voile
•parboil • trefoil • jetfoil • airfoil
•cinquefoil • milfoil • tinfoil • multifoil • aerofoil • hydrofoil
•counterfoil • gargoyle • turmoil
•charbroil • topsoil • subsoil
|
|
|
Cite this article
"hydrofoil." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hydrofoil." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hydrofoil.html "hydrofoil." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hydrofoil.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
