08/08/2009
Kitesurfing Hydrofoil Boat
Main features:
* 2-3 kitesurfing type sails
* 2 catamaran hulls
* hydrofoils under both ends of each catamaran hull
* some kind of deck to hold passengers and cargo
Details:
* the kitesails would be staggered from front to farther back (exact locations need to be worked out)
* the angle of attack of the sets of hydrofoil blades on each corner would need to be controllable to facilitate the boat rising out of the water for less drag but not getting tipped over by gusts of wind
* the vertical members that hold the hydroil blades would also act as daggerboards and be steerable to control sideways slipping and enable tacking against the wind
* a small auxiliary energy system would be very helpful for "power steering" and to power onboard computer circuitry and sensors to respond to wind gusts and make rapid adjustments to avoid tipping over
Background
* boats using kites for propulsion date back to 12th century in China (see http://www.kitesurfingnow.com/kitesurfing-facts/history-of-kitesurfing.shtml)
Discussion
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