A MARINE VEHICLE CONCEPT

A novel type of marine vehicle that operates above the water surface is proposed and its feasibility experimentally investigated. Viscous drag is eliminated by this above-surface operation. Lift and thrust are developed by the impact of special wheels upon the water surface, a phenomenon similar to the bouncing-off that occurs when a stone is thrown into water at a shallow angle of incidence. Some of the parameters that affect the performance of the proposed design are determined.