The Experimental Craft Hydrofoil No. 4 (XCH-4) was a high speed

hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. In 1947 the Bureau of Ships in association with the Office of Naval Research subsidized the construction of a number of small watercraft to explore several different types of

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

s and foil control-system configurations. The XCH-4 (sometimes referred to as "The Carl Boat") was designed by John H. Carl and built, in 1953, by Dynamic Developments Inc., a former associate of the

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 19 ...

. The XCH-4 employed three struts with "ladder" type hydrofoils. The foils were swept back approximately 45 degrees and have considerable dihedral providing a very stable ride even in moderately rough seas. The design eliminated drag inducing water propeller drive systems in favor of aircraft type propellers powered by two

Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced ...

radial engines and in 1955 the vessel set a world speed record 78 knots.

References

Hydrofoils of the United States 1953 ships {{US-mil-ship-stub

See also

References