The invention of the hydrofoil ship is maybe one of the greatest revolutionary developments when it comes to marine engineering. The hydrofoil ships use wing-like foils placed under the hull so it can reach extremely high speeds on water. The “wings” on this fascinating vessel are submerged allowing the hull of the ship to be above water. This allows the ship to be much quicker since water is around 1,000 times thick than air. This history of this fascinating marine machinery began in 1906 when one Italian inventor that goes by the name of Enrico Forlanini designed a full-scale hydrofoil ship.
Because of this man, the marine technology took a hyper-leap. Unfortunately, the hydrofoil ship didn`t take the leading role in this field. They were only popular for a brief amount of time in the 1960s and 1970s thanks to the fascinating Soviet hydrofoil passenger vessels. After all, this is a very complex, sensitive and expensive technology which is very hard to maintain. Having said that, other modern technologies like trimarans, hi-tech catamaran, wave-piercing hulls, pentamarans and SWATH hulls proved to be more efficient. Nevertheless, this doesn`t undermine the hydrofoil`s impact on marine technology. Take a look at the video below and bask upon this marvelous invention.
Finally, take a look at the 10 fastest boats ever made!
