« Ptites news » 9

Triste nouvelle

Reg White, médaillé d’or olympique, créateur de nombreux catamarans dont certains avec Yves Loday, est décédé d’une crise cardiaque lors d’une sortie en mer. Reg White avait entre autre construit Lady Helmsman pour la Little America’s Cup en 1966, un des premiers bateau avec mat aile.

Mirabaud LX

Des news intéressantes de Mirabaud LX. Le bateau vient d’être remis à l’eau après modifications de la coque centrale. Le système de réglage des foils à  aussi été modifié (un équipier pourra intervenir manuellement), et de nouveaux foils sont en préparation. L’équipe adopte, entre autre, un bulbe à la liaison jambe de force / plan porteur (idem l’Hydroptère).

Petite curiosité à voir !

Une voiture dans le vent (merci Daniel Charles)

Idec

Après Sodebo de Thomas Coville, c’est Idec qui s’est mis au foils…

Quand il n’y en a plus, « yen » a encore

Une vidéo de l’Hydroptère (voir les nombreuses déjà présentes sur le Net  dont celles proposées dans Ptites news 8)

Hydrofoils Design Build Fly by Ray Vellinga

En contactant l’IHS (International Hydrofoil Society) pour des recherches, j’ai eu l’occasion de rentrer en contact avec Ray Vellinga. Ray est fort sympathique (il aime la France et passe un mois par an à Paris, ce ne peut être qu’un homme bien !). Ray ait un passionné d’hydrofoils et a entre autre réalisé une « banane volante » qui est visible sur Youtube. Il est l’auteur d’un livre qui est en vente sur Internet. Je viens de le commander, car il semble très intéressant… Ce livre est disponible sur Amazon.com pour $19.77.

Ce livre a de très bonnes critiques comme vous pouvez le constater ci-dessous, en anglais. Il existe tout de même un avis traduit en anglais sur Amazone France.

Beesquare, Virginia:

Ray eases you into hydrofoil design principles by starting with flight characteristics: stability, control, and trim; lift, area, and speed; drag and power; and ventilation, cavitation, and stalling. Especially helpful is Ray’s careful grouping of interrelated characteristics so you begin to grasp how these conceptual characteristics will interoperate when the hydrofoil actually flies later in the book. You become comfortable with this. You get this stuff. Not only that, but the way Ray tells it, this stuff is funny. With those natural characteristics established, the ensuing chapters illuminate the various design parameters, explaining how they work together or in opposition: weight and lift distribution; height and pitch; steering and roll; materials, stress calculations, and fabrication; selection of hull (and motor, if applicable), foil profile, plan-form, and aspect ratio.The dynamic system of hydrofoils in flight sneaks up on you and comes together during the course of all this, whether or not you dive into the math. Ray puts it altogether on the printed page better and more palatably than I have ever seen it done. But that’s as far as Ray can go until Hollywood buys the rights and makes the book into a movie. For now you must contemplate the text until the beautiful dynamic of hydrofoil flight comes alive in your mind. It will happen. It’s like winding a watch and then watching the gears and springs come to life. You can do it. Start winding that watch now. Individual chapters are dedicated to individual interests: modeling, sailing, motor power, and human power.  Then you come to the final chapter on piloting and troubleshooting. The chapter begins, « If you think designing and building hydrofoils is fun you’ll go nuts when you first fly one. They are exciting because they truly fly. »

Dr. Ian Ward « Wardy », Sydney:
Here is a book that covers in detail all the ideas and data related to my pet subject!  I have never come across a condensed, comprehensive resource like this before… if only it were around 15 years ago when I first started mucking around with foils!!
This book is comprehensive and well presented and finally confirms so much of what I had gleaned over the years but had no speaking partner to check with. It also provides all the elements that I can readily develop into new designs.  This is a fantastic resource of really neat ideas well worth testing. Totally recommended to anyone contemplating designing, building and flying with hydrofoils!

Dr. SAF, California:
The author’s obvious passion for hydrofoils comes through loud and clear and is quite infectious. He writes with a wry sense of humor that entertains as it informs. All in all, it is a great « how to » book, a great reference, and a fun read.

Scott Smith, IHS, Florida:
As a hydrofoil enthusiast and experimenter, I was impressed by the way the book flows through the design process, presenting enough theory and math to cover my needs, but simplified in a way that makes it easier for a person like me to put it to practical use.
It is not like some complicated and intimidating tech manual, but more like a mentor that walks me through the design, helping me to understand the process and avoid the pitfalls. The book is targeted at anyone who has ever thought about building a hydrofoil, and it really hits the mark.

JRF, California:
I’ve been waiting for this book and it didn’t disappoint! His ability to explain difficult concepts is exceptional and the illustrations and graphics complement the text perfectly. Five thumbs up!