Wacky Propulsion ideas (was Re: New dinghy and homebrew motor idea!)

From: Kellan Hatch (kellan_hatch@mindspring.com)
Date: Mon Jan 24 2000 - 18:25:46 PST


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Ok, this is a serious tangent from the topic, but I've been wondering about
this for years.

Several years ago I saw a news report about a boat that was powered by wave
action. No motor. It had a foil that looked like a small airplane wing
mounted on some sort of lever-and-cam mechanism at the base of the transom.
It pivoted arount its leading edge where it was thickest, tapering off to
the trailing edge with an airfoil cross section.

The vertical motion of the boat on the waves was transfered to the foil,
which flapped sort of like a flipper, driving the boat forward at a
surprising speed with absolutely no sound.

Has anyone else out there seen this thing or anything like it? I have
thought often of building a boat that worked on this principle just for
grins.

Kellan Hatch
P-19 #1059 Moondance
Murray, Utah



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