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US 4,067,286 AGranted
Hydro-ski craft with longitudinal flaps
AssigneeLockheed Aircraft Corporation
InventorsErnest G. Stout, Francis L. Thornburg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydro-ski craft in which load alleviation is attained by reducing the effective wetted area of the planing surfaces at high speeds, and in which elongated flaps extending longitudinally of the craft are mounted to swing about longitudinal axes between generally horizontal planing positions and upwardly swung retracted positions. Spray control dams may be carried by the flaps to themselves automatically swing between inactive and active positions in response to upward swinging movement of the flaps.
Claims22
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull;
- powered means for advancing said hull in a predetermined forward direction along a body of water;
- means carried by said hull forming a downwardly facing planing surface adapted to engage and plane along the upper surface of said body of water;
- an auxiliary planing element having a planing surface and mounted for movement between an active position in which said planing surface thereof is located to contact and plane along the upper surface of a body of water and supplement the load supporting effect of said first mentioned planing surface, and an upwardly retracted position;
- and
- a spray dam attached to and movable with said auxiliary planing element between a retracted position and an active position in which it is located to block upward movement of water when said auxiliary planing element is in its retracted position.
3 more elements
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull having two laterally spaced skis with planing undersurfaces spaced laterally apart;
- and
- flap means movable relative to said hull and mounted for upward and downward swinging movement relative to said planing undersurfaces between a lower active position and upper retracted position;
- said flap means in said active position being approximately aligned with said undersurfaces of the skis in a relation supplementing the planing effect thereof, and extending across and bringing substantially the entire space laterally between said undersurfaces of the skis.
1 more element
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull having two internal ski portions spaced laterally apart and having downwardly facing planing surfaces, with a recess extending upwardly into the hull between said skis and between said planing surfaces;
- and
- at least one flap mounted for upward and downward swinging movement about an axis extending essentially longitudinally of the hull and between a lower active position of extension at least partially across the space between said planing undersurfaces of the ski portions of the hull, and an upwardly retracted position into said recess.
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull;
- at least one ski having a planing undersurface;
- means for actuating said ski upwardly and downwardly relative to said hull;
- an auxiliary planing flap carried by and movable relative to said ski;
- and
- hinge means connecting said flap to said ski for movement upwardly and downwardly therewith relative to the hull and for swinging movement relative to the ski about an axis extending essentially longitudinally of the hull and between a lower active position in which the flap projects generally horizontally at approximately the level of said planing surface of the ski to supplement its planing effect, and an upwardly swung position,
- whereby said ski is alternatively positioned in a first position coplanar with said hull and a second downwardly extended position.
4 more elements
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull;
- two skis laterally apart and having planing surfaces at their undersides defining at least a portion of the primary operational support surfaces for said craft;
- means for actuating said skis upwardly and downwardly relative to said hull between upper retracted positions and lower active positions;
- two longitudinal flaps movably connected to inner sides of said skis respectively;
- hinges connecting said flaps to said inner sides of the skis repectively for swinging movement about two spaced essentially longitudinal axes and between upper positions in which the two flaps are positioned adjacent said hull and project toward one another at essentially the level of said skis and vertically oriented, spray-blocking positions;
- and
- means for actuating said flaps between said positions thereof.
4 more elements
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull;
- powered means for advancing said hull in a predetermined forward direction along a body of water;
- means carried by said hull forming a downwardly facing planing surface adapted to engage and plane along the upper surface of said body of water;
- an auxiliary planing element having a planing surface and mounted for movement between an active position in which said planing surface thereof is located to contact and plane along the upper surface of a body of water and supplement the load supporting effect of said first mentioned planing surface, and an upwardly retracted position;
- hinge means mounting said auxiliary planing element for upward and downward swinging movement between said positions thereof and about an axis extending generally parallel to said direction of travel of the hull;
- and
- a spray dam movable between a retracted position and an active position in which it is located to block upward movement of water when said auxiliary planing element is in its retracted position, said dam being rigidly connected to said auxiliary planing element for swinging movement therewith and from said retracted position thereof to said active position thereof in response to upward swinging movement of said auxiliary planing element from its active position to its retracted position.
4 more elements
A hydro-ski craft comprising:
- a hull;
- two skis spaced laterally apart and having planing surfaces at their undersides;
- means for actuating said skis upwardly and downwardly relative to said hull between upper retracted positions and lower active positions;
- two longitudinal flaps movably connected to inner sides of said skis respectively;
- hinges connecting said flaps to said inner sides of the skis respectively for swinging movement about two spaced essentially longitudinal axes and between lower active positions in which the two flaps project toward one another at essentially the level of said skis and upwardly swung retracted positions;
- two spray control dams attached to said flaps for swinging movement therewith and acting when the flaps are in their upwardly swung positions to block upward flow of water along the flaps;
- and
- means for actuating said flaps between said positions thereof.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.