[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

...So I was asking if anyone knew of the real results of the pilot program for a tri-hull warship, the Triton project, and how any of this test info filtered down to the latest design?? As near as I can tell there is NO input to the new design that came as a result of that pilot project??? Mysterious ways our defense contractors work:

Granted the Triton was only a 20kt vessel, but they hope for 40kts with burst to 45kts for the Littoral tri. I was particularly interested in the length of the outer sponsons on the latest vessel verses those on the Triton, especially since the Triton design was studied extensively prior to building

...good photo of Triton

Here are some recent photos of the LCS 2 (to be USS) Independence . She’s at 43 knots here running at half power. NOTE the absence of a bow wave.

Turns tightly, also; allegedly this also was done at 43 knots...and from the look of the small bow wave, she’s still in the turn.

And then we have the massive helo deck big enough for a CH-53. Last time I talked with the SURFPAC guys years ago.THIS was the LCS they liked because of the huge storage capacity under that flight deck and the size of the flight deck.

Note that there is very little spreading wake. In fact, it does not look like a wake at all, just foamy water from the water jets. Somehow, at 40 knots,you’d think there'd be more wake

But she has one drawback, she’s strange looking but aerodynamically designed, is this beginning of a new design in ships?

[KCook]

Ok, I'm amazed such fine hulls would turn well ....

[catmando]

Do I see six jet streams in that pic off the starboard stern?

[catmando]

Originally Posted by KCook

Ok, I'm amazed such fine hulls would turn well ....

That was a VERY sharp turn to port wasn't it? And at 43 knots??

[catmando]

Originally Posted by Lorne Campbell

Catmando – thanks for the welcome. There are no plans, at the moment, to up the Round Britain record – we will wait until someone else goes quicker.

The Bladerunner 35 is twin outboard only for the moment – Jeremy Watts at ICE likes the quick responses of the lightweight package. There is not room for a practical twin inboard setup but a single would fit. We would like, however, either to use a duoprop setup or split the power between twin counter rotating props to reduce the torque effect of the single.

I have learned of a BPM/Arneson/Trimax style twin prop shaft drive for single engine boats being currently tested by Weismann Traction Products. This drive is rated to 1500hp. They were testing 41 and 44 pitch 6 and 4 blade props on the raceboat. With what I know of their experience in offshore racing, I have no doubt Weismann will sort this drive out successfully.

Here is a video of a short test with the boat on the trailer so you can see what the drive looks like;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B1XR...eature=related

There are more videos of on-water testing on the right hand menu. Here is the drive on the website. As you can see it's steerable and trimable;

http://www.weismann.net/Press%20Page...annDuoProp.htm

[brian eiland]

By IBI Magazine

The Iranian Navy has produced a replica of the British-built Bladerunner 51 speedboat and is intending to mass-produce and arm them with missiles and torpedoes as it builds its military presence in the Strait of Hormuz.

General Ali Fadavi of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) told global news agency AFP: "The Bladerunner is a British ship that holds the world speed record. We got a copy [on which] we made some changes so it can launch missiles and torpedoes." Fadavi was speaking during a recent ceremony that marked the delivery to the IRG of 12 other speedboats equipped with missiles and torpedoes.

Built by Britain's ICE Marine, the 15.5m Bladerunner 51 is one of the fastest high-performance sportsboats in production in the world today. The BR-51 Bradstone Challenger smashed the Round Britain World Record in 1995 when it completed the 1,691-mile circumnavigation in just 27 hours and 10 minutes at an average speed of 53.5kt (61.5mph).

Jeremy Watts, ICE Marine founder and company director, told IBI today: "We are very concerned and disappointed to learn of the Iranian plans to copy our Bladerunner 51 design and to potentially use it for military gain. This news confirms our initial fears when first hearing they managed to acquire the 2005 Round Britain Record breaking Bladerunner 51 called 'Bradstone Challenger' early in 2009.

"Following the successful record bid, Bradstone Challenger had been sold on and converted to leisure use, spending two seasons cruising the Mediterranean under private ownership. Bradstone was then put up for sale by the owner in 2008 where it was purchased by a South African dealer, who was later found to be acting on behalf of the Iranians and who used a variety of smoke screen tactics to cover up the eventual destination and Iranian ownership, claiming the boat was intended for a wealthy South African businessman. The boat was reportedly shipped to South Africa but was then reloaded onto a transporter and shipped onto Iran.

"Although Bladerunner development has progressed significantly since the design of the Bradstone Challenger, it is nonetheless galling to hear it may be copied and used in this way and without our consent following many years of hard work, cost and development. It is relatively easy to make a copy of a hull when you have a boat to mould from, however, to engineer and set up the boats correctly without prior experience of this type of craft is certainly more difficult."