Marine

Foiljet MR1 hydrofoil: the motocross bike for water

Foiljet MR1 hydrofoil: the motocross bike for water
Foiljet MR1 Concept
Foiljet MR1 Concept
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Foiljet MR1 Concept
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Foiljet MR1 Concept
Foiljet MR1 Concept
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Foiljet MR1 Concept
Foiljet MR1 Concept proposed specs
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Foiljet MR1 Concept proposed specs
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February 10, 2009 The Foiljet MR1 is a new personal watercraft concept that takes the best features of a motocross bike and jetski, throws in two hydrofoils plus a silent, energy efficient electric motor to create what would have to be a surefire recipe for outrageous fun. The design looks something like a motocross bike, but instead of wheels there are beams with small hydrofoil wings mounted at the ends that can be raised or lowered. The concept would use a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor housed at the end of the rear beam with its instant electric torque lifting the craft out of the water to become "foil borne".

To cope with shallow water the beams can be raised at the flick of a switch. The electric motor runs off a 48V battery that should see three hours of full load running with the possibility of a theoretical 10 min recharge time.

While still at the purely concept stage Matt De Bellefeuille & Robert Vandenham have come up with an original design that most definitely deserves to reach the prototype stage.

The designers have selected a T-shaped fully submerged foil system which, while not affected by surface waves is not self stabilizing, so it needs constant adjustment of the angle of attack of the front foil to keep the craft level with the surface. Front foil angle adjustment on the Foiljet MR1 is made manually by what would conventionally be the clutch lever on a motorcycle. In larger applications this sea-keeping function is automated with a computer system that measure either surface height or pitch and roll to make constant fine adjustments to the front foil.

Hydrofoils produce relatively no wake and electric propulsion is near silent, so if the Foiljet MR1 makes it into production it may allow current laws against jetski’s on inland water ways to be relaxed around residential areas.

Paul Evans

Via Debelle Design.

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4 comments
4 comments
Facebook User
I guess this outfit has never heard of the Wetbike that was first produced in 1978? (The prototype appeared in a James Bond film in 1977.)
Not to be confused at all with the original Kawasaki Jet Ski from 1974, which is a completely different sort of PWC.
Dave B13
The proposed design can not start or stop (ok it can stop , but probably only once) in shallow water. THE PROBLEM with hydrofoils is what happens when they hit something that is just barely floating , or just barely sunken. Hydrofoils have been around for a long time, but if they are to ever \"take off\", they will need a collision avoidance system for submerged objects, along with a depth finder that reads well in front of the hydrofoils path. I\'ve no clue how \"To cope with shallow water the beams can be raised at the flick of a switch. \" enables shallow water operation, sounds like an upside down version of the Indian Rope Trick to me.
Bob Anderson
This interesting \'dream\' has no connection with reality. I have 30 years of professional experience with electric vehicle development, and worked on an electric jetboard concept. Actually to the point of piloting the thing on Lake Mead. I know the motors, drives, and batteries. Electric, High-Performance watercraft make interesting concept vehicles. Enough said.
Devin Schmitz
any one else think these things resemble the bikes/jetski things in the prosurff game from the 90's