This sinister looking craft might resemble Darth Vader's imperial shuttle in Star Wars but it is actually a high-speed boat that uses its clever design to reduce the risk of seasickness. The vessel, called Ghost, uses two 12ft (3.6 metre) winged struts that stand on twin hulls to lift the main craft clear out of the water
The 38ft-long (11.5m) main cabin rests on a pair of 12ft (3.6m) tall struts which lift the vessel out of the water
'the extended struts allow Ghost to reach speeds of 33 knots (38 mph/61km/h) even when faced with waves of 8ft (2.4 metre) high'
Read the about this technological marvel after the cut .....
The 38ft-long (11.5m) main cabin rests on a pair of 12ft (3.6m) tall struts which lift the vessel out of the water
These struts swivel at their base, allowing them to be raised and lowered at the touch of a button while sailing
While parked, or travelling through shallow waters, they extend to the side so the ship can cruise along
Ghost was developed by US-based Juliet Marine Systems, founded by entrepeneur Greg Sancoff.
'Ghost is a reconfigurable high-speed small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessel that delivers significant advantages over alternative vessels in this size class,' according to the company's website. It uses a supercavitation effect to reduce the ship's drag coefficient by a factor of 900.
At the other end of each strut, a 62-foot long tube houses a 2,000HP gas turbine engine spinning two front-mounted propellers. These tubes also eject a pocket of air from the front to generate a supercavitation effect that reduces the ship's drag coefficient by a factor of 900
The 38-foot (11.5m) long main cabin rests on top of a pair of 12-foot (3.6m) tall struts which, when moving at speed, prop the cabin above the water like a hydrofoil.
The struts swivel at their base, allowing them to be raised and lowered depending on the water depth.
While parked, or traveling through shallow waters, they can be extended to the side.
Ghost is a reconfigurable high-speed small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessel that delivers significant advantages over alternative vessels in this size class. The 38-foot long main cabin rests on top of a pair of 12-foot tall struts which, when moving at speed, prop the cabin above the water like a hydrofoil
WHAT IS SUPERCAVITATION?
Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas inside a liquid
Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas inside a liquid.
In water, cavitation occurs when water pressure is lowered below the water's vapour pressure, forming bubbles of vapour.
That can happen when water is accelerated to high speeds as when turning a sharp corner around a moving piece of metal such as a ship's propeller or a pump's impeller.
The bubble is large enough to encompass an object travelling through the liquid, greatly reducing the skin friction drag on the object.
This enables it to achieve very high speeds.
Current applications are mainly limited to projectiles or very fast torpedoes, and some propellers, but in principle the technique could be extended to include entire vehicles.
In deeper waters, at speeds of eight knots or higher, they can rotate downward to lift the hull into the air, eliminating the jarring impact of waves.
They're sharpened along the leading edge as well to slice through submerged debris.
At the other end of each strut, a 62-foot (18.8m) long tube houses a 2,000HP gas turbine engine spinning two front-mounted propellers.
These tubes also eject a pocket of air from the front to generate a supercavitation effect that reduces the ship's drag coefficient by a factor of 900.
The struts swivel at their base, allowing them to be raised and lowered depending on the water depth. While parked, or traveling through shallow waters, they can be extended to the side. In deeper waters, at speeds of eight knots or higher, they can rotate downward to lift the hull into the air, eliminating the jarring impact of waves
‘It's a revolutionary program,’ said Greg Sancoff, founder and CEO of Juliet Marine Systems.
‘Nothing like this has ever been built by anybody, not even the Navy.’
The Ghost rides on 12-foot (3.6m) struts connected to engine assemblies Sancoff says take advantage of ‘supercavitation,’ traveling underwater inside a bubble of gas.
It is a new application of technology that the inventor insists will make Ghost fast.
It has so far hit about 38mph (61km/h) but its creator believes it could approach 60mph (97 km/h), while staying stable even in rough seas.
It was announced in December last year that the company will be working with Karmel Technologies, Inc. to bring the Ghost technology to Korea.
One of these ships would set you back about $10 million (£6.9 million) according to the company website.
'A squadron of ten stealth Ghosts, carrying torpedos, missiles or cannons, would wreak havoc on any enemy,' it says.
Business Insider named the vessel one of the top 19 most game-changing weapons of the 21st century at the end of last year.
It was announced in December last year that the company will be working with Karmel Technologies, Inc. to bring the Ghost technology to Korea. One of these ships would set you back about $10 million (£6.9 million) according to the company website
Business Insider named the ghost vessel one of the top 19 most game-changing weapons of the 21st century. 'A squadron of ten stealth Ghosts, carrying torpedos, missiles or cannons, would wreak havoc on any enemy,' the company says
It is a new application of technology that the inventor insists will make Ghost fast. It has so far hit about 35mph but its creator believes it can approach 60mph, while staying stable even in rough seas
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