Prototypes[edit]

Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini began working on hydrofoils in 1898 and !sed a
"ladder# foils syste$% Forlanini obtained patents in &ritain and the 'nited (tates for his
ideas and designs%[)] [*]
&etween 1899 and 19+1 &ritish boat designer ,ohn -hornycroft worked on a series of
$odels with a stepped h!ll and single bow foil% In 19+9 his co$pany b!ilt the f!ll scale
../foot 01%2 $3 long boat 4iranda III% 5riven by a 1+ hp 0)* k63 engine it rode on a
bowfoil and flat stern% -he s!bse7!ent 4iranda I8 was credited with a speed of 9* knots
01* k$:h3%[1]

&ell;s <5/) on a test

r!n c%1919
= 4arch 19+1 (cientific
=$erican article by =$erican hydrofoil pioneer 6illia$ E% 4eacha$ e>plained the
basic principle of hydrofoils% =le>ander ?raha$ &ell considered the invention of the
hydroplane a very significant achieve$ent and after reading the article began to sketch
concepts of what is now called a hydrofoil boat% 6ith his chief engineer @asey &aldwin
&ell began hydrofoil e>peri$ents in the s!$$er of 19+8% &aldwin st!died the work of
the Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini and began testing $odels based on his designs
which led the$ to the develop$ent of hydrofoil watercraft% 5!ring &ell;s world to!r of
191+A1911 &ell and &aldwin $et with Forlanini in Italy where they rode in his
hydrofoil boat over Bake 4aggiore% &aldwin described it as being as s$ooth as flying%
Cn ret!rning to &ell;s large laboratory at his &einn &hreagh estate near &addeck Dova
(cotia they e>peri$ented with a n!$ber of designs c!l$inating in &ell;s <5/)% 'sing
Eena!lt engines a top speed of 82 k$:h 0*) $ph3 was achieved accelerating rapidly
taking waves witho!t diffic!lty steering well and showing good stability% &ell;s report to
the 'nited (tates Davy per$itted hi$ to obtain two .1+ k6 09*+ horsepower3 engines%
Cn 9 (epte$ber 1919 the <5/) set a world $arine speed record of 11) k$:h 02+%81
$ph3 a record which stood for two decades% = f!ll/scale replica of &ell;s <5/) is
viewable at the =le>ander ?raha$ &ell Dational <istoric (ite $!se!$ in &addeck
Dova (cotia%