The invention of hydrofoils was one of the most revolutionary
developments in the history of marine engineering. Hydrofoils are
vessels that use wing-like foils below the hull in order to reach
greater speeds on the water. The 'wings' are submerged so that the hull
can be above the water.
When Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini built a full-scale hydrofoil boat
(photo above) in 1906, the technology behind traveling on the sea took a
hyper-leap. Despite their promise, hydrofoils did not take a leading
role in marine technology. But throughout the last century an incredibly
diverse fleet of these airplane-ship hybrids were built.
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