Fast, fast, fast boat

[RustyBattleship]

Don't know what other thread to put this under at the moment. But it sure is interesting:

Subject: Fw: Nice Boat]
>>
>>
>>> Ok here's the latest drug runner from some european nuts.
>>> This thing belts across the english channel 3 times per week and was
>>> Just a blur on the radar of the British coast guard.
>>> They were so blown away by the speed of the thing that they brought in
>>> A specialized chopper and had to attempt to LAND the chopper on the
>>> boat At high speed to get them to stop....
>>> What was on board...... 300kgs of pure cocaine!! Nice boat!
>>> must be nothing but gas tank! I wonder how they keep the nose down....

[Amaterasu]

Jesus tap dancing Christ on a pogo stick!!

[highsea]

Holy crap! That's 2000 horsepower! That must be one hell of a ride. I can't imagine trying to trim 8 motors at once, lol.

It's a miracle they could keep the damn thing on the water...

[Dreadnought]

Lots of H.P. low to the water. Probably a nice deep fuel tank. These motors with that H.P. wow.Notice how they are offset for height. Perhaps the outter motors are controling the trim as they are set closer to the if thats what we will call it "hull". While the four motors are set deeper for giving it that speed and the outers for additional speed and trim control. I could only imagin that given the speed it could achieve the motors closest to the bottom of the boat would control the trim. If the deeper set motors were used for trim wouldnt that allow more force to be applied to them and more water able to pass inbetween itself and the bottom? and make it more diffacult to plane off at high speed? Nice dingy though.

[Debbie]

Outfit that thing with a flame thrower and some twin 50's and you got yourself a nice mockup of a modern day non-naval PCF. First thing that came into my head when I saw the picture.

[dave lukins]

Originally Posted by highsea

Holy crap! That's 2000 horsepower! That must be one hell of a ride. I can't imagine trying to trim 8 motors at once, lol.

It's a miracle they could keep the damn thing on the water...

Is it possible that the whole of the outer trim is the Gas tank? hence giving weight to keep it in the water!!

[omon]

found more pics,

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Is it possible that the whole of the outer trim is the Gas tank? hence giving weight to keep it in the water!!

I don't think so. When I first saw the pic, I thought the boat was a RIBB (Rigid InfataBle Boat). So I think the port and starboard sides are only filled with air for buoyancy.

Also, if you trace the fuel lines on back, you see them meeting up into two separate fuel hoses on the port side. Then the hoses turn inboard just forward of the wheelhouse suggesting their main intake is on the centerline of the deck. Therefore I think the whole innerbottom is a giant fuel tank. And the more you use up fuel, the more buoyant it is and the faster you go.

As for showing up just as a blur on RADAR, they must be using some antiquated electronics such as the LN-66. Even ships anchored in the harbor look like blurs. Looks like the good guys are going to have to buy some Targeting RADAR that can lock on and track like a CIWS (which even tracks its own bullets).

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by omon

found more pics,

GREAT pic of the motors out of the water. It shows the four outboard motors port and starboard have extended shafts so all eight propellers are the same depth at all times.

[highsea]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

GREAT pic of the motors out of the water. It shows the four outboard motors port and starboard have extended shafts so all eight propellers are the same depth at all times.

That's what I assumed from the first pic also, the (outboard) outboards are extra-long shafts. I think it's 5" difference from std-long-extra long.

You definitely need to keep all the cavitation plates at the same level or all hell would break loose and you'd be blowing powerheads right and left (pun intended).

It the top pic on post #7 you can see the two stb props are sucking air as she digs the port chine. You would probably have to run the OB engines tucked in most the way, and do most of the trimming with the inboard 4, at least in any chop.

That thing must have some hellacious bracing on the transom.

[highsea]

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Is it possible that the whole of the outer trim is the Gas tank? hence giving weight to keep it in the water!!

I agree with RB on this one- the fuel tanks will be under the deck. The tubes are probably filled with foam.