From:	Paul J. Adam Paul@********.demon.co.uk
Subject:	Shipping (was Re: the value of education)
Date:	Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:07:35 +0100

In article <014d01becea0$c0f4a3e0$b0d819c4@********.smartnet.co.za>,
DV8 <gyro@********.co.za> writes
><snip original post>
>
>I have a question about hydrofoil attack boats.
>
>I remember in the 80's the US was testing a design for a fast attack
>boat that used hydrofoil to get up to high speeds. Does anyone know
>where I can find some info on this design? Seems appropriately
>futuristic for my SR game.

The Pegasus-class patrol hydrofoils. Built by Boeing in Seattle through the
1970s, first entered service in 1977, six built.

218 tons displacement, able to make 48 knots foilborne or 12kts
hullborne. Crew of 21 (4 officers, 17 enlisted). Armed with one 76mm
OTO-Melara compact gun and eight Harpoon antiship missiles.

Good points: fast in good weather, resistant to torpedoes and mines while
foilborne.

Bad points: fuel-thirsty, couldn't use their foils in anything over Sea State
4, virtually defenceless, suffered serious vibration that degraded their
(already limited) sensor fit.

They make interesting coastal-defence assets if you have air cover and
can rely on fairly decent weather: they'd be quite handy in the Persian
Gulf, for instance.


The Russians and Chinese built quite large numbers of hydrofoil torpedo
boats (the Shershen and Huchwan classes) and some missile-armed units,
and Italy and Japan likewise experimented.


--
Paul J. Adam