Names of hull configurations that have run has a hydroplane in the big boy classes
1) Spoonbow. (also known as "shovelnose." Though I prefer the former since a shovel can have a lot of different shapes.)
2) Conventional, referring to a front-engine configuration
3) Cabover, referring to a rear-engine configuration
4) Picklefork, referring to a spoonbow that's been cut.
5) 3-point, referring to most hydroplanes since the Slo-mo era
6) 4-point, referring to the old Circus and Elam.
Now, here's where things get a little dicey.
7) Cabover, picklefork, solid deck. Example: 1979 Budweiser. Is there a name for this?
8) Cabover, picklefork, and a pair of small wings breaking up the solid deck. Pioneered by the 1982 Atlas
9) Cabover, picklefork, pair of small wings with driver controlled flaps (canards). Common style through the mid-80s and 90s.
10) Cabover, picklefork, one massive canard running between the sponsons in front of the cockpit. May have a spar. Common modern style.
11) Tri-wing. I know at least one Circus hull (the weird looking one Chip drove but never qualified afaik) ran in this configuration.
12) Not tri-wing... But what does that make Jim Harvey's T-Plus? The Circus had three wings, but the T-Plus only had two, with the edge of the first wing near the back. Also, the Budweiser T4, which had that strange pair of wings in the middle of nowhere attached to the sponsons in front.
13) Bud T4, T-Plus & Coor's Dry were all "Double Wings" when originally built. (T4 was a reverse delta style)
14) Circus Circus (1990 built), Fendler's boat, and Aussie Endeavor were all Jones designed "Triple Wings or Tri wings" when originally built.
Displacement Hull (early gold cuppers)
Shingled/Step Hull (Miss America, Miss Pepsi, etc)
Believe 3 points started with Ventnor's back in the 30's.
Outrigger style - late 60's pay-n-pak
Canard Style - Circus (late 70's/80's) & Elam
Lobster Boat (Winston Eagle)
Tunnell Hull (Texmo, Arcadian, Tempus (last one), a few others)
In my eyes, boats with today's single canard wing, or 80's/90's dual canards, and standard 3 point cabovers (70's-80's) are same basic design with improvements in aero over the years. The spar was hidden in the dual canard wing set up, which allowed for a deeper picklefork design, to dump air.
The Winston Eagle "Lobster Boat", had both air traps & a tunnel, they ended shortly after the sponsons. It also, had front canard wings covering the spar. Unlike a current configuration - it didn't have a tunnel all the way to the transom, and what transom it has, was VERY narrow.
Found this info very informative.
Ken
