This spoon experiment demonstrates the Bernoulli Principle.
This is what the bottom of a "rounded" riding surface does when you try to turn a boat.
This is what causes a hydro to "nose steer".a tunnel boat to "hook" and a mono to "spin out".
Just very lightly hold the spoon between your fingers and feel how the spoon is drawn into the water stream.
Rod
remember this ? Written on jan 10, 2005
All humor aside ,I was trying to give to you what took me 4 years,15 to 20 boats and literally hundreds of trips to the pond to learn.It is all so simple once you understand it.
Much to my chagrin,I have finally realized that you can't get there from here without going through the process.Honestly,the spoon tells it all.
What you experienced with the spoon is the Bernoulli principle.Research it.
If you are still so inclined then go to work,experiment and really understand the principle and learn how to apply it.This is my last "post" on this subject,forever.
If you have a question or want to talk about it I will be glad to discuss it on the phone or face to face but not on this G.D. computer.
Last words......I "know" this to be true.The Bernoulli principle is the only design parameter that cannot be compromised and this applies to tunnels,hydros and monos."Anything" that touches the water can and will feel the effects of the Bernoulli principle.Remember I said "ANYTHING"!
Everything else lift,CG,length,width,tunnel depth,dihedral,prop placement etc,etc,etc can all be compromised depending on boat application.If you want a boat that does "nothing stupid" and is blister fast,Bernoulli cannot be compromised.
If you have a boat that spins out,hooks,nose steers,doesn't launch worth a sxxt,will not air out,turn well or won't turn left then Bernoulli has been compromised.
There isn't a fiberglass boat made that ain't a can of compromises.
I am positive that there is more out there to be learned and yet to be discovered.
I know of one little design item right now just waiting to be found.It absolutely solves one of the tunnel boats biggest faults.
Tommy Lee discovered this item in 1996 and its success can be traced right back to the spoon.Really neither Tommy or myself never really knew what he had until about 18 months ago and by that time Tommy was no longer able to go on.I no longer have the passion or desire to continue racing at the level I once attained so this item is just going to sit here in the bank until someone earns it.
I am positive that someday somebody really dedicated into tunnel testing and design will run across this find and believe me they will have earned it.They will have to really understand what makes a tunnel boat work before they will even recognize what they are trying to solve.Right now this tunnel boat fault is just mutually accepted as the nature of the beast.
I suspect before it is done this discovery will be the next quantum step in tunnel speeds.
[side note.....Mark Anderson and I introduced Jim Auguston to the wedges on the sponson fronts at the 2nd Kingdome scale race in 1989.Mark and I put them on his boat between heats so he could get the boat through the corner.I still talk to Jim on a regular basis.
I just talked to Jim a week ago.He is retired and doing great flying his ultralite,restoring a old shovelhead Harley and riding a Honda Goldwing.
I still have Jims Winston Eagle lobster S.A.W. boat here all repaired and ready to run. 8lbs-3oz. RTR with a Picco EXR .67]
Ronald.
I think Im going to go shape some foam for some sponsons tonight. B)
