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Fine
Tuning For The Future
An
Evaluation of Aeromarine Research's Tunnel Boat Design Program
Article and Test by Greg Terzian and Helmut Freitag
Photos by Greg Terzian
Taking this yet
another step further, the Tunnel Boat
Design Program assessed the stability of our STV, arriving at the conclusion
that our particular rig would experience relative instability throughout the
55-80 mph range (often referred to as the
“hump” zone). Again, the software was
remarkably
accurate: our STV did “settle in” over 80 mph. All of the data can be
displayed as graphs, with user-adjustable
increments and ranges. This really helps if there is a specific zone you
want to zero in on for analysis.
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Left:
Extensive
help system.
Right:
The Wizard
tutorial makes getting started easy. |
The real fun begins when you alter your setup
parameters in the program, and watch the results of your changes. Adding
more setback? Relocating your fuel tank? How about adding a canopy? The
Tunnel Boat Design Software can tell you the results of your changes –
before you spend any money or make any physical changes to your rig. How’s
that for safe experimentation? A word of warning about this program though
– you will get hooked. I found myself making data changes and analyzing the
results for hours at a time. The information you will learn along the way
is invaluable.
What are our plans for the future? Well, in
the coming months, our heavily modified 2.5 EFI will trade places with the
stock unit. We’ll get an accurate assessment of the power output of our
modified 2.5, and we’ll put the Tunnel Boat Design Software to use once
again. It would be safe to assume that this program will be right at home
here, and we’ll be incorporating its resources for future tests involving
tunnel boats.
Although the Tunnel Boat Design Software is highly advanced, it does not
have steep hardware requirements. The software will run quite easily on a
Windows 9.x or Windows 2000-based Pentium-class system with 32 MB of RAM.
128 MB is required for Windows XP.
On or off
the water, Aeromarine Research’s Tunnel Boat Design software is a
performance-predicting program that is
more
than worth the price.
There’s just nothing like it anywhere else.
Although it was originally designed for professionals (the sheer attention
to detail is astounding), it is accessible and easy to use for even complete
novices. Pros can dive right in, and amateurs will find that the program
can guide users through each step. There is even an option that will
validate all the data you input, and alert you if your value falls outside
the appropriate range for that variable. The Design screens all clearly
illustrate the required measurements, and the included Help file is a gold
mine of performance boat knowledge. Each design measurement and aspect of
performance is clearly and accurately defined, along with the related
background theory. The beauty of it is that the more you use the Help file,
the more you’ll find yourself with an increased understanding of what makes
a tunnel boat tick. And that can only make you a better and safer boater.
You can purchase the TBDP, Version 6.5 at Aeromarine Research's website by
clicking
here
A Note:
Although this program provides an extraordinary amount of information
regarding tunnel boats, Aeromarine Research also publishes an absolutely
comprehensive book on tunnel boat design called
The Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design.
This book is highly recommended for those who want to explore the actual
theory and mathematics behind tunnel boat design.
About the
Tunnel Boat Design Program’s creator, Jim Russell:
Jim Russell is a
professional engineer with a mechanical and aeronautics background.
Currently living in Canada, he has done extensive aerodynamic research at
Universities of Michigan, OH and Toronto, Canada and marine research at the
NRC water channel laboratory in Ottawa, Canada. His published papers are
highly acclaimed, and are specifically related to the aerodynamics and
hydrodynamics of high performance catamarans and tunnel boats. Russell has
designed and built many tunnel boats. As a professional race driver, he
piloted tunnel boats to Canadian and North American championships. He has
written powerboating articles for many worldwide magazines and covered UIM
and APBA powerboat races. Russell is the author of Secrets of Tunnel
Boat Design (reviewed
here),
History of Tunnel Boat Design, and History
and Design of Propellers.
His company has designed and published the well-known powerboat design
software, "Tunnel Boat Design Program ©," specifically for the design and
performance analysis of tunnel boats and powered catamarans.
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Article Information |
| Aeromarine
Research presents the tunnel boat enthusiast, designer, and
racer with a software package designed to allow never before
possible design analysis of tunnel boat hulls. |
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Created: |
| September 23,
2001 |
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By: |
| Greg Terzian |
| Helmut Freitag |
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Category: |
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Product Evaluations |
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Manufacturer Website |
|
aeromarineresearch.com |
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