Manufacturing and Testing of a Small Scale Suspension Boat

To reduce the high vertical accelerations of the high speed boats, a "suspension boat" concept was developed and patented by Grenestedt [1,2]. A 1:6 subscale version of a two-seat high-speed manned suspension boat was manufactured and tested. The manufacturing of the hull, the sponsons, and the suspension components is described, followed by an outline of the driveline and controls. In general, the boat performed very well in water tests and the only major problem of the boat was its turning performance. Further work has been initiated to improve this.