Boat Meteor: technical characteristics. Passenger hydrofoils
Launched on the waters of Lake Maggiore, the boat with built-on “wings”, created by the Italian inventor, reached an unprecedented speed for 1906 - 68 km/h. The boat's engine had a power of only 60 horsepower and drove two propellers rotating in opposite directions.
Operating principle
hydrofoils- these are devices included in the structure of the ship’s hull, made in the form of wings (hence the name). Their main purpose is to reduce friction and resistance of water, the ship's hull, and also reduce the vessel's draft. The principle of operation of hydrofoils is similar to the wings of aircraft. At high speeds, due to the bending of the wing, the ship rises above the water. Only the wings and engines remain submerged. The optimal propulsion force of a vessel depends on its speed. Since the density of water is 800 times greater than the density of air, the wing area, as well as the speed of the ship, with the same buoyancy force as that of an airplane, will be 800 times less.
Such vessels are capable of moving through water in two modes:
- In normal ship mode. Each type of hydrofoil has a design speed at which the buoyancy force lifts the ship's hull above the water (similar to the takeoff speed of an airplane). Before reaching this speed, the ship is immersed in water, in accordance with Archimedes' law. At the same time, the draft increases greatly, as the wings increase it. To solve this problem, folding wings and rising propellers are used.
- In hydrofoil mode. Reaching pushing speed, the ship rises above the water, by reducing the friction force, the speed increases sharply, and the draft becomes minimal.
There are two main types of hydrofoils:
As the area of contact of such wings with water increases, the buoyancy force they create also increases. Thanks to this property, the vessel is more stable when waves occur. To improve the smooth movement of the ship in heavy seas, partially submerged wings can be equipped with automatically controlled flaps.
Fully submerged (U-shaped) wing. Control of the buoyancy force when the wing is completely immersed in water is carried out by changing the angle of attack (rotating the entire wing) or deflecting the flaps, which are located on the fixed wing, along the trailing edge. Regulation of the vessel's position above the water is provided by an automatic control system. The control computer monitors the position of the vessel and automatically balances it.
The control system must have a very high reliability coefficient, since if it fails, the U-wing vessel can capsize.
Hydrofoils can be positioned in different ways, both relative to each other and relative to the ship's hull.
There are three types of hydrofoil configurations used in practice:
- The wing arrangement is similar to an aviation one (aircraft layout). In this position, the large wing (main) is located in front of the metacenter of the ship, and the smaller wing (secondary) is located behind the center of gravity. Wings of this type are used on small ships with a shallow draft.
- The wing arrangement is “canard”. This design involves placing a smaller wing in front of the main one (resembling the shape of a duck). They are used similarly to “aviation” ones.
- Tandem scheme. Tandem wings are equivalent to each other and are located in front and behind the metacenter of the vessel, at the same distance from it. A similar design is used in the design of large, seaworthy hydrofoil vessels.
Hydrofoil propulsion systems
To reach the glide path (that is, to achieve a speed sufficient to “stand up” on the wings), the ship must have a powerful engine. On ships with hydrofoils, internal combustion engines (diesel) and gas turbine units are used. Water-jet and screw propulsors are used together with them. Large-tonnage ships are equipped with both types of propulsors, switching depending on the mode of movement of the ship; most often they are driven by gas turbine units.
Features of wing movement in water
When a hydrofoil moves in water, a zone of low pressure forms on its upper surface. This contributes to the formation of air bubbles, this effect is called cavitation. When air bubbles collapse, they can damage the wing. An area of low pressure sufficient to cause bubbles to form occurs when the ship reaches a certain speed.
Based on the occurrence of cavitation, hydrofoils are divided into two types:
- Non-cavitation wings. Their maximum speed is lower than the speed required for cavitation to occur.
- Supercavitating. Wings for high-speed vessels. The wing profile is designed in such a way that cavitation bubbles collapse at a distance from the wing surface.
In 1956 it was developed new type of wing profile, designed to become independent from cavitation. He is symmetrical wedge. When moving in a liquid, positive dynamic pressure arises on its faces. On its outer convex side the pressure decreases, and on its concave side it increases. In the high pressure region that occurs on the convex side of the curved wedge, no cavitation effect, and at high angles of attack of the wing, the bends of the trailing edges delay the occurrence of cavitation.
Features of the use of hydrofoils
The introduction of hydrofoils led to changes in the architecture of the ships using them. To reduce the aerodynamic drag of the hull, ships of this type have become streamlined. Due to the low load capacity, the main purpose of such ships was the transportation of passengers and excursions, their internal cabin layout corresponds to the airplane cabin.
Wheelhouse(captain's bridge) are located at the bow of the ship to improve visibility when passing winding rivers. Utility rooms are located between the passenger compartment and the engine room, thereby reducing engine noise (penetrating into the cabin) and increasing passenger comfort.
For ship design hydrofoils were developed new hull development techniques. Taking into account increased bending moment. In addition, the operating features require strong waves hitting the hull when the vessel is planing.
All these factors are determined by the design of the wing device, especially the nose one. As a result of the use of hydrofoils, developed under the guidance of Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor N.V. Matthes, managed to reduce the dynamic loads on the body to 50 - 60%.
The hydrofoils and hull of the ship average 45–55% of its empty weight. That's why optimal materials lightweight and durable alloys are used to create gliders aluminum and stainless steel, for making wings. Currently, many small ships use wings made of fiberglass with reinforcement allowing to significantly reduce the weight of the vessel.
The technology for manufacturing hydrofoils is very expensive. Therefore, in some cases, designers resort to worsening hydrodynamic characteristics, reducing the cost of building a ship. For example, riveted body joints are replaced by welded joints. This makes the structure heavier, but greatly reduces the complexity and cost of the work.
Ways to control hydrofoils
The buoyancy force on a hydrofoil vessel is controlled by changing the angle of attack of the wing or by flaps. Currently, all control systems are automated. The operator performs only rough control - turning, decelerating and accelerating the vessel, and stabilization of the movement is provided by the central processor of the vessel control. Receiving information about the position of the vessel from sensors, it transmits signals to change the angle of attack of the wing or flap. Holding the vessel in the position specified by the operator. For gliders, only the fastest processors and sensors are used, since the time for signal transmission and processing at high speeds should be minimal.
We at CARakoom don’t write about watercraft very often, but we couldn’t pass up this boat. It's called Quadrofoil and is the most environmentally friendly boat in its class. But the opportunity to preserve nature in this case is not as exciting as the mega-futuristic design of this vessel. Great job.
The Quadrofoil can literally float above the water on four hydrofoils. It is equipped with a silent electric motor, which also has zero emissions and creates virtually no waves when moving. This means that Quadrofoil can be used even in nature reserves, where environmental conservation and the absence of noise come to the fore.
The two-seater hydrofoil boat turned out to be very compact - 1.5 meters wide, 1.2 meters high and only 3 meters long. By the way, you can buy Quadrofoil in one of two versions.
The first, more powerful model, Q2S, is equipped with a 5.5 kW motor and a 10 kWh battery. Q2S can reach speeds of 40 km/h. The cheaper version, Q2A, received a 3.7 kW electric motor and a 4.5 kWh battery. The maximum speed here is slightly lower - 30 km/h. The Q2S model can cover a distance of 100 km in 2 hours of “flight”. The Q2A's range is exactly half that - only 50 km. Not very long distances, but you can fully charge the battery in just 2 hours.
The main feature of Quadrofoil is hydrofoils with an elegant curve, made using proprietary C-foil technology to reduce water resistance. The boat's hull is made of composite materials and weighs only 100 kg.
The inside of the hovering boat is extremely simple. The steering wheel is similar to a gaming steering wheel. It has a built-in touch screen that displays information about speed, distance traveled and battery charge. The Q2S also includes GPS, a depth gauge, navigation lights and faux leather seats.
Quadrofoil developers paid special attention to safety. The jet ski is equipped with a collision avoidance system, as well as a set of life jackets, a pair of oars and a whistle. Quadrofoil jet skis will go on sale in March 2015 at a price of $18,700
The invention relates to inflatable vessels intended for entertainment and sports. An inflatable hydrofoil boat contains cylinders and a bottom and has on the lower surface of the side cylinders or three or more cylinders longitudinal through pockets (sleeves) of such a size that poles protruding from the pockets on both sides are tightly located in them. Hydrofoil struts are attached to the ends of the poles. The boat's safety is ensured when it hits an underwater obstacle. 4 salary f-ly, 2 ill.
Inflatable boats of various designs are known, see, for example, A.S. No. 608695. Their disadvantages are poor seaworthiness (running in rough seas) and relatively low speed. At the same time, it is well known that hydrofoil boats have a smooth ride in rough water and a higher speed. But there was no successful solution for attaching wings to an inflatable boat.
The essence of the invention is that the boat has on the lower surface of the side cylinders or three or more cylinders longitudinal through pockets (sleeves) of such a size that poles protruding from the pockets on both sides are tensioned in them, and hydrofoil struts are attached to the ends of the poles . The pockets should be of such a width that the poles are securely fixed in the pockets when inflating the cylinders.
It is best to secure the posts to the poles with clamps that fit around the ends of the poles, or that fit loosely over them and are secured in other ways, such as with pins.
An option is possible when the drains have cylinders that are telescopically (coaxially) inserted inside the ends of the tubular poles. All free space of tubular poles must be filled with foam. The struts to the wings must be firmly attached.
A big nuisance for a hydrofoil is hitting an underwater or floating obstacle. In this case, the pockets can consist of two strips of material connected by a destructible, that is, specially weakened fastening. For example, the joining parts of the strips may have eyelets connected in pairs on different sides with cords of relatively low strength.
Then, when hitting an underwater obstacle, the cords sequentially break, and the entire structure, consisting of two rods and two hydrofoils with struts, flies back, and the boat splashes down on the bottom in an undamaged state. This sets an inflatable hydrofoil boat apart from rigid hull boats, which can suffer significant damage during such an impact, even threatening buoyancy.
It will take about half an hour to return the structure to its previous appearance.
You can more quickly restore a design where strips of material are connected with a strong zipper, and the zipper slider should be directed backwards and should not have a stopper. And the rear end of the zipper is fastened with two eyelets and a cord.
Or a second runner, directed in the same direction as the first, and secured from moving in both directions with a thread of low strength.
Or an option is possible when the rear end of the “zipper” is fastened with a channel shaped like the letter “P”, with the channel ribs facing inside the letter “P”.
Then, when you hit an obstacle, both zippers will simply unzip. In this case, restoring functionality will take one or two minutes: just insert replacement sliders and tie them on (the old front sliders are lost in an accident, and you need to have a small supply of them).
If there is no need for high speed and seaworthiness, such a boat can be successfully used without wings.
Figure 1 shows a boat, where: 1 - cylinders, 2 - sleeve, 3 - pole, 4 - wing struts, 5 - hydrofoils.
Figure 2 shows the simplest version of the wings, where: 3 - a pole, 6 - a duralumin plate bent in the form of a clamp, attached to the wings 5 with screws 7 and clamping the pole when the wing screw 8 is tightened.
The boat works like this: the motor accelerates the boat, and it goes into foil mode.
1. An inflatable hydrofoil boat containing cylinders and a bottom, characterized in that it has on the lower surface of the side cylinders or three or more cylinders longitudinal through pockets (sleeves) of such a size that poles protruding from the pockets on both sides are tightly located in them sides, and hydrofoil struts are attached to the ends of the poles.
2. The boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the racks are attached to the poles with clamps.
3. The boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the racks are attached telescopically to tubular poles.
4. The boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the pockets consist of two strips of material with eyelets, and the eyelets are connected in pairs with cords.
5. The boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the pockets consist of two strips of material connected by a zipper directed backwards, with the first slider tied with a thread in front, and the second slider directed in the same direction tied in front and behind, or the back part of the strips is fastened with thread through eyelets, or the back part of the “zipper” is fastened with a channel in the shape of the letter “P”, with the channel ribs facing inside the letter “P”.
Leningrad motorboat tourists have long become acquainted with the ML motorboat, designed by the designer of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions shipyard M. L. Porzel for the Moskva engine. This boat served as a prototype for the development of the project brought to the attention of readers. The hull design has been left virtually unchanged, but the lines and architecture of the boat have been significantly redesigned.
Intended for walks and short (one or two days) hikes along large rivers and reaches, where there is a high probability of encountering developed waves. With an outboard motor of 20-30 HP. With. the boat can be used as a tow vehicle for a water skier to practice figure skating elements.
The side profile of the boat is built in accordance with the so-called “trochoid shape” - a wave profile shape that gives the silhouette of the vessel a pleasant soft dynamism, emphasizing its speed and seaworthiness. The strongly raked flat surfaces of the windshield gradually, along a concave curve, decrease in height towards the stern, turning into a rigid, high cockpit coaming.
The layout of the vessel and the elements of equipment are no different from the projects repeatedly described in the collection and there is no need to dwell on them in detail. We only note that the seats on the boat are rigid, folding and can be stowed in the bow under the deck; the cockpit is completely free and you can lay out air mattresses or sleeping bags here.
The steering wheel is proposed to be located on the deck behind the windshield on the port side so that the axis of the steering wheel is vertical. This arrangement facilitates access to the bow space below deck and simplifies the hull design.
In my opinion, in conditions of slight seas, the greatest efficiency in using a motorboat can be achieved by installing hydrofoils. The speed of almost any planing boat increases by 1.2 - 1.3 times or, accordingly, its carrying capacity increases without a significant drop in speed. In particular, there is a known case of a ship weighing 800 kg reaching the wings under a 20-horsepower “Whirlwind”.
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Table of plasma ordinates
| № sp. |
Half-latitudes | Heights from OL | ||||||||||
| KVL | 1 overhead line | 2 overhead lines | 3 VL | board | cheekbone | buttocks | keel | cheekbone | board | deck in DP |
||
| I | II | |||||||||||
| 1 | - | - | 195 | 357 | 350 | 100 | 557 | - | 330 | 415 | 710 | 745 |
| 2 | 145 | 385 | 490 | 565 | 645 | 395 | 222 | 470 | 135 | 315 | 700 | 780 |
| 3 | 405 | 585 | 645 | 697 | 730 | 555 | 90 | 210 | 10 | 240 | 690 | 795 |
| 4 | 542 | 660 | 705 | 745 | 760 | 625 | 65 | 135 | 0 | 195 | 680 | 800 |
| 5 | 600 | 685 | 720 | 760 | 770 | 645 | 52 | 120 | 0 | 175 | 670 | 800 |
| 6 | 615 | 670 | 705 | 730 | 740 | 635 | 51 | 120 | 0 | 162 | 660 | 795 |
| 7 | 600 | 650 | 685 | 710 | 715 | 614 | 50 | 120 | 0 | 155 | 652 | 760 |
| 8(conventional) | 580 | 625 | - | 685 | 690 | 590 | 49 | 120 | 0 | 150 | 645 | 735 |
hydrofoil motor boat
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1 - stem, pine, laminate, 50X60; 2 - toptimbers, 20X50; 3 - beams, 20X50; 4 - deck stringer, 15X30; 5 - beam book, aircraft plywood, 4X80X80; 6 - filler, δ = 20; 7 - zygomatic bracket, aircraft plywood, 4X80X80; 8 - flortimber, 20X50; 9 - flora booklet, aviation plywood, δ = 4; 10, 12, 13 - stand, cover, stainless steel. steel, 2X30; 11 - windshield, org. glass, δ = 5 - 8; 14 - fender beam, 20X30; 15 - side stringer, 15X30; 16 - floor support, 20X20; 17 - floor, air plywood δ = 4; 18 - keel; 30X50; 19 - carlengs, 20X30; 20 - glass frame, stainless steel. steel, δ = 2; 21 - half beam, δ = 20; 22 - velhout, pine 20X25 or ash 15X20; 23 - overlay, ash, 10X150; 24 - lining, aircraft plywood, laminated plastic, δ = 2.5 - 3; 25 - pillow, pine; 26 - zygomatic fender beam, 30X30; 27 - zygomatic beam, 30X40; 28 - longitudinal grade, oak, 30X60; 29 - bottom stringer, 15X30; 30 - glass fencing, org. glass, δ = 5 - 8; 31 - breshtuk, pine, oak, δ = 20; 32 - transom trim, aircraft plywood, δ = 6 - 8; 33 - transom filler, δ = 20; 34 - internal transom lining, aircraft plywood, δ = 4 - 6; 35 - knitsa, oak, laminated, δ = 20; 36 - rack, oak, 25X100; 37 - bulkhead skin, aircraft plywood, δ = 6 - 8; 38 - beams, pine, ash, δ = 20; 39 - lining support, 20X15; 40 - midsection, 15X50; 41 - pillows, δ = 20; 42 - pillow under glass, 20X30; 43 - side skin, aircraft plywood, δ = 4 - 5; 44 - bottom and deck plating, aircraft plywood, δ = 5 - 6.
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Designations - see the longitudinal structural section.
The wing structure of the "Afalina" consists of a bow V-shaped wing crossing the surface of the water, and a stern flat lightly loaded wing. The bow wing is attached to the body using curved bolts, under which washers are placed at such a height that the head-handle is directed downward. If the wing is made of light alloy, the profile thickness should be increased to 0.1 wing width. In any case, it is useful to install a bracket resting on the keel, under which the required height of the lining is selected locally. The aft wing is attached to a parallelogram on which the motor is mounted. The design allows the engine and wing to be raised and lowered as needed. The springs are selected to balance the weight of the motor with the wing, and then in the lowered state the system is held only by the propeller stop.
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1 - wing, blank 15X220; 2 - side stand, 10X80; 3 - middle stand; 10X100;
4 - wooden linings.
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1 - wing, 10X130; 2 - rack 10X100; 3 - sub-motor board; 4 - M4X60 screw; 8 pcs.; 5 - bracket lever (square with cut off shelf); 6 - spring; 7 - bolt M10X20; 8 - plate δ = 3;
9 - bushing Ø 40X5; 10 - tube Ø 20X5, L = 30; 11 - stop, welded from a rod Ø 10 mm;
12 - bolt M10X30; 13 - washer 10; 14 - washer 14; 15 - M10 nut; 16 - spring earring, δ = 2;
17 - bushing Ø 14X1.5, L = 13.5, brass.
Here we present only the simplest option for attaching the wings to the body. A more successful, but also more complex system was described by A. S. Chugunov in collection No. 26 (1970). The angles of installation of the wings are selected by successive approximation, but for the first exit the bow wing must be installed with an angle of attack to the horizon of minus 1-2°, the aft wing +1°.
Fuel tanks (we recommend using standard tanks for Neptune engines) are installed behind the aft waterproof bulkhead, so that in the event of an accidental spill of the mixture, gasoline and oil do not get into the cockpit. It should be borne in mind that the boat will plan faster with a more forward alignment, and after overcoming the drag hump, the load can be shifted to the stern - this will have little effect on the speed.
A few words need to be said about hulls and propellers. “Afalina” is a typical vessel with a “deep V”, but to improve the strength and hydrodynamic qualities of the hull, the bottom branches of the frames are given a significant convexity. At low speeds, the boat behaves like an ordinary keeled boat: the impacts on the strongly keeled bottom at the cheekbones are not great, but at full speed with a light load, the boat sails on an almost flat, highly elongated section of the bottom with optimal angles of attack and is little sensitive to changes in alignment.
As a first approximation, you can select a propeller using the recommendations in the table below (Vikhr-M motor):
In conclusion, we note that the stem must be glued together from slats 6-8 mm thick, and after processing, joined to the keel at a length of at least 300 mm. Fasteners made of non-ferrous metals can be replaced with ordinary steel, but oil paint should be poured into the holes for screws and bolts. VIAM-B3 glue can be replaced with epoxy adhesives or K-17 glue, sometimes called “synthetic carpentry glue,” for which oxalic acid is used as a hardener.
VIAM-B3 glue can also be used to cover a bare body, but then 10-15% alcohol and 3-4% acetone are added to it. This composition penetrates well between the wood fibers and reliably preserves it. During polymerization, the adhesive film is stretched and the surface becomes smooth and shiny. Over time, the coating acquires a dark cherry color.
V. M. Alekseev, “Boats and yachts”, 1973
The boat "Meteor" is a river passenger ship. It is a hydrofoil-powered vessel. It was developed by the domestic shipbuilder Rostislav Alekseev.
History of "Meteor"
The boat "Meteor" dates back to 1959. It was then that the first such experimental vessel was launched. Sea trials took almost three weeks. Within their framework, the very first boat "Meteor" covered the distance from Gorky to Feodosia. The ship was built at a plant called Krasnoye Sormovo.
The Meteor spent the winter in Feodosia. He set off on his return journey only in the spring of 1960. This time it took him five days to swim from Feodosia to Gorky. The tests were considered successful by all participants.
Mass production
Everyone was happy with it, so already in 1961 it was put into mass production. It was established in the name of Gorky, who was located in Zelenodolsk. Over 30 years, more than 400 ships from this series were produced here.
At the same time, the design bureau did not stand still. New and improved versions were constantly being developed. Thus, Nizhny Novgorod designers proposed making the Meteor on hydrofoils. In this case, imported engines and air conditioners were used. The history of this ship ended only in 2007, when the line was finally dismantled and rebuilt for ships of a new class.
Inventor of "Meteor"
The shipbuilder Rostislav Alekseev is rightfully considered the creator of the Meteor boat. In addition to aircraft on air wings, his merit is the appearance in our country of ekranoplanes (high-speed vehicles flying in the range of an aerodynamic screen) and ekranoplanes (using the screen effect for flights).
Alekseev was born in the Chernigov province back in 1916. In 1933 he moved with his family to Gorky, where he developed a successful working career. He graduated from the Industrial Institute and defended his thesis on hydrofoil gliders. He started working as a shipbuilding engineer.
During the Great Patriotic War, he was allocated resources and people to create hydrofoil combat boats. The leadership of the Soviet Navy believed in his idea. True, their creation was delayed, so they never had time to take part directly in hostilities. But the resulting models convinced skeptics of the feasibility of this project.
Work on "Meteor"
A group of scientists began to develop the “Meteor” hydrofoil under the leadership of Alekseev. Initially it received the symbolic name "Rocket".
The world community became aware of this project in 1957. The ship was presented at the international festival of youth and students, which took place in Moscow. After this, active shipbuilding began. In addition to the Meteor boat, whose technical characteristics turned out to be impressive, projects were created under the names Burevestnik, Volga, Voskhod, Sputnik and Comet.
In the 60s, Alekseev created an ekranoplan for the navy and a separate project for the airborne troops. If the flight altitude of the first was only a few meters, then the second could rise to a height comparable to airplanes - up to seven and a half kilometers.
In the 70s, Alekseev received an order for the landing ground effect vehicle "Eaglet". In 1979, the world's first ekranolet ship was adopted by the navy as an official combat unit. Alekseev himself regularly tested his vehicles. In January 1980, while testing a new model of a civilian passenger ekranolet, which was supposed to be completed for the Moscow Olympics, it crashed. Alekseev survived, but received numerous injuries. He was urgently hospitalized. Doctors fought for his life, two operations were performed. But on February 9, he still died. He was 63 years old.
Hydrofoils
The hydrofoil Meteor is a striking example of ships of this class. It has hydrofoils under the hull.
Among the advantages of such aircraft are high speed of movement, low resistance when moving on the wings, insensitivity to pitching and high maneuverability.
However, they also have significant disadvantages. Their main disadvantage is low efficiency, especially in comparison with slow-moving displacement vessels, and they begin to have problems when the water is rough. In addition, they are not suitable for unequipped parking lots, and to move they need both powerful and compact engines.
Description of "Meteor"
"Meteor" is a hydrofoil motor ship, which is designed for high-speed transportation of passengers. It runs on diesel and is single-deck. Used exclusively during daylight hours on navigable rivers. It is also possible for it to move through freshwater reservoirs and lakes, but only in areas with a predominantly temperate climate. It is controlled remotely, its movement is controlled directly from the wheelhouse.
Passengers are seated in three salons with comfortable and soft seats. They are located in the bow, middle and stern parts of the vessel. A total of 114 passengers can be accommodated. Movement between parts of the vessel is carried out through the deck, from which doors lead to the toilet, utility rooms and engine room. In the middle salon there is even a buffet for those who want to refresh themselves.
The wing device includes load-bearing wings and flaps. They are fixed to the sides and bottom racks.
The main engines are two diesel. At the same time, to service the power plant, a combined unit consisting of a diesel engine with a power of up to 12 horsepower is required. The mechanical installation is controlled from the wheelhouse and engine room.
Power supply of the ship
"Meteor" is a motor ship for which two running DC generators are considered the main source of electricity. Their power is one kilowatt at a stable and normal voltage.
There is also an automatic machine for simultaneous operation of batteries and a generator. There is also an auxiliary generator, which is used directly to power consumers.
Specifications
The passenger ship "Meteor" has enviable technical characteristics. The empty displacement is 36.4 tons, and the full displacement is 53.4 tons.
The length of the vessel is 34.6 meters, width is nine and a half meters with a hydrofoil design span. The height when parked is 5.63 meters, when moving on the wings - 6.78 meters.
The draft also differs when stationary and when moving on the wings. In the first case, 2.35 meters, in the second - 1.2 meters. Power varies from 1,800 to 2,200 horsepower. "Meteor" can reach a maximum speed of 77 kilometers per hour, as a rule, it is operated at a speed of 60-65 kilometers per hour. Autonomously, the ship can sail about 600 kilometers.
One of the disadvantages of Meteor is fuel consumption. Initially, it was about 225 liters per hour, but thanks to the use of new modern engines, today it can be significantly reduced - by about 50 liters of fuel per hour.
The crew is small - only three people.
Countries where Meteor is distributed
Currently, serial production of Meteors has been discontinued, so new ships of this type are no longer appearing. But their exploitation continues today. In particular, they are used by the river fleet of the Russian Federation, and they are also common in other countries.
Until now, they can be seen in Hungary, Greece, Vietnam, Italy, Egypt, China, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
These river hydrofoils were actively used in Bulgaria until about 1990, in Latvia until 1988, in Ukraine until 2000, in the Netherlands until 2004, and in Germany until 2008. Now in these countries they have been replaced by more modern ones vehicles.
Safe Travel
Exciting river trips and walks are still organized today using Meteor. Safety on board the ship for passengers is guaranteed by a special control system and regular thorough maintenance of all devices and mechanisms. Therefore, we can say with confidence that when you set sail on the Meteor, you do not risk anything.
You can take a ride on this river boat in different parts of the country. For example, excursions from St. Petersburg to Peterhof and back are very popular today. The ship sets off through the picturesque places of the Neva, tourists can enjoy the amazing beauties of Northern Palmyra. Moreover, everything is done for the convenience of people; it is not even necessary to waste time in line at the box office; it is enough to purchase a ticket online.
This high-speed river boat will delight you with a smooth ride, which is provided by powerful and reliable modern engines. On board each vessel there are radio navigation control, communication and air conditioning systems.
In three comfortable cabins, passengers are protected from any vagaries of nature. In soft chairs that take the form of a tourist, they can fully relax, have a snack, using folding wooden tables hidden in the armrests.
Between the chairs there are also round tables made of natural wood, which are much larger. They will come in handy if you are traveling with a friendly group.
Service for tourists
It is worth noting that today these vehicles are mainly used for tourism purposes. Therefore, they organize the most comfortable pastime. Great attention is paid to service.
Companies organizing such river cruises provide a full range of services, providing everything a vacationer might need. For example, tourism services, which include not only the transportation and accommodation of passengers, but also the organization of nutritious meals, exciting entertainment programs and educational excursions.
By using the convenient form for ordering tickets for these river ships on the Internet, you will not only save time, but also fully enjoy an unforgettable journey along the great rivers of Russia.
There are many fascinating and useful facts about the Meteor ship that will not only broaden your horizons, but also make a trip on this ship even more exciting.
Most of them are collected in a book called “Winged”, which combines all the most interesting things about this unusual type of water transport.
For example, one of the captains of the Meteor ship, which moved on hydrofoils, was the famous Hero of the Soviet Union, participant in the Great Patriotic War, Mikhail Devyatayev. While fighting against the Nazi invaders, he was captured, but managed to free himself and even hijack an enemy bomber.
A successful escape was achieved in February 1945 from a concentration camp located in Germany.
And in 1960, the new ship was demonstrated to the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev. The famous aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev, who was present, was so impressed by what he saw that he even asked the main developer, Alekseev, for permission to jointly control the ship.
Today, the Meteor has been replaced by the passenger ship Lena, which is also produced at the shipyard in Zelenodolsk. In the future, this project is being developed at a shipbuilding plant located in Khabarovsk. It is capable of covering a distance of 650 kilometers. At the same time, it develops an average speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour. Capable of accommodating 100 passengers or 50 with VIP accommodation. And the crew is only 5 people.
