Panelplane

Until recently the term panelplane occurred most often in relation to a woodworking tool peculiar to Holland, now mostly traded as antiques among collectors. In 2003 however a company with the same name was founded in England, ostensibly with a view to making planes ~ either hydroplanes or surface-skimming aeroplanes ~ out of foam panels.

The company was established to design surface-effect watercraft using two-dimensional design techniques exclusively. Often known as WIGs (Wing in Ground Effect), these use the dynamic compression of air beneath a hull at speed to raise them clear of the water. The owner of the company (who combined these researches with work as an airline captain) was convinced that these types of craft would only take off commercially if the cost of prototyping, and the subsequent kits for sale, could be reduced to a minimum.

By the early years of this century foamed plastic sheets jig-sawed by machine were becoming widespread in aero-modelling. This material was based on fine-beaded polystyrene, by this time used extensively both for packaging and building insulation. At the same time advances in the production of panels made from PVC, PU and SAN (all of them foamed plastics derived from oil products) meant that these were used extensively in areas as diverse as marine watercraft or wind turbine blades. In each of these applications the foam normally provides a "core" material to which structural skins like glass-fibre can be applied.

Development undertaken by this new company however established that these foams could be cut according to templates and re-assembled in much the same way as aero-models in order to fast-track different arrangements for surface-skimmers. By and large these employ a pair of buoyant "blades" in a catamaran configuration, which are fitted with hydro-skis. The foam in each blade provides much of the static buoyancy that is required of the vessel, while the skis allow it to hydroplane once underway. The blades are normally joined by a simple deck formed of a single foam panel of a standard size, viz. 2440 mm by 1220 mm by 50 mm. The deck might also be arranged to augment the effect of the hydro-skis with aerodynamic lift.

What distinguishes these craft from others is the configuration of the blades. They are around sixteen foot long but being produced from panels, they are entirely slab-sided. Typically to create a blade the original panel is divided broadly into an upper and lower half, but cut so that one segment has a convex edge and the other a concave. These segments are then joined lengthwise to produce a profile that resembles a kitchen knife, with a cutting edge (which supports the skis), a "step" and a riser. Each of these features are ideal for fast progress through water, and in particular allow the craft to be trimmed or "rotated" in pitch, much like an aeroplane.

The full history is available from the company website on www.panelplane.com or alternatively in e-book form, where the development is described under the title "Flying Foam" (published within www.summersdale.com) by the founder.

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