Boeing began adapting many systems used in jet airplanes for hydrofoils. Robert Bateman led development. Boeing launched its first passenger-carrying waterjet-propelled hydrofoil in April 1974. It could carry from 167 to 400 passengers./wikipedia
source: boeing / image: Costa Lam
The Boeing JETFOIL (Boeing Model 929) was designed for passenger comfort at high speeds.It gave passengers a smooth and fast ride, and its three narrow struts created a fraction of the wake that a ship of its size would normally make.
It was also as quiet as a conventional auto ferry. With a stopping distance of 500 feet (152 meters) and a turning radius of just 645 feet (196 meters), it was easy to maneuver the 90–foot-long (27-meter-long) ship through congested waterways.
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The standard configuration of the JETFOIL accommodated 250 passengers. but design flexibility allowed variations for up to 350 seats. The JETFOILs were powered by a pair of Allison gas-turbine engines that each drove a Rocketdyne waterjet pump, which propelled the 115-ton (104.32-tonne) vessel at speeds in excess of 45 knots (51.8 mph/83.3 kph).
