VERTICAL FLAP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WATERCRAFT

摘要

A control mechanism for a watercraft having a hull adapted to float on and travel through a volume of water, said mechanism comprising a set of control elements comprising a pair of water-contacting surfaces symmetrically disposed with respect to the general longitudinal plane of symmetry of the watercraft, said water-contacting surfaces movable between an inoperative position and a plurality of operative positions in which, when in contact with said volume of water along a lateral wall of the hull and angled in a force-generating angle, generates a force having a steering effect on the watercraft, said force-generating angle is any angle between the water-contacting surface in its operative position and an instantaneous direction of travel of the watercraft. The mechanism further comprises a controller for actuating said control elements. The control elements can act asymmetrically to produce a steering effect or symmetrically to produce a deceleration effect.