Phantomchic's Random Pic Thread.

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Strange vehicles: Rinspeed Splash

Extroverted Swiss design company Rinspeed created the Rinspeed Splash, a true sports car which transforms into a hydrofoil speed boat capable of 50 mph.

To help keep costs down the Splash's styling has suffered, although this is partly due to the amphibious characteristics of the car, such as a narrow front end.

Transformation to a speed boat involves deploying a propeller at the rear, the large rear spoiler rolls under the car becoming the rear hydrofoil, and two hydrofoils integrated into the left and right sides of the splash swing down to form the front hydrofoils.

Naturally Rinspeed has constructed the Splash's interior from waterproof materials

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reminds me of FREE WILLY ..

Strange vehicles: Maritime Flight Dynamics SeaPhantom

The SeaPhantom from Maritime Flight Dynamics INC. is a speed boat based on NASA's Lifting-Body Airfoil design. This offers an aerodynamically stable platform for fast aquatic craft.

Hydrodynamic lifting surfaces mounted in the hull provide the SeaPhantom's pilot with passive response to variable sea conditions, and help to smooth out the impact of the waves. Design objectives for the SeaPhantom included the elimination of active aeronautical control surfaces to simplify the pilot's job. Basically, the craft's built-in stability systems - including automated computer controlled gyroscopic feedback- means the SeaPhantom can be operated by anyone familiar with high performance offshore powerboat operation.

Several computers operate quietly in the background sampling the SeaPhantom's attitude 400 times per second, automatically balancing the craft until manual override steering inputs are registered.

The SeaPhantom is designed to offer speeds approaching that of a helicopter but at the running costs associated with offshore powerboats.

In the SeaPhantoms futuristic cabin a Mclaren F1 style seating configuration can be found, with 2+2 seating behind. To provide an outstanding field of vision for the pilot there are two large side windows as well as the windscreen. Wide-angle cameras relay video to a cockpit mounted screen to cover the remaining blind-spots.

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PowerSki Jetboard

The PowerSki Jetboard is one of the most radical water toys ever invented. The PowerSki JetBoard is an engineering marvel - the inventors have taken the basic shape of a surfboard and built in an incredibly small and flat 45hp motor capable of propelling the Jetboard up to 40 mph

With the rear thrust rail and the three stabilising fins beneath, the JetBoard carves better than anything else on water. The Jetboard can generate cornering G-forces of up to 6G enabling the rider to get almost horizontal to the water. The JetBoard never cavitates or slides out, allowing a standing rider to perform continuous, stable, high speed turns with only slight shifts in weight.

Balance is maintained by gripping the JetBoard's handle connected to the nose of the board via a four-foot long semi-flexible arm. The handle incorporates the start/stop buttons, thumb throttle, and safety kill switch and the shape is ergonomically designed with finger grooves to prevent hand and wrist fatigue.

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Transparent Canoe-Kayak

This transparent Canoe-Kayak offers the sort of harmony with nature only available from human-powered vehicles.

The hull is made from a transparent polymer identical to that found in fighter-jet canopy's. So it's not going to shatter if you scrape a rock or two. As a further safety measure the Transparent Canoe-Kayak has two floatation devices, fore and aft, as well as a lightweight anodized aluminium frame.

Adjustable seats accommodate people of all sizes, and a wide hull with a low seating position mean the Transparent Canoe-Kayak is relatively stable compared to similar sized canoes.

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McLean V8 Monowheel

The McLean V8 Monowheel is a creation of Kerry Mclean of Michigan, USA.

Probably the most extreme monowheel constructed, it is powered by a Buick V8 car engine, and has been clocked at 53 mph, although 100 mph is theoretically possible. 53 mph may not sound that fast but monowheels are notoriously difficult to control, and stopping is another matter.

Most monowheels are used as recreational vehicles on private land, but amazingly this V8 powered monowheel is actually road legal in the US.

Similar and related vehicles:

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Hemi Trike

The HEMI Trike was the winner of a competition by Chrysler for the most ingenious use of a 345 bhp V8 HEMI engine.

The HEMI Trike has room for one intrepid driver seated in front of the powerful motor. Steering on the HEMI Trike is done via a large semi-circular bar connecting the handles of the trike.

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