Integrated Surface Drive
The STEALTH technology Integrated Surface Drive (ISD) unit is built as part of the vessel’s hull. This optimally positions the surface piercing propeller in the water flow from the transom with minimal external moving components – no hydraulic cylinders, steering rods or thrust bearing with their vulnerable soft covers exposed to grounding and collision damage and vulnerable to corrosion and marine growth. The ISD is considerably simpler and more robust than most conventional drive systems, competitor surface drives, stern drives, water jets and pod drive units.
Advantages of the STEALTH technology ISD are:
- It makes use of high-efficiency surface propellers which are typically have higher efficiency than other propeller types. Further, the drive-shafts exit the transom of the vessel at and extremely shallow angle which gives a higher useful forward thrust component than normal propeller-shaft systems.
- Shallow draft characteristics due to propeller-shaft exit through the vessel’s transom and integrated rudder mounted athwarthships of the surface propeller.
- No propeller height adjustment is necessary due to the optimal design integration of the ISD for each particular hull size.
- Extremely low maintenance costs as the surface propeller and rudder are the only eternally fitted components of the drive system – all other components are internally fitted within the hull. They are not subjected to impact and corrosion damage and can be easily accessed with the vessel in the water for maintenance.
- As the hull transom is positioned forward of the vessel stern and recessed into the aft hull area, the ISD does not protrude past the stern of the vessel. This protects the ISD from stern damage and safely positions the propeller away from any user activities at the stern of the vessel.
- Excellent astern performance from the surface propeller due to the angled-shape of the drive housing deflection propeller wash under the vessel’s hull when reversing.
- An integrated exhaust exit for propeller ventilation at slow speeds which aerates the surface propeller and promotes rapid acceleration to planning speeds. The concealed and integrated nature of the exhaust outlet promotes rapid attenuation of exhaust noise which enables vessel pass-by noise levels to be below international limits for vessel noise emissions.