268 H. Von Schertel 
2. Practical vessels can be built in much smaller sizes than displacement ships 
without sacrificing sea-keeping capability. Smaller ships permit faster turnaround in port 
and more frequent service. Delivery times of a day or two, rather than a week or two, are 
possible. 
3. As Baron Von Schertel points out, the hydrofoil can operate from existing facilities 
and does not require extensive shore installations as airplanes do. It can provide a self- 
contained express link in the transportation networks which now exist around the ports of 
the world. 
4. Economically, the hydrofoil is at its best at the shorter ranges where the aircraft — 
present and projected —is at its poorest. 
Within foreseeable advances in the state of the art, the ranges for economical operation 
of hydrofoils will be substantially lower than those of aircraft. Carrying cargo instead of 
passengers will not, of course, repeal these limits but it will enable the hydrofoil to service 
routes where its own endurance, rather that that of its passengers, is the limiting factor. 
While the hydrofoil cannot now be expected to provide economical transatlantic service, 
there are major trade areas within its range capabilities. -These include the Caribbean area, 
for example, and, it would seem, the seas adjacent to Europe. Furthermore, there are indica- 
tions that the maritime industry, at least in the United States, is ripe for the introduction of 
a high-performance, high-productivity vessel. Long a labor-intensive industry, the merchant 
marine shows increasing signs of a transition to high-productivity capital equipment. Con- 
tainerized cargo handling operations are now a reality and specially designed containerships 
are now in service. Attention is being given to the automation of ship operation. The trend 
toward faster displacement ships continues. 
The possible role of the hydrofoil in cargo transport is indicated by the nature of the 
cargo it might carry. Cargo aircraft are generally considered to be taking the “cream” of 
the freight market —the highest valued commodities which can best afford the premium 
freight charges. Of the commodities valued in excess of $40 per pound which are imported 
to the U.S., for example, it is not uncommon for the entire amount to be shipped by air. On 
the other hand, virtually no commodities valued at less than $1 per pound are imported 
by air. 
Hydrofoil cargo transports are not likely to recapture the very high valued cargo nor 
will they be suitable for the low valued bulk cargoes. There is a middle ground, however, 
consisting of general cargo —manufactured goods such as machinery, motor vehicles and 
parts, electrical equipment, and textile manufactures — which constitute a substantial por- 
tion of ocean-going commerce and for which the hydrofoil may be a suitable transport. - 
The use of high-speed hydrofoil ocean transports would require that they be recognized 
as an expensive, but valuable, piece of capital equipment. Their high cost would have to 
be matched by high utilization to realize their productivity potential. -New concepts in 
ocean shipping would be required, as well as the traditional ship operating virtues: minimum 
crews which debark at the end of arun to be replaced by another crew in the manner of air- 
line practice; turnaround times measured in hours or minutes rather than days; rapid engine 
replacement in port so that major maintenance does not tie up the ship. » 
The history of air transport is primarily the development of the passenger market. - The 
passenger and his baggage have offered the highest revenues, and today’s airline passen- 
gers are the heirs of the early travelers who paid premium fares for the novelty as well as 
