What it does
It is a high-performance electric hydrofoil that incorporates the cutting-edge aerodynamics of a Formula 1 car. By transplanting and optimising the McLaren MCL38 racer's intake and exhaust ducts
Your inspiration
Inspired by the McLaren MCL38 F1 car's cutting-edge design (e.g. air ducts, floor plates, fins). In view of the problems of high water resistance, high energy consumption and easy instability of traditional electric hydrofoil at high speed, the airflow control technology of the racing car is transformed into a water flow management scheme by using the characteristics of water and air as fluids: the design of the air duct and the floor is transplanted to optimize the water flow and reduce the resistance; The F1 fin is reconstructed into an underwater airfoil to improve propulsion efficiency and high-speed stability.
How it works
At the heart of the McLaren Langchi is the translation of F1 aerodynamics into underwater fluid control. The head and side air intakes guide the water flow, and the fade-out middle plate and the F1 groove bottom plate work together to accelerate the water flow to form a low-pressure area (simulating the ground effect), reducing the adsorption resistance and improving the lifting efficiency, and the water flow is smoothly discharged from the side and rear exhaust ports. The underwater wing system is the key to power: the simplified double-layer front wing is borrowed from the F1 end plate design, cutting and directing the water flow, reducing the energy consumption of vortex; The highly restored F1 stacked tail uses its special shape (upper water flow acceleration to generate low pressure,
Design process
The design process began with a deep distillation of the core aerodynamic elements of the McLaren MCL38 race car (e.g. intake and exhaust ducts, floor-effect floors, multi-layer flap structure). Based on this, I made extensive sketches to explore how these principles could be translated into water control solutions – for example, by converting the front air intakes into plate water inlets, and by simplifying the complex F1 front rear wing into a functionally equivalent underwater airfoil. Then, the preliminary scheme was constructed through 3D modeling, and the water flow simulation was carried out by fluid dynamics (CFD) software, focusing on optimizing the shape of the groove at the bottom of the plate, the angle of the inlet and outlet, and the angle of attack/stacking relationship of the hydrofoil, so as to ensure that the drag can be effectively reduced, the stability and the propulsion efficiency can be improved. Iteratively iterated during the model phase, ergonomically adjusting the layout of the non-slip areas and pedaling comfort, and finally combining the iconic McLaren Racing livery with the fluid path to efficiently transform from track DNA to on-water performance tools.
How it is different
McLaren Langchi is a game-changing reinvention of the core aerodynamic technology of F1 cars underwater, far beyond its peers. Its uniqueness lies in the active plate air duct system to manage water flow (non-passive plate bottom), the high-efficiency hydrofoil optimized by racing genes (double-layer front wing vortex reduction and stacked tail wing pressure), and the CFD precisely tuned fluid path and functional coating, which achieve the advantages of generation difference in high-speed energy efficiency, stability and responsiveness.
Future plans
In the future, the plan will deepen the integration of performance and technology: 1) develop an intelligent stability control system to adjust the attitude of the hydrofoil in real time through sensors and algorithms to cope with complex water flows; 2) McLaren Racing Grade Carbon Fibre Composites to significantly reduce weight and increase strength; 3) Launched the modular hydrofoil kit, which allows users to change the front wing and tail combination according to the water environment (calm lake/open sea) or driving style (racing/cruise);
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