This might sound a little strange but I have decided to build a "portable test bench" that will strap onto the top of my van. It will allow the hydroplanes to be supported by three vertical rods (3 point hydroplane - rear of each sponson and center rear of transom). By having the rods slide through a 3' x 4' ground effect plate (plywood) mounted on bearings & springs to measure positive and negative lift and having the plate mounted on bearing slides and springs (to measure drag), I should be able to have linear sensors on the plate and the 3 rods attached to a data recorder and measure everything (including effects of any canard (with and without gyro).

Although probably generating some stares on rural Texas highways, this "portable wind tunnel" should allow me to initially set some things like size of canard wing & control surfaces, speed & gain of gyro, etc. without destroying expensive hydroplane hulls and engines which sometimes happens with these high-speed flips. Final tuning will, of course, have to be done on the water.

I already have one of my hydroplanes rigged with sensors and a eagletree data-recorder to record mph, engine rpm, engine head temperature, exhaust gas temperature (EGT), servo positions, and 2-directional g-forces.

What do you think - Crazy??