Boat Model, Alexander Graham Bell’s HD-4 Hydrodrome, ca 1960
date: label: date made
content: ca 1960
notes: label: Description
content: The model represents a boat called a hydrodrome, invented by Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin. This example models the HD-4, fourth in the experimental series of the type. Launched in 1918, the HD-4 had hydrofoils, or fins under the boat that lifted it out of the water to go faster. The HD-4 was powered originally by two 250-hp Renault engines, later replaced by two 360-hp Liberty engines. On 9 September 1919, Bell’s HD-4 achieved the world record for the maximum speed of a watercraft at 70.86 mph, or 61.58 knots. Composed of wood with steel fittings, the HD-4 was 60 feet long overall. The model was given to the Smithsonian in 1962.
topic: label: Subject
content: Maritime
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: See more items in
content: Ship Models
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Institute of Aerospace Sciences, New York, New York
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.321484
label: catalog number
content: 321484
label: accession number
content: 245895
objectType: label: Object Name
content: boat, experimental
label: Object Name
content: boat, hydrofoil, model
label: Other Terms
content: boat, experimental; Maritime; Hydrofoil
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 1/2 in x 45 in x 11 in; 41.91 cm x 114.3 cm x 27.94 cm