Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic Performance
design for Powerboats

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• Computer: 32-bit or 64-bit Intel or AMD processor
• Operating System: Windows® 11/10/8/7/XP
• Drives: CD Rom drive or USB drive (required for installation); Hard Disk Drive (HDD). The TBDP©/VBDP© program requires approximately 200 MB available HDD disk storage space to install.
• Memory: 100MB of available RAM required to run
• Video: TBDP©/VBDP© will operate best with video display screen 1280 X 768 pixels or higher; DPI setting of 96dpi (100%) for viewing on HD monitors. High-DPI displays are automatically accomodated, recommended to 168dpi (175%). Ultra High Definition (UHD) and 4K monitors are accomodated.  Not compatible with Ultra-Wide monitors, screen splitting.
• Europe/Asia/SA Users - The TBDP©/VBDP© should be operated with Windows REGIONAL & LANGUAGE SETTINGS set to ENGLISH (US).
• Printer: Any Windows® compatible printer
• Sound: Integrated audio processor or equivalent sound card
• TBDP©/VBDP© software is intended for installation on Windows® OS (Win11/10/Win7/8, WinXP) on a single-use computer.  Not intended for network/server installations.
• single-user license, transfer or resale not permitted.

• Over 40 years of development and real-world testing, TBDP©/VBDP© is a trusted, time-proven solution for designing/optimizing powerboat performance
• Lifetime personal software personal software license (no annual fees).
• No CAD experience required.
• More flexible, more capable, more features than other generic software
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Easy To Read Results

1 - Easy to understand results with over  detailed data points and  graphs illustrating lift, drag, power requirements, trim angles, acceleration, elapsed time, center of pressures, and more.

2 - No need to interpret complex flow distribution paths or decode pages of CFD numbers to see how your boat will behave. TBDP reports accurately in Performance and Stability data tables and graphically in Performance Graphs

3 - TBDP/VBDP automatically determines the Trim Angles required for each velocity, throughout the entire operating velocity range. You don't have to test every velocity or combine loads for different contributing forces.

4 - The AI-based Performance Analysis Report Wizard explains what the results mean in plain words, and also provides actionable Optimization tips in key areas that it determines should be of interest.

5 - Integrated Modelling - TBDP/VBDP automatically solves the constantly changing inter-related influences of (a) Aerodynamic forces (aero lifting surfaces, tunnel lift, including 'ground-effect', deck lift, deck/cockpit appendage drags, cockpit cavity drag, etc); AND (b) Hydrodynamic forces from all contributing elements (planing surfaces, lower unit/drives, steps, varying deadrise, wetted areas, lifting strakes, spray rails, trim tabs, etc); and (c) Balances the interactions of each force with each other, for accurate lift, drag, stability, and porpoising predictions.

You don't have to do multiple modelling runs that simulate or combine different loading situations (water, aero, trim angles, engine heights, etc)

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TBDP©/VBDP© Saves $000's vs trial-and-error

TBDP©/VBDP© makes performance optimization easy and fast, comparing different design alternatives with the 'click of a button'.

TBDP software is a tremendous advantage, saving $000's compared to other methods of design [Mussafa Ahmed, Naval Engineer, UAE]

This (TBDP) program saved us many hours of testing, I wish I had this program 20 years ago when we where running our bigger boats. I would recommend TBDP software and STBD Book to anyone [Dominick Kuhl, Frazee, MN]

On or off the water, AeroMarine Research’s Tunnel Boat Design software is a performance-predicting program that is more than worth the price. There’s just nothing like it anywhere else. [Greg Terzian, Scream and Fly magazine]

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TBDP©/VBDP© vs Generic CFD software

1-"Most commercial marine design software focus on generic CAD tools and often fall short with specialized capabilities for detailed powerboat performance analysis, and can be not very accurate and hard to interpret.

2-TBDP©/VBDP© is designed specifically for powerboat design and analysis to accurately define performance of boat hulls.

3-TBDP©/VBDP© is designed to run faster, and operate with much less computing power than generic CFD/CAD software.

4-TBDP©/VBDP© automatically balances all of the hydrodynamic forces and aerodynamic forces. No need to model and calculate each separately or to manually adjust inputs for other (air or water) mediums or influencing forces (trim angle, tunnel lift, etc).

5-Dynamic Interaction of air/water medium and associated interdependant aerodynamic/hydrodynamic forces is automatically balanced by TBDP©/VBDP© software.

6-Gives overall resultant loading results (example hydrodynamic lift, aerodynamic lift, etc.) for entire hull - the complete answer - rather than giving hundreds of loading values that must be interpreted to consider a total hull lift, resistance and dynamic stability.

7-Automatically determines Trim Angle, based on balanced forces from all sources, automatically adjusted for overall hull trim angle. No need to do multiple trials at different trim angles and try to interpret results.

8-Details count... TBDP©/VBDP© accounts for... lower unit designs, complex steps loading, whisker spray influences, spray rails, lift strakes, cockpit drags, cavity drags, engine cowl drags, multiple and variable lifting surfaces (center-pod, vee-pad) - all with one-click Results.

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Power boat design software Price Comparisons

"Most commercial marine design software focuses on generic CAD tools and often lacks the specialized capabilities needed for accurate, detailed powerboat performance analysis - making results hard to interpret and less reliable."

TBDP©/VBDP© - Tunnel/Vee hull performance prediction - US$499 - Lifetime License, no addins required

*MultiS* - CAD modeling + hydrostatics - US$4000+ - Perpetual license

*MHydro* - CAD + hydrostatics - €1,241/year - Subscription

*AutoS* - CAD hull design, hydrostatics - US$3200/year - subscription

O*3D+R* - CAD modeling + resistance analysis plugins - US$4,995/year - subscription

[Note: Price checking in 2025 might not be accurate, may not include some required plugin modules + $'s, all capabilities may not be listed]

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Why Testing at One Velocity is Not Enough

"Performance measures and Hull Balance at 1 test velocity is insufficient to determine any conditions except at that 1 velocity. "

Top speed determination is not helpful if the hull becomes unstable at a lower velocity - can't get there safely! We need to know!

Key Stability indicators like 'Hump Zone Transition', 'Porpoising', 'Dynamic Stability' are evident as CHANGES between 2 velocities - but at what velocity do the changes occur? We need to see Results through the full velocity range to determine real-life performance.

TBDP/VBDP Dynamic Stability graph shows results from start velocity to final velocity, shows all instabilities.

Optimum Step Performance can be optimized at only one velocity; ideal step location is a function of velocity, all lift/drag forces/locations, etc; but can’t change a fixed step location

Must assess trend changes as velocity increases, from 1 velocity to another velocity, to predict a developing instability.

How Other software handles - do an analysis at a 'guess' velocity, check a Performance value; if not good, then change design and then run analysis over again.
OR...
How TBDP/VBDP handles - do ALL analysis at ALL velocities automatically; show each Performance trend thru the full velocity range, all together, on one graph - trends are evident, instability velocities are visible, no guessing.

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Lateral Stability — Why other Traditional methods and CFD Fall Short
TBDP/VBDP Lateral Stability Analysis predicts onset of insabilities including chine-walk, track-rolling, hook, roll-over, and more.
TBDP ANALYSIS can...
Analyze hull damping, energy losses and restoring capabilities - and translates to actual real-world hull stability behavior. Traditional Savitsky-type analysis methods only report equilibrium at a single speed; CFD only shows flow disturbances, unconnected to actual hull reactions.
Reveal instabilities that traditional methods miss - detects onset of lateral instability even though traditional local force-balance calculations appear acceptable
Evaluate stability across velocity range to detect where instability emerges with speed - most other tools analyze one condition at a time (and miss instability onsets).
Evaluate whether motions die out or grow, assesses true dynamic stability - not just traditional force equilibriums.
Account for 'dynamic motion damping' and 'roll restoring authority' - traditional calculations and CFD capture only forces (not motion/energy growth or decay).
Delivers answers directly with actionable stability insights - without CFD post-processing, convergence tuning, or data interpretation.
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Longitudinal Stability — Why other Traditional methods and CFD Fall Short
TBDP/VBDP Longitudinal Stability Analysis predicts onset of insabilities including nose-dive (stuffing), bow-steer, bow-trip, bow-raise, high bow lift or blow-over, and more.
TBDP ANALYSIS can...
Predict speed of onset of instability through velocity range - Traditional tools often stop at performance prediction (speed, trim, drag) without identifying instability onsets; CFD shows forces at a snapshot condition but doesn't predict when unstable behavior begins across speed range.
Deliver design-actionable stability results - directly relates outcomes to CG placement, hull geometry, and setup, instead of requiring expert interpretation of pressure plots.
Evaluates restoring behavior, not just trim balance - determines whether pitch disturbances self-correct or grow, which 'trim solvers' and CFD equilibrium cases do not assess.
Accounts for all force contributors simultaneously (hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, drive units, cockpit, etc), since each affects dynamic balance - not just geometric hull shape and isolated force applications.
Track dynamic force-centroid movement across speed - analyzes xCGDynamic motions through acceleration and transition zones, instead of assuming a fixed lift locations and discrete velocity tests.
Identify instability persistence and regime changes - distinguishes sensitivity from sustained bow-up or bow-down instability - CFD snapshots cannot classify.
Predict instability onset before loss of control - detects early restoring margin collapses, rather than diagnosing porpoising or blowover after it appears.
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Porpoising Onset — What TBDP/VBDP analysis does Best
TBDP/VBDP Porpoising Analysis predicts onset of longitudinal insabilities that initiate Porpoising, and show the speed when it will occur, and more.
TBDP ANALYSIS can...
Predict speed where Porpoising problems begin, and translates to actual real-world hull stability behavior - Traditional tools often stop at performance prediction (speed, trim, drag) without identifying instability onsets; CFD shows forces at a snapshot condition but doesn't predict when unstable behavior begins across speed range.
Deliver design-actionable stability results - directly relates outcomes to CG placement, hull geometry, and setup, instead of requiring expert interpretation of pressure plots.
Accounts for all force contributors simultaneously (hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, drive units, cockpit, etc), since each affects dynamic balance - not just isolated force applications (hydrodynamic only, aerodynamic only, etc.).
Couples Net Dynamic Longitudinal Force Centroid and Pitch Stability Index with dynamic 'Hump Zone' transition instabilities - CFD does not consider dynamic changes or competing influences.
Track dynamic force-centroid movement across speed - analyzes dynamic motions through acceleration and transition zones, instead of assuming a fixed lift locations and discrete velocity tests.
Identify Porpoising instability persistence - distinguishes sensitivity from sustained Porpoising instability - CFD snapshots cannot classify.
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Variable Deadrise
TBDP/VBDP can account for complex variation in deadrise angle of running surfaces, accomodating both longitudinal variable (warped plane) deadrise AND lateral variable (progressive) deadrise.
TBDP ANALYSIS can...
Analyze variations in lift, drag, whisker spray, stagnation lines, pressure changes, full dynamic stability, etc. for each varying increment of planing surface design, to accurately model integrated variable deadrise hull performance - all in real-time.
Provides 'Deadrise Wizard' that easily aids user creation of warped plane and/or progressive variable deadrise designs.
Allows user to instantly view 'what-if' comparative changes to warped plane and/or progressive deadrise designs, and view side-by-side Performance results, in real-time.
TBDP/VBDP is BETTER because... CFD softwares use a Savitsky (constant deadrise) method to estimate drag, and require multiple discrete CFD simulation runs to 'estimate' an 'averaged' variable deadrise behavior.
• More advanced analysis, more advanced results (not generic CFD) [Compare Generic CFD software]
• Easy to Read, 'Real-World' Results [Read more here]
• No additional plugins or external CFD post-processors required
• Single project file used across all design, hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, stability, performance and graphics results.
• Saves $000's vs 'trial and error' [Read a few testimonials here]
• Lower $ cost vs other generic software suites [See $ Pricing Compares]
• Much faster workflow than other generic software suites
• Excellent media Reviews and testimonials
• AR® maintains ongoing, continuous research, widespread publishing presence.
• Vast published papers, regular software updates, demonstrated commitment to excellence, continuous development, and customer service.
• Online Instructional Videos
• Outstanding client support (call us and see for yourself!)
• Extensive, user-friendly documentation and Help functions
• Low cost for combined software package for tunnel boats and vee boats