Prototype design & Testing:
The same hull had been used on the SuperJet since its release in 1990.
At first it was virtually unbeatable in the Ski Class but in recent years its competitiveness had begun to waver.
So, we wanted to revive the SuperJet’s former dominance more than anything.
Toward that end we tried a variety of different ideas and concepts.
And we were able to do this because of the outstanding development test riders and prototype constructors we have at Yamaha Marine.
Considering the fact that we were restricted to maintaining the same deck and engine, some people were skeptical about the possibilities of significantly improving performance in a model of the same size, when the only thing we really had to work with was the hull.
But thanks to the cooperative efforts of many people we were able to develop a model that we have great confidence in.
Test rider:
We found that these characteristics weren’t lost when the machine was race tuned for more power.
We saw that we have succeeded in creating a really good product that could satisfy the novice as well as seasoned racers.
Prototype design & Testing:
From the initial design stage we took into consideration the performance when the craft would be fitted with a race engine.
If you design the hull to accommodate the performance level of a high-horsepower race engine, it should be even easier to ride as a stock model.
In the final stages of the full development, we had the several-time world champion Nicolas Rius evaluate it in tests for us.
Once we had the detailed input of a pro like him worked into the design, we were confident that we were going to have a good product.
On the development team we had active racers and everyone was working with a passion to make a big improvement in this model.
Product design:
We didn’t intend to make a product with the same type of concept as the competitors’ models.
We wanted a unique character that would make this model a winner in races even though it had a smaller hull and smaller engine displacement.
In terms of handling, performance, we wanted to build a model agile enough that it could out-maneuver the competition in the turns by cutting through on the inside.
Test rider:
And if you didn’t take the inside, you could still out-corner the competition with a higher cornering speed around the outside of the turn.
Maneuverability and cornering performance have always been the trademark of the SuperJet, and now we have strengthened these qualities to a whole new level.
Hull development, design:
We were able to create a hull shape that performs with such sharpness in the turns by widening the bow portion as much as possible and then having the form narrow toward the stern.
Product design:
We were able to create a hull shape that performs with such sharpness in the turns by widening the bow portion as much as possible and then having the form narrow toward the stern.
Product design:
By using stainless steel, we were able to design an impeller that is much thinner than before and with improved efficiency.
This helped achieved higher top speed and faster acceleration.
Also, moving the position farther to the stern produced a longer waterline that improves in-motion stability while also improving the efficiency of the pump in rougher water conditions
Prototype design & Testing:
No matter how good an idea you might come up with, you won’t be able to take it to the product stage if you don’t have the working environment and facilities to shape that idea into a prototype. At Yamaha Marine we are fortunately to have that environment.
And, we were especially lucky to have a highly experienced master craftsman on our team.
Prototype production:
It was a tough project due to the high level demands from the design and the testing departments and the speed with which we were expected to work to keep the project on schedule.
But everyone on the development team brought real passion to this project and responded quickly every time there was a request to get a new design on the water so that its performance could be tested and verified.
Product design:
While the testing was in the final stages, we were asking “Craftsman” to make precision changes in the shape of the hull, cutting a few millimeters here and adding a few millimeters there.
It was the kind of demands that only the most experienced craftsman could answer.
Prototype design and Testing:
The prototypes that we were making in this way had a hull shape that was so finely honed for performance that even the slightest changes in the shape would have a dramatic effect on the performance.
And, for that reason, mass-producing the precision of the final prototype in the manufacturing stage was also a difficult task.
Product design:
When moving a model from development into the manufacturing process, there is always some margin of error between the prototype and the final manufactured product that can’t be avoided.
But by working to bring that margin down to an absolute minimum, we were able to produce an SMC hull with a level of precision virtually unprecedented in any industry.
By integrating the whole process from development to manufacturing we were able to answer the high demands of every department involved.
Development of manufacturing process :
In fact, the level of precision and quality that the test department was asking us for was so high that it proved to be beyond anything that could be achieved with conventional hull manufacturing processes.
That made it necessary to take the project into the field of manufacturing technology to try to find ways to get the level of precision of form that our testers were demanding.
The result was an SMC hull manufactured with a degree of precision that is almost unprecedented anywhere in the world to date.
That means that people who ride the production model should feel the same level of performance that we did with the final prototype.
Also, return on investment is always a subject of concern in the development process, so it was really reassuring when the marketing division kept telling us, “Don't worry. It is sure to sell.”
Prototype design & Testing:
The new SuperJet is a product made possible by this kind of development process that integrated everything from planning and development to manufacturing and in which everyone joined together to answer the toughest demands.
It is a product that you really have to ride in order to understand its value.
So, if you have a chance to test ride it, I’m sure that you will recognize the difference and the quality, too.