USS Tucumcari

USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) at sea
History
United States
Name	USS Tucumcari
Namesake	Tucumcari, New Mexico
Ordered	1966
Laid down	1 September 1966
Launched	15 July 1967
In service	7 March 1968
Out of service	1972
Stricken	7 November 1973
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Displacement	57 tons (full load)
Length	72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
Beam	35 ft 4 in (10.77 m)
Draft	4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)
Propulsion	Bristol Proteus gas turbine driving water jets
Speed	over 40 knots / 46 mph
Complement	1 officer, 12 enlisted men (design)
Armament	One 40 mm gun, four .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns, one 81 mm mortar

The USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) was a Boeing-built hydrofoil. Named after Tucumcari, New Mexico, it was the basis for the technology used in the subsequent Pegasus-class patrol boats and the Jetfoil ferries. Its unique feature was a waterjet propulsion and a computer-controlled fully submerged foil configuration of one foil at the bow and foils on the port and starboard sides. The Tucumcari was one of two prototype boats contracted by the Navy under project SCB 252^[1] for the purpose of evaluating the latest hydrofoil technology. The second boat was the rival Grumman-built USS Flagstaff (PGH-1).