In flows around ships, the bow wave can entrain a significant amount of air as it breaks continuously on the free surface. The resulting air bubbles persist in the ship wake affecting its radar cross section as well as acting as cavitation nuclei in the flow entering the ship's propeller. In the present investigation, the formation of a bow wave on a ship was simulated in the laboratory using a deflecting plate in a supercritical free surface flow. The experiments were conducted at two scales. The present paper focuses on how the bow wave changes with the angles and flow parameters, information which is a necessary prerequisite for understanding the air entrainment process. Flow visualization studies were performed and an electronic point gage was used to study the three-dimensional shape of the bow waves and the manner in which they break.
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