CULLOWHEE – Thanks to two Western Carolina University engineering technology professors and their students, the fish you catch the next time you cast a line may never know what hit them.

That’s because a manufacturing processes and materials class at Western has designed a new, lightweight fishing kayak using the same technology and materials that go into the creation of stealth bombers and submarine-hunting ships.

During the spring semester, the students tackled a project designed to demonstrate civil applications for “stealth technology” used by the military, said Ron Bumgarner, WCU assistant professor of engineering technology.

“This technology, which includes composite materials to achieve strong, lightweight construction, is migrating into the commercial civilian sectors. It is becoming dual-use technology,” said Bumgarner. “Our students built a prototype kayak, utilizing a stressed, frameless construction system that uses a PVC foam core laminated in a Kevlar, graphite, epoxy and fiberglass shell.”

The result is an 11-foot kayak that weighs only 34 pounds, a highly maneuverable vessel that can be used for fishing in lakes and rivers. The kayak was designed by Bob Dalley, an associate professor of engineering technology who has built a series of boats especially for use on Western North Carolina waterways, including a McKenzie-style drift boat ideal for fishing in mountain streams.

Students who participated in the stealth kayak project are Thomas Adams of Columbus, Ga.; Michael J. Clare of Brevard; James Hancock of Charlotte; Michael P. Hollingsworth of Raleigh; Ben A. Hotze of Roanoke, Va.; David C. Jones of Shelby; Jonathon P. Lee of Sylva; Luke R. McFetters of Randleman; Christopher A. Mills of Canton; Thomas R. Mingin of West End; Jason W. Nelson of Greenville; Patrick H. Stevens of Jamestown; Eric J. Voots of Hickory; and James A. Walker of Fletcher.