Wings?

[Bob V]

Great pictures, An old friend was running the gold wing at Smith Mtn. Lake with the Chryslers when it picked up off water and came in sideways, destroying it. I think that was the 1968 marathon nationals.

That would be Jock Horner's El Lobo that he sold the the Chrysler guys who ran the Chrysler stackers. From what I have been able to learn, that boat still lies on the bottom of Smith Mtn. Lake.

[GENE LANHAM]

That would be Jock Horner's El Lobo that he sold the the Chrysler guys who ran the Chrysler stackers. From what I have been able to learn, that boat still lies on the bottom of Smith Mtn. Lake.

John Henry Price was the driver. George Thompson (old Mercury employee) had gone to work for Chrysler---they had the 'El Lobo' running real good, just couldn't keep it running----


I found this Joe Swift newsletter---

[GENE LANHAM]

Gene -

p.s. - what did the 18' Wings weight, anyway?

Jim, the number I have heard is 800 to 1000 pounds. Add 500 for engines, 200 for fuel tanks, batteries, rigging etc, and 150 for a skinny driver, totals about 1850 pounds?

(Roger H. or Rich may have a more accurate figure)----

Then add nearly 600 pounds fuel for a three hour race----

I estimate about 50 sq. ft. for 'cambered' aerodynamic airfoil---(I think I know where you are going with this)

[willabee]

Gene:

I went out to Wisconsin in 1967 0r 8 looking for a wing. I was taken into one of the Merc warehouses and there were at least a dozen wings of various colors in the building. .....

Do you remember where this warehouse was ..... Fond du Lac? I can't get the ol' memory bank to kick in on this at all! We didn't have them at 20 Wisconsin St. or at the boathouse on the river in Oshkosh. I can't remember if Merc engineering or racing had any other temporary warehouse space leased in Oshkosh back then.

The only thing I remember is in late 67 or early 68, Garbrecht and I were bs'ing about the upcoming weekend. I think it was a slip on his part, but he ended up saying that he couldn't go to whatever I was talking about because he had to drive to Illinois or Missouri to talk to a widow about buying her late husbands wing. It was an 18' and I think it was Chrysler powered at the time. This was when we were still functioning out of the Blueroom at the Plt. #5 boathouse. I asked what the hell that was all about and he said that Mr. K had decided to take control of as many Switzer wings as possible, just to prevent OMC from getting them.

So I know there was an effort to round them up, I just don't remember where they were. Merten would have "bought or borrowed" his back then. I only remember him talking about going somewhere with Gary and picking the black with gold because he thought it looked to be in better shape than the others. That makes me think there were no new Wings at this location.

[Jimboat]

Jim, the number I have heard is 800 to 1000 pounds. Add 500 for engines, 200 for fuel tanks, batteries, rigging etc, and 150 for a skinny driver, totals about 1850 pounds? (Roger H. or Rich may have a more accurate figure)----Then add nearly 600 pounds fuel for a three hour race----I estimate about 50 sq. ft. for 'cambered' aerodynamic airfoil---(I think I know where you are going with this)

Thanks, Gene. I was just wondering about the weights. I haven't done an analysis for the Wing hull, but my software calculates all of the forces through the velocity range. I will try a performance analysis sometime when I get more dimensions.

[willabee]

Jim, the number I have heard is 800 to 1000 pounds. Add 500 for engines, 200 for fuel tanks, batteries, rigging etc, and 150 for a skinny driver, totals about 1850 pounds? ......

For what it's worth, that's pretty close to what I remember. Seems like there were a few light ones like Kitson's 113 mph record setter that came in empty at about 650 lbs. The normal 18' was 800 lb. on average and the 20'ers approached the 1000 lb. you mentioned.

Didn't realize a wet po-go stick weighed that much!

[GENE LANHAM]

Didn't realize a wet po-go stick weighed that much!

Only an 'affable' wet pogo stick---

[shadowcat]

Bob Switzer told me about a month ago at the switzer reunion that the 20 ft wing weighted 1150 lbs fully rigged with gas tanks but without engines- so you would think the 18 ft would be lighter so that makes sense

Jim, the number I have heard is 800 to 1000 pounds. Add 500 for engines, 200 for fuel tanks, batteries, rigging etc, and 150 for a skinny driver, totals about 1850 pounds?

(Roger H. or Rich may have a more accurate figure)----

Then add nearly 600 pounds fuel for a three hour race----

I estimate about 50 sq. ft. for 'cambered' aerodynamic airfoil---(I think I know where you are going with this)

[shadowcat]

Eddy Doy-yat told me that when he bought his 1970-20 ft wing he went to fond du lac and picked the straightest one he saw of the 6 wings there at the time----from what I understand and have seen there weren't really any straight wings ....LOL......-----

Do you remember where this warehouse was ..... Fond du Lac? I can't get the ol' memory bank to kick in on this at all! We didn't have them at 20 Wisconsin St. or at the boathouse on the river in Oshkosh. I can't remember if Merc engineering or racing had any other temporary warehouse space leased in Oshkosh back then.

The only thing I remember is in late 67 or early 68, Garbrecht and I were bs'ing about the upcoming weekend. I think it was a slip on his part, but he ended up saying that he couldn't go to whatever I was talking about because he had to drive to Illinois or Missouri to talk to a widow about buying her late husbands wing. It was an 18' and I think it was Chrysler powered at the time. This was when we were still functioning out of the Blueroom at the Plt. #5 boathouse. I asked what the hell that was all about and he said that Mr. K had decided to take control of as many Switzer wings as possible, just to prevent OMC from getting them.

So I know there was an effort to round them up, I just don't remember where they were. Merten would have "bought or borrowed" his back then. I only remember him talking about going somewhere with Gary and picking the black with gold because he thought it looked to be in better shape than the others. That makes me think there were no new Wings at this location.

[Vulture27]

Ken Burkett was driving El Lobo at Smith Mtn. Lake when he crashed it. George Thompson was there for set-up and props and John Henry was co-driver and owner. The boat made it back to the trailer and didn't sink but it had a gapping hole in the side. I was there running a U-class tunnel with a Chrysler and finished 2nd in class. Ken drove the El Lobo a couple times I know of before it was destroyed.

[GENE LANHAM]

Ken Burkett was driving El Lobo at Smith Mtn. Lake when he crashed it. George Thompson was there for set-up and props and John Henry was co-driver and owner. The boat made it back to the trailer and didn't sink but it had a gapping hole in the side. I was there running a U-class tunnel with a Chrysler and finished 2nd in class. Ken drove the El Lobo a couple times I know of before it was destroyed.

Vulture27, is this what 'El Lobo' looked like at Smith Mtn?

[Bob V]

Ken Burkett was driving El Lobo at Smith Mtn. Lake when he crashed it. George Thompson was there for set-up and props and John Henry was co-driver and owner. The boat made it back to the trailer and didn't sink but it had a gapping hole in the side. I was there running a U-class tunnel with a Chrysler and finished 2nd in class. Ken drove the El Lobo a couple times I know of before it was destroyed.

Thanks for the info. I had always heard that it never made it back to the trailer and was at the bottom of the lake. When you say it was destroyed are you saying it was trashed or crashed?

[Vulture27]

Hello Gene, My memory of it say's it was still gold flake, but I may be wrong. The boat was crashed at Smith Mtn. and the whole right side was caved in. I remember George and John Henry were trying to get Bob Switzer to take from there to repair it. I don't remember ever seeing the white wing with the 150's in person.

[T2x]

Do you remember where this warehouse was ..... Fond du Lac? I can't get the ol' memory bank to kick in on this at all! We didn't have them at 20 Wisconsin St. or at the boathouse on the river in Oshkosh. I can't remember if Merc engineering or racing had any other temporary warehouse space leased in Oshkosh back then.

The only thing I remember is in late 67 or early 68, Garbrecht and I were bs'ing about the upcoming weekend. I think it was a slip on his part, but he ended up saying that he couldn't go to whatever I was talking about because he had to drive to Illinois or Missouri to talk to a widow about buying her late husbands wing. It was an 18' and I think it was Chrysler powered at the time. This was when we were still functioning out of the Blueroom at the Plt. #5 boathouse. I asked what the hell that was all about and he said that Mr. K had decided to take control of as many Switzer wings as possible, just to prevent OMC from getting them.

So I know there was an effort to round them up, I just don't remember where they were. Merten would have "bought or borrowed" his back then. I only remember him talking about going somewhere with Gary and picking the black with gold because he thought it looked to be in better shape than the others. That makes me think there were no new Wings at this location.

Willa...It was in Fond Du Lac... and yes there were signs of previous rigging on many of them... I recall a Red/Orange (Tangerine?) metalflake version that was not rigged..I came back to Long Island without taking one ...and spent that season driving an Eltro with Evinrude 115's. I am not sure about any later news regarding the boats except that I was told afew years later that they were destroyed at one point along with some of the endurance/test boats of that era. Can't be certain who told me this, but it was probably Mike Goerlitz.

[shadowcat]

Rideau ferry regatta- 2015