Wings?

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-12-2015, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Jimboat

I certainly agree that Ted was a true inovator! He introduced so many new concepts to performance hull design.

Gene, the Switzer Wing was indeed one of the positive camber ("flat on the bottom") aerofoil shapes, wasn't it? I've always assumed this, but can you confirm that this is true?

Also, re: performance, the thickness (t/c) of the aerofoil used would probably have been more significant that the specific NACA shape chosen.

Jim---It was totally flat---most of the definitions of the Clark Y mention 'flat for 70%'.

Bill Sirois and I rigged the brand new boat at the Lake in December, 1967. Ted Jones was right there when we tested engines and propellers. Ted took one look at the leading edge and scowled, 'you have to change that!' The boats were assembled joining the upper and lower with pop-rivets and a thick rubber 'bumper' to cover the joint. Ted explained the leading edge was the most important part of the airfoil. "That's where the air decides to go over the top--or under the bottom"

**lilabner** · 07-12-2015, 10:15 PM

A Catamaran I remember well was the Ted Jones Cat. I always thought they were the best looking cats ever. George Thompson raced one quite a lot, with Bill Sirois riding the deck sometimes. Bill always joked about it. It was also the pace boat for the Six Hour at Lake X. Out of the 96 boats that started, I'll bet there were only about ten that could keep up with it. George finally blew it apart in the Around Miami Beach Race, and Bill went on to be possibly the best boat racer of our generation.

**lilabner** · 07-12-2015, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

Jim---It was totally flat---most of the definitions of the Clark Y mention 'flat for 70%'.

Bill Sirois and I rigged the brand new boat at the Lake in December, 1967. Ted Jones was right there when we tested engines and propellers. Ted took one look at the leading edge and scowled, 'you have to change that!' The boats were assembled joining the upper and lower with pop-rivets and a thick rubber 'bumper' to cover the joint. Ted explained the leading edge was the most important part of the airfoil. "That's where the air decides to go over the top--or under the bottom"

Ted was in California a lot in 67. He was with my friend Skip Talbot helping him with his drag hydro built by Ron Jones. He was the Mercury Rep there. I think Mercury wanted to be sure Skip had everything he needed to stay ahead of Ferguson and the Twister. After Skip was hurt in his Stylecraft Cat, and it didn't look like he had much future racing anymore, Ted left, I guess for Fla. When the National Drags were run in 67, we had to help Skip in and out of his boat since he had a badly mangled leg. Ted and I walked around the pits, and he showed me a boat he had designed called Miss Glover. It looked like a 266 hydro, but was a drag boat. He said it was one of the fastest top fuel boats at one time. It didn't do much that day.

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-12-2015, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by lilabner

You could be right Gene. At the first OFF at JJ Muggs in Jupiter, I was at a table with Fred Darwick, Bakos, Dave and Bob Switzer, and a couple others. I will have to find the picture. Dave told us He didn't know what kind of wing it was, he said maybe a Piper something.

Johnny and I were there--Butch

**lilabner** · 07-13-2015, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

Johnny and I were there--Butch

That's the picture Gene, I thought you were there too, just couldn't remember. Gene, Johnny and Odell, the Senior Deans of OFF. Brownie and Jackie are just kids at 80.

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-13-2015, 10:16 AM

Here's Johnny!!!

I wasn't the first to 'fair in' the leading edge of a SwitzerWing----

**2us70** · 07-13-2015, 10:38 AM

In the 1966 9 hour there was a fiberglass wing set up with a single the cockpit opening in the center of the wing section. I don't recall how the stock dual cockpit openings were treated on that boat but they may have been simply glassed over. I do recall that the boat did not do very well. I never saw one rigged like that again.

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-13-2015, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by 2us70

In the 1966 9 hour there was a fiberglass wing set up with a single the cockpit opening in the center of the wing section. I don't recall how the stock dual cockpit openings were treated on that boat but they may have been simply glassed over. I do recall that the boat did not do very well. I never saw one rigged like that again.

There were two 'center' cockpit wings---the performance was poor

Confirms the importance of air flow over the top of an airfoil----

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-13-2015, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by 2us70

In the 1966 9 hour there was a fiberglass wing set up with a single the cockpit opening in the center of the wing section. I don't recall how the stock dual cockpit openings were treated on that boat but they may have been simply glassed over. I do recall that the boat did not do very well. I never saw one rigged like that again.

Here's the other 'center' cockpit wing---I'm sure this the one you saw, Jim.

Chet Strickland drove it some South Florida races---including the 'Roaring 100'-----

**2us70** · 07-13-2015, 06:44 PM

That is it.

**olboatman** · 07-13-2015, 06:44 PM

WOW Great Stuff!!!!

Thanks Guys! Gary

**2us70** · 07-14-2015, 11:59 AM

How was the wing out in the open ocean in the "Roaring 100"? I recall the year I won the E class in my big ugly marathon boat that the rollers in Hawks Channel were pretty big. big enough to break Bobby Krell's Checkmate in half. Somehow I don't think the Switzers had the Atlantic Ocean in mind when they designed that boat.

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-14-2015, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by 2us70

How was the wing out in the open ocean in the "Roaring 100"? I recall the year I won the E class in my big ugly marathon boat that the rollers in Hawks Channel were pretty big. big enough to break Bobby Krell's Checkmate in half. Somehow I don't think the Switzers had the Atlantic Ocean in mind when they designed that boat.

Actually ---there was a speed that was reasonably comfortable---it definitely wasn't 'flying' and BLUE water did come over the wing. After Bobby's 'incident' the Coast Guard did the same thing they had done in the old Gold Coast---No More--

**2us70** · 07-14-2015, 09:48 PM

Bobby would have won the class easily if the boat had not broken. He had a huge lead on me in the south run. This was due to a big advantage in boat speed and that he actually knew how to navigate. Me not so much. His dad gave him good advice, just keep me in sight till the water got better. It was working perfect till his bow came up and hit him in the face.

**lilabner** · 07-15-2015, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

Here's the other 'center' cockpit wing---I'm sure this the one you saw, Jim.

Chet Strickland drove it some South Florida races---including the 'Roaring 100'-----

Here is a Wing Carl Moesly at Sea Craft built. He later cut it up..circa Jan 1963

pictures are from the Moesly Sea Craft website