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Mark75H
11-17-2002, 10:50 PM
This is the first wing at its first race...whippin' Ole Carl in his own backyard.....Winnebagoland marathon, Lake Winnebago, Fond Du Lac, WI

Look at the cool spray shooting up between the motors!

Mark75H
02-25-2004, 04:15 PM
A different U-4

The first NOA OPC boat to set a speed record over 100 mph

Is he happy or what?

crazy horse
02-25-2004, 05:40 PM
While were on the subject, I ran across this shot.

T2x
02-26-2004, 11:26 AM
Originally posted by Mark75H
A different U-4

The first NOA OPC boat to set a speed record over 100 mph

Is he happy or what?

Jan Schoonover........ the pride of Lima, Ohio.

T2x

2us70
02-26-2004, 02:53 PM
Is the boat on the Powerboat cover a DeSilva? I have heard of it but never seen a good picture of one.

omc-v4
02-26-2004, 04:14 PM
That powerboat is full of wings! Post all of them. Ron Hill,Jimbo,Johnny Sanders,Bobby Whitt and lots more.

T2x
02-26-2004, 05:16 PM
Originally posted by 2us70
Is the boat on the Powerboat cover a DeSilva? I have heard of it but never seen a good picture of one.

Yes, that is a DeSilva Wing.

T2x

lloyd
03-07-2004, 02:27 PM
the first wing was acenter console the gang from evansville in. leon mcgaulgin jack strassgawig went to Winabagoland and after all the factory rigs broke won carl k the man gave them 2 ss speed master's that you could not buy i owned them later they went to miami later pissed of the big mr k quit raceing lloyd burns raceing 1964 stilldrag race new blew too

Jimboat
03-07-2004, 07:09 PM
The Switzer Wing, introduced in early June of 1961 was designed and built by Dave Switzer of Switzer Craft Boat Co. of Crystal IL. This hull was the first to really capitalize on the benefits of aerodynamics! Driven by brother Bob Switzer, the boat achieved the first successful 100 plus speed runs at the famous "Lake X" with twin stock Mercury 76 cu. in. direct reversing engines. An amazing break through at a time when the current fastest catamaran-type hull was running in the 80 mph range!

The first Switzer Wing was conceived just 9 days before the first Pleasure Craft Marathon put on by Mr. Kiekhafer in June 1961. Bob Switzer had heard that the race would have an open class for twin engines requiring a driver and a passenger. Dave Switzer built a boat in short order, and the brothers went looking for a second engine to pair with their only Merc 800 engine. Ultimately, Charlie Strang, (then V.P. of Engineering at Mercury Marine) gave them an engine to use for the race.

[excerpt from "History of Tunnel Boat Design" book (http://www.aeromarineresearch.com/history.html)

lilabner
03-07-2004, 10:52 PM
I don't think that is all true...I don't think the Switzer ran over 100 untill they put the Merc 1000's on them..I was at the kilos in Dec 61 and watched the cat runs..My boss, Dave Craig got the 3rd Switzer built and it only ran 80 with Merc 800's, and took a long time to get there..it wouldn't stop hopping till it got over 75..
Here are the results of the kilos in Dec 61...

Butch Stokes

Mark75H
03-07-2004, 11:10 PM
You are both right in a way. The 100+ speed was unofficial and came later ...

Here is a quote from Bob Switzer


Time was slipping away, the leaves were turning into their fall colors and we estimated approximately five weeks of open water to test on the Fox River near our plant. A decision had to be made... Do we call Mr. Kiekhaefer and postpone the project until spring, or do we keep going "right up to the wire" as the saying goes. The decision was made! Keep going!

My brother, Dave Switzer was the designer in charge of the construction phase of this project. He knew that now the pressure was on to design and build that 100 M.P.H. boat in minimum time. Russell "Pop" Switzer, a pioneer in light aircraft and sea planes since World War I, injected some new ideas he had long thought were necessary to control a boat at flying speeds. Dave welcomed these new ideas and also accepted a weight distribution change that I had recommended. We also concentrated on making a cleaner air-flow version of his original U-4. Several days later the materials were flying into shape and the U-6 hull was finished in record time. With time running out fast it was rigged for the first test runs.

The time was now! We proceeded to the test area on Nov. 29th, 1962 only to find that there was a 1/4" of ice on the river, stopping all progress. The weather reports promised warmer weather for the next day. All was held in readiness. November 30, temperature 45° -Sky clear -water open and calm. Time, 10:00 A.M. we launched the U-106. I got into the enclosed plexiglass cockpit (much like the capsule boats of today) , checked out all instruments, fired up engine #1, check, #2, check, water pressure and cooling systems OK, tachometer reading steady, fuel pressure normal, closed the aircraft type canopy over the cockpit, bring the engines to warm up speed and taxi to position for a wide open run.

Now, increasing speed to 50 mph -60-70 -80 and now at the speed range where the previous design started to kite I used the foot throttle over-ride and steering with my left hand, I put my right hand on "Pop" Switzer's stabilizing control lever which operated the elevon (wing tail flap) controlling the last 2 feet of the center section between the twin hulls. At 85 M.P.H. the bow lifted slightly off the horizon - too high for safety, I pushed the lever forward to position 1 ( of 4) and the horizon line returned to normal. Now, at 90 M.P.H. a slight bow lift again, lever to position #2, now the bow was normal in good trim again. Suddenly, at this moment many things seemed to occur. While my 17 pitch (Record props from Switzerland) were turning almost 6,000 R.P.M. my neck snapped back, the Hull lifted off the water about 2-4 inches ... no vibrations from water contact. I felt like I was in a sea plane just after lift off of the water. The R.P.M.'s suddenly dropped back to approximately 5,000, and at the same time the speed increased to the shrill sound of the two engines harmonically balanced. I glanced down at the Keller calibrated speedometer, reading 96-97 -98-99 -100 with those 76 cu. in. 80 H.P. direct reversing engines revving at nearly 7,000 R.P.M. I knew we had just what Mr. Kiekhaefer asked for. Now, almost tranquil from the experience of "The Day I Flew a Boat" with a full boundary layer of air between the hull and the water and seeing houses go by like a picket fence. I realized that the straight away water was fast running out. So, deceleration of the U-6 was started with the same caution used in increasing the speed. The stabilizer control was returned to various positions as the speed was reduced. When the boat speed was between 80 and 85 there was a loud sound and vibration from the hull re-entering the water almost like driving from the highway to a washboard gravel country road. Taxiing to the launching site where all the Switzer Craft crew were on hand for the verdict I could hear all the questions. How did it handle? How fast did it go? What was it like? .....And, you know the answers.

The Hull was then returned to the factory for final preparations to be delivered to Mr. Kiekhaefer at Lake X....

lilabner
03-07-2004, 11:18 PM
Thanks Sam..sorry my scanner sucks..I'll try at work tomorrow..anyway the speed was 80.493 with Johnny Bakos driving..and he had 6 runs...we were only allowed 3 but since it was Mr k's deal at his house a re-register was allowed...between him and Jon Culver who ran 76.217 in a Powercat

Jimboat
03-07-2004, 11:18 PM
The 100mph speed was achieved in straight line (not average speed). I have spoken several times with Bob Switzer (still designing boats) and he assures me that the runs that he and Dave made in the early 60's indeed happened - and pretty well just the way that Mark75H has described it above. It's really quite a story!

(p.s. - couldn't read the article...it looked cool! Maybe you could email it to me? (jimboat@aeromarineresearch.com)