View Full Version : B.Leonard, here are the pictures of the Silverwing
Sorry the pictures are not so great, this camera sucks. The boat is an 800 lbs. balsa core hull its a full tunnel, 20 ft long, it has two 2.5 Mod-U Formula One motors 684 HP total, power steering, 60 gallons fuel, 0 to 100 in seconds, it’s really quick, I don’t know how fast it will go yet, the motors are just broken in and we are testing setups for better flight at speed, its riding a little flat for me, I want this thing loose, its been up to 114 MPH so far.
http://raceoutboards.com/images/boat005.JPG
http://raceoutboards.com/images/boat009.JPG
http://raceoutboards.com/images/boat010.JPG
http://raceoutboards.com/images/boat013.JPG
http://raceoutboards.com/images/boat017.JPG
B.Leonard
09-06-2001, 08:48 PM
That is one impressive boat! Never seen one like that. Kind of a cross between a twin powered V-hull and an STV. Very nice indeed.
We'll be expecting a showing at next year's Rumble! :D
-bll
It is kind of like a twin STV. Love to come to the Rumble.
Instigator
09-07-2001, 10:50 AM
That thing is freaking gorgeous!!!!!!
Bring it, bring it, bring it!!!
I want a ride.
684 HP's, YOWSER!!
I want it!
Nothing better than seeing/owning something that no one else has!!
Awesome boat John, thanx for sharing!!
And I'll put your name down for a reservation for next years Rumble!
That f@#ker wicked. I take it's a custom job?
Liqui-Fly
09-07-2001, 12:18 PM
Now how does that thing keep up dem Merky's? Are the tunnels pretty deep? What was the boat designed to do? That is a big 20 footer. LF
B.Leonard
09-07-2001, 01:36 PM
hehehehe! ;)
Liqui-Fly, it’s a single tunnel. Basically it’s just a 20-foot Formula One Boat. Yes it really is only 20 ft.
B, I love your picture!
ShipBear
09-17-2001, 06:53 AM
Is that Hull made by, Jim Wilkes..??
Larry:D
Yes, its is made by Jim Wilks.
H2Onut
09-17-2001, 09:38 AM
That pocket rocket is freaking AWSOME!
Are you wearing G suit ???
Houston, we have LAUNCH!
Again, very impressive!
:eek:
That and the diaper really seem to help.
You guys probably remember the famous Silverwing --- V-12 Jaguar ET79 that won the Parker Enduro? :)
Mitch Lembke started Silverwing -- When he died, Jim Wilkes ran the company.
Silverwing also made a bunch of 12' Tunnels too...but none could catch a TomCat. ;D
I just found a guy with an ET boat like yours and the Silverwing. He lives down here by me.
Trick Marine
11-25-2001, 11:10 PM
The SilverWing is sweet! It has to be wicked fast. It will be interesting to see where the speed ends up as you sort it out.
Fred
just bought a 12-acre ranch that needs some work so further Silverwing research will have a back seat for now.
woodco
11-25-2001, 11:25 PM
I hate it when there is something that gets more priority than boats.John...does the ranch come with a testing lake???? If not
ya got the room to put one in..:D :D :D
Instigator
11-25-2001, 11:26 PM
I will take over the Silverwing abuse, I mean use, I mean resarch!!:eek:
Gary, someone will have to take it out for walks.
Woodco, there is a stream running through the property and a test pond is in the idea stage.
woodco
11-25-2001, 11:45 PM
LOL...;)
fyremanbil
11-26-2001, 12:33 AM
Hey John, where's your new ranch? Didn't know there was still 12 open acres with a stream within 100 mi of here.
Got an idea for the next cartoon. It'll be you sweet talking your way onto that 1 mile long lake with the 35 mph speed limit.
Bill
Robbie B
11-26-2001, 12:50 AM
That freakin thing is big enough and fast enough to drive out here for a visit on a Sunday afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way coooool machine, thats my kinda horsepower!!!!!!!!!!
Do you think a pair of them black beauties wouldl fit in the hydro???????:D :D :D
Just send it on out if you want someone to "walk it" on a Sunday afternoon!!!
Oh, send that Instigator fella with it, so we can do a proper job of reading that GPS and recording those findings, purely research of course, thats if were not shakin to much!!!!!!
Robbie
fyremanbil, Don't tell any body but its in Agua Dulce, its only 30 miles from Burbank.
Robbie, These are the same motors I am going to help you build for the Hydro, or are you talking about putting two of them in there now.:D
Robbie B
11-26-2001, 02:26 AM
Could run in 6 litre class..............nah, don't think the little boat would handle all those horses, or maybe its me that couldn't handle them??????????
Seriously, I did toss the idea around in my head a year or two back, but hey, it would mean a new bigger boat and anyway it takes me all my time and $$$$ to keep one motor running at peak performance let alone two!!!!!
Just dreamin!!!
One of the US offshore teams ran six 2.4's a number of years ago in a big tunnel, had lots of trouble with the drives, toothed belts I think
Lots of people thinking outside the square eh?????
Don't get that big beast to high :) :)
Did you see BKs picture of the Unlimited Hydro with the 8 2.4s in it.
B.Leonard
11-26-2001, 10:36 AM
You have to try and make the Rumble next year, you'd have a blast!
-BL
I was just talking to my wife about how long it would take to get there 2 minutes ago. What are you physic.
B.Leonard
11-26-2001, 10:51 AM
The Lund is fast enough now to at least see where all the boats went! :rolleyes:
I was impressed at the last one, a great bunch of people. You won't be disappointed.
-BL
Robbie B
11-26-2001, 01:10 PM
Missed that one. would love to see it!!!!!!!!!!
Was it in a post???????
That is really funny, I like your sense of humor.
Robbie, let my look for the post and I will link the picture over here.
woodco
11-26-2001, 08:37 PM
John.....I'd like to see that one too.Hate to have to put fuel in it though.
Ok guys I found the picture, here its is courtesy of BK.
http://www.thunderboats.org/1986a03.jpg
Robbie B
11-27-2001, 12:52 AM
Excuse my english, but what a radical piece of work!!
Its the same outfit that ran the offshore rig.
Must have some far out drive train???????
Radical hydro design as well, anyone know how it ran???
Just imagine the exhaust note!!!!!!!!!!
I guess the tubines are hard to beat with any sort of piston
engine setup!!!
They just have all that power from such a small package!!!
Thanks for finding that photo John, it is very impressive.
Just goes to show that ther are a few other nuts out there besides me!!!!:D :D
Supa-Fly
11-27-2001, 01:56 PM
Iv'e got a set of used "pink" cowlings if your interested.....cheap!
No, but a pink jump suit would be nice.
Supa-Fly, I am in the middle of porting your block right now so I would keep the insults to a minimum. :D
Liqui-Fly
11-27-2001, 02:09 PM
Finger.....no oh yeah..window ports:D
LF
Supa-Fly
11-27-2001, 02:30 PM
Understood!
Now thats more like it.:D For each insult you were going down 10 HP.:eek:
Hi Guys --
The picture above of "ARCADIAN" came from the
http://www.thunderboats.org/1986.htm website. It was among several stories documenting each year of Unlimited Hydroplane history. Here's what Fred said about the boat:
The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum
Presents The Unlimiteds: 1986 in Review
By Fred Farley - APBA Unlimited Historian
"By far the most unusual entry of the year was Jim Hauenstein’s Arcadian, which used eight inboard-mounted Mercury V-6 outboard powerheads - rated at 2400 horsepower - in a big orange tunnel hull, designed by Marcelle Belleville. The craft, which featured one short sponson and one long one, tried the course at San Diego and Las Vegas but failed to reach qualification speeds. "
Thanks BK for letting me borrow your picture, I didn't forget to give you credit for it.:)
ddenzin
11-27-2001, 05:14 PM
were did you find the boat in the pic ibought the first one in 1980 from lighting the builder name was jay
Its Silverwing built by Jim Wilks at Wilks Marine.
woodco
11-27-2001, 06:08 PM
That is one " Wicked " machine.Is there any published specs and stats ?
Thank you John. ;) That was nice of you to remember.
I also have a photo of the handmade "WIZARD", that twin V-6-on-one-single-lower-unit contraption that Johnnie Sanders drove (Cincinatti 1984). It was also an "Arcadian" creation (Bill Chatfield and Fred Hauenstein). This was the much awaited showdown race between Merc T-4 and OMC V-8 just after the "out of court settlement" between the two companies, allowing the Merc T-4s to compete this ONE time on the OMC circuit.
There is a photo in the 1984 Nov/Dec Powerboat mag, page 40, but my scanner is not working well right now. The article says it was capable of speeds up to 160, but it kept ripping out the transoms of the boats it ran on. Even beefing up the transoms extra heavy didnt seem to solve the problem.
But at Cincinatti -- the WIZARD won the first heat and qualified first. Sanders beat them all after a massive number of crashes taking out the top drivers (blamed on a large number of inexperienced snow-plowing rescue boats). The T-4 hadn't raced on a home circuit in several years (This was during the domination of the FORMULA ONE OMC circuit).
Because these Mercs hadn't been used in a local circuit for quite some time, most of the best Merc's went home in a scrap heap, including the members of the "newest" Team Mercury: Buck Thornton and Bill Seebold.
In the final however, the "WIZARD" was up with the leaders but busted yet another transom and sunk. Mike Seebold (T3) was leading but he ended with motor failure. Barry Woods (V8) was out front before he slipped back to second and Benny Robertson (V8) passed him to win. Rick Frost was 3rd and Gene Thibodaux was 4th. All OMC's.
Do you thing they will ever sell the 8 motor boat. I would love to have that.:rolleyes:
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