Hu Entrop passed away today 10/25/03

[Mark75H]

This sad news from the Seattle area by way of Charlie Williams:


The king of speed is gone. HU ENTROP
Posted by Charlie on 10/25/2003, 20:22:35
152.163.252.40

Hey guys..thought that I should pass this info.
I got a phone call this morning(from his brother) that Hubert passed away this morning,Sat 3AM PST. He had been in a rest home for about a year and a half from a fall he had taken and broken a hip.
He suffers no more and is a better place.

I feel very lucky to have known him. His accomplishments and innovations for Outboard racing put him in up there with the best of 'em.

Charlie






http://www.outboardracing.com/core/images/Image16.jpg

[lilabner]

He was my boyhood hero..even when he went to OMC..
Just returned from a AOMCI meet at Winter Haven...the is the first thing I saw and my first picture...RIP Hugh...

[T2x]

Originally posted by lilabner
He was my boyhood hero..

Ditto..... May he have calm water..and a glorious rooster tail behind him always.... a true legendery boat racer.

T2x

[Mark75H]

Entrop first attracted attention as a racer and innovative boat designer and builder in the
mid 1950's with his adaptation of the forward "cabover" drivers' position from Unlimited Hydros
to his "D" Merc set up. Local media referred to his unique looking rig as a "Monkey on a Stick".
Humor aside, the advanced design ran up front often enough to attract the attention of top brass
at Mercury Outboards. In 1958 Mercury "borrowed" Entrop from his job at Boeing where he made scale
airplane models for wind tunnel testing. Entrop transported a new bigger hydro to Mercury's testing
area in Florida by tieing it to the top of his car for the transcontinental jaunt. In Florida a
specially prepared six cylinder 60 cubic inch "X" class race motor was fitted to Entrop's boat and months
of testing began. Failure of test equipment at Mercury sent Entrop home to Seattle with the special
Merc motor in his trunk and the boat again tied to the roof of his sedan.........not yet knowing that the
speed to set the record was already easily attainable with the rig.

In June of 1958 Entrop broke the old 100.3 mph outboard speed record by better than 7mph. His
107.821 average brought the outboard speed record back to the US for the first time since the 1930's.
This was the first time that a race motor based on an outboard maker's regular pleasure motor
exceeded 100 mph and Mercury used that fact in advertising for many years.

The 107+ mph motor had relatively few modifications from the stock motor: a special lower
unit, special carbs, increased compression ratio and open (but not tuned) exhaust. The real
magic came from Entrop's boat, the prop and the set up. The special set up included angling
the prop down to lift the back of the boat. At speed the boat ran only on the sponsons and prop
thrust. At top speed it ran fully airborne with only the prop touching. Except for two brief
periods all future outboard ultimate speed records would use this design and set up.

In 1960 Entrop raised the outboard speed record to 114.65mph, with a new boat and motor.
The 1960 boat, named Starflite Too, used an Evinrude V-4 motor. Later in 1960, Entrop, driving
Starflite III with another Evinrude V-4 upped the record to 122.96 mph.

Once more, in 1966, OMC called on Entrop to design, help build and test another rig for a
speed record attempt. This time Entrop helped Gerry Walin move the speed record to over
130 mph. In a new boat with innovations well ahead of the boats of its day: Starflite IV featured
a laydown driver's position and enclosed cockpit.

All through the 1950's and 60's Entrop campaigned his various cabover hydros to numerous
wins and championships on closed course events and was known as a great competitor and
friend to many racers. After he retired from racing he was a familiar sight at many northwest
outboard events with his camera in his hand and wide friendly smile on his face.

http://www.hydroracer.net/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=6775

[Starflite]

My brother just told me about it today. More pics of Hu would be appreciated!

[Ron Hill]

Sam and Charlie did a very nice article on Hu, for the APBA Propeller Magazine, this month. Can that be posted here, Sam?

[Ron Hill]

This wing that Fred Hauenstein and I drove a Perker, 1968, was designed by Hu. The wing had all the lift in the back, at speed the tail would "POP" just like his cabovers...

[Ron Hill]

DeSilva's built their own wing...My dad and Jimbos' dad owned it. Capnzee and my dad did the finish work one it...This was the first outboard to lead the Parker 9 Hour..

[Starflite]

Here is a pic of Hu, my dad and...some guy.