Airboat Drag Racing on Monster Nation

[Airboater]

Its on now 7pm eastern From Sonth Fla

[Airboater]

Should be back on again tonight at 2 am eastern time

[captcarb]

Airboater,

What kind of airboat and power do you have. I'm getting interested in one.

Jim

[Airboater]

Capt I have one 12ft glass full deck (glades boat) with a injected 470 anglevalve continental aircraft with 260 hp with a 5 blade prop and a 12ft glass open hull (Light weight ) with a 470 GP continental straitvalve @ 220 hp same prop and I have a 11ft composit foam cored drag hull with cromolly rigging and I use the 260 hp on this boat hull and rigging it about 175lbs.:cool: lotta fun:D

[captcarb]

Why are the glades boats decked over, and will they work in deep water?

Like this boat.

http://www.airboattrader.com/Airboa1086.jpg

Jim

[Airboater]

They were org called grass boats .they decked them over to keep the grass and debree out of the hull when running the thick grass. You can run these style boats in deep water but ya just gotta pay attention for back wash & waves off larger boats.If the boat has a good strait bottom and the right power the boat can fly with a full rake like the one in the picture.

[captcarb]

Forgive me for picking your brains. Is a palm beach style the same? The boat in the picture has an angle valve O540, and a rivited hull.

Jim

[Airboater]

No problem the PalmBeach hull comes in a full deck or a 3/4 deck and the sides are higher and the bottom is narrower with more rounded sides .The hulls are about average but they are not very eye appealing and not to fast either.The 540 comes in both strait and angle valve and most are 260 hp or 300 hp with injection - 10 to 15 hp for carb motors .Most all full decks are revited which it great some of the bigger open hulls with car motors are usually welded and use thicker metal.I would personally stay away from the palmbeach hull and it really depends on what you want out of one .I have one simular to the one pictured and prefer that style boat but I also like a good light open glass boat also .

[captcarb]

Do you run on dry grass? How will the boat I pictured run dry grass?

Thanks for all the info.

Jim

[Airboater]

I run just about anything that wount tear up the bottom of flip it over.That boat should run dry with the 540 the wright prop will make it run good and we use a bottom coating with a silicone mixture that will let the boat slide down a hill by itself.

[captcarb]

Do you use the polymer bottom too? What is the coating?

Jim

[Airboater]

Polymer is old news ,nobody uses it any more but its still out there and over time it will dryrot crack and if it comes loose your going for a ride or a swim. not to mention it slows the boat down in water.The stuff we use is called stealflex 2000 but on alum hulls you need the standard stealflex first then the 200 so it will stick better and not peal off.Its made by a concrete floor coating co from Miami,anyone can order it or I have a local supplier that keeps it in stock.

[captcarb]

Is there an airboat forum besides southern airboat?

Thanks,

Jim

[1BadAction]

:D

[Airboater]

Not really just the airboat trader and some of the clubs have small forms in their sites . Thats a pic of my 12ft glass boat with the injected 470 on it .What sort of boat are you looking for Capt and who ownes or built the one you pictured

[captcarb]

Ity's in the trader in the 10-15000 section. Here is the write up:

1992 12' Aluminum Full Deck. 1st place Airboat Engineering in 1994. Several 1st place trophy's for rudder art. Boat totally redone in 2004. Powder coating, wiring & switches, instruments, fuel pump, high pressure hoses, new seat and rain covers, etc. etc. Angle valve Lycoming, 5 blade warp drive, dual mags. This motor came out of Navy surplus as new and went on this boat, still airworthy. Airboat is like new handles like a dream and is fast.

The guy that owns it now is in Ocala and bought it in Jan. The boat is out of S. Florida and I don't recall who built it. You might recognize the rudder art:

http://www.airboattrader.com/Airboa1082.jpg

Jim

[Airboater]

Looks like one of those boats that never gets used and the New motor from a surplus is hard to believe .An air worthy motor is worth between $25,000 and $45,000 they just dont give them away .The boat dosent look fimilar but it is a south fla style boat.Little to pricie for me I build my own for a lot less,If your just lake riding and running from lake to lake over some dry a good glass boat can be found for under 9 grand that can do every thing you want but if you want the full deck type make sure you drive it and look at the bottom for hooks and corossion .

[captcarb]

Thanks for your insights. The add is a little misleading. The motor has been on several boats and has about 1100 hours on it. It has been many years since I had an airboat. I don't get much use out of any of my boats lately. I am going to go out on a friends airboat to check it out.

Thanks again,

Jim