SteveDavid

Hi Friends,

Mitch Evans and the U-3 team ran great. Their hull is quite similar to the Bud and the Elam. The Allison is 1710 cubic inches and about 3000 HP. Our turbines at 4.3 GPM fuel flow are in the 2700 HP range. We've sure got our homework cut out for us.

The Bud actually snapped the stub shaft at the trailing edge of the strut. As to cost, props run between $8,500 and $12,000.

Our boat ran well, however our points from heat 2A were taken away because of a fuel flow violation. We're allowed to flow 4.3 gallons per minute. If you exceed that flow rate for more than 3 seconds per lap, you lose points for that heat. Unfortunately we flowed over that level for about 5 seconds. The adjustment is fairly simple, there's a fuel flow valve that we can adjust by 1/100th.s of a gallon. Shucks...............

All of the teams looked good, with 6 different heat winners. We also ran the Jersey Speed Skiffs and they did a great job keeping action on the water and exposing other APBA categories to the fans.

Next race is this weekend in Madison, Indiana. If any of you can make it, please look me up, I'll be happy to get you pit credentials.
While you're there, enjoy some of our O Boy O Berto Beef Jerky!!!

Thanks for you interest in Unlimited Hydroplanes.

Steve

tachyon

Steve,

Is the new U-3 near the minimum weight requirement? If so, with the Allison powerplant that must be an extremely light hull...and they should be very competitive...especially with no fuel restrictions.

SteveDavid

Tachyon,

Good question. Turbines must have a minimum dry weight including driver of 6750 pounds. For example, our U-6 weighed in in at 7,100 pounds on Sunday. There is no such limit for piston powered Unlimiteds. Conventional wisdom has the U-3 weighing somewhere in the high 5,000 lb. range less fuel and driver.

Ed Cooper and his team are good folks that have always been there. As the rules of parity have brought the turbine teams much closer in lap times, the eventuality of a Merlin or Allison to outrun the turbines became evident to Ed. He tried it in a Leland hull about 5 years ago but came in too heavy. Then the fellow that essentially designed the Bud and Elam joined forces with him and the result is an awesome boat. They literally built it themselves using drawings from the designer.

Innovative, persistent, dedicated, those are hard traits to ever knock, and they accurately define the U-3 team.

Take care

tachyon

Steve,

Piston powered unlimiteds have no minimum weight requirements I can understand the fuel issue (for now)...but not having the same dimensional and/or weight requirements doesn't seem well thought.

BTW, who is the hull designer?

SteveDavid

Tachyon,

The designer's name is Dale Van Weringen. A very nice guy, unassuming, yet sharp as they come.

The rules, aside from weight, are identical as between power sources. The weight issue was never a real concern as the piston boats, by viture of a 2,000 pound plus engine plus a heavy gearbox VS a 700 LB turbine plus gearbox were not viewed as having an unfair advantage.

As the move towards parity has leveled the competition (as witnessed by 6 different winners in 7 heats yesterday), the governing powers will most likely re visit the rules.

It would be difficult to allow our turbines to return to former power levels as our hulls, props etc have been re-engineered to run with less HP than 5 years ago. In the pre 4.3 GPM days, many of us were turning 120% N-2 and flowing almost 5 GPM. Fairly consistently the Bud, my former boat the U-2 T-PLUS, Circus Circus, and others would qualify at 160 MPH +/- at Evansville. Compare that with the Bud qualifying at 153 and the U-3 at 152 (at Evansville this past weekend) and you can appreciate the difference.

I'd imagine seeing how Ed Cooper (U-3 owner) has been hanging in there for so long with his Allisons and not making the finals all too frequently, he'll enjoy the current situation a while longer before anything changes. And frankly, he deserves to womp on us for a while

As to propellers, our rules limit it to three blades and maximum diameter of 16". Most teams are running the max diameter with pitch between 24.5 and 26 inch. gear reductions are anywhere between 48 and 52%. Except for the U-3 Allison, which is overdrive by 200% or greater.

Thanks for your interest Tachyon,

Steve

fred

Thanks for all the info on Unlimited hydro's Steve, some interesting data...Fred

tachyon

Steve,

Many thanks for the insight and information.

KiloKat

Some really nice photos of the race can be viewed on:
www.hydroprop.com