Turbine Powered Skater built Fountain Race Boat
 

Hey guys and gals its been awhile since ive posted or updated anything about the current situation of my race boat but i wanted to post on here and give an update and let you guys know what been going on and where you can follow along with the progress. The boat is a 40' Skater built Fountain, previously raced in mostly Superboat International, Offshore Super Series and APBA events under the Two Cocks Fight Apparel brand. In 2014 on the way to the shootout the boat barrel rolled but both me and the driver escaped without much injury. Since the accident the boat has sat in my shop but with the racing series eliminating the class the boat was built to race and other boat projects we decided to take some time away from racing.

In December i purchased four Turbomeca Turmo C6 turbine engines from a Super Frelon helicopter and imported them to the United States. After building a test stand and and re-wiring the engines we are currently testing the engines with brake assemblies to hold the power turbine to shift the crash box. I also bought a set of Mercury M8 drives that will be the drive system for the boat.

Im posting this thread to invite everyone that wants to follow the progress we are making on the project to subscribe to my Youtube( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYW...d1HArQ_lq5qIpQ ) channel where i will be posting videos of the progress as well. so far its been a fun and exciting new project and Im looking forward to getting the boat back on the water soon. I do have plans for the boat in a few planned events once the boat is complete but will announce those plans in the future. So if you want to follow along join me on this thread and my youtube channel to keep up with the latest news coming from Copeland Performance.

Heres the latest video of the brake testing last night and running the engine up to about 75%.... Enjoy

Andy Copeland

god bless America . . . .where else can ya tip a beer while test firing the turbine engines for your boat . . . so many great things going in the that vid lol :flag:

Best post of the year!!!

If we aren't careful america will be the only country you can't test fire a turbine engine holding a beer without it offending someone and the government making it illegal.

There's not enough diversity in that turbine...it needs to be painted rainbow colors! :rolleyes: :D

AWESOME! I do love the sound of a turbine spooling up in the morning!
How did the test bench on casters not leave the neighborhood from the exhaust?

These are free power turbines that convert the thrust into shaft horsepower and torque. They don't produce much in the way of thrust at the percentages they are running in these videos and what thrust is there is ducted up. We are trying to come up with a creative way to duct the exhaust when the engines are in the boat but we are not that far into testing yet

Thank you, I have never seen a turbine closer than from the window of a plane. I assumed thrust was a byproduct of the combustion process.