Yup.
This is from my aviation days but applicable.
"There are three types of parasite drag: form drag, interference drag, and skin friction."

Wildman,

That's true, and makes sense; equal HP, but half again as much outdrive drag. But I don't think anybody goes from twin 750s to triple 500s, do they?

Thanks. Brad.
(937)545-8991

Not sure what you are saying there Brad, but if you want do a little research for real world one that is real easy would be 47 fountains.

They used to make them in triple 525’s and twin SCI700’s with NXT transmissions and Number 6 drives.

Wildman,

I'm guessing the twin is faster. Same HP (essentially), with half again the engine weight and half again the outdrive drag, the triple will fall behind. That actually makes sense. But what happens when you put triple SCI700s in it? Serious question. I would also have to guess the triple consumed more fuel. I have to wonder what the incentive was to opt for the triple. Kewl factor?

Back to my earlier point.... If I were going to build a quad turbine Mystic (a man can dream, right?) to attempt to challenge the LOTO record, it would have surface drives, which are virtually all thrust and no drag. Simple math says 12K SHP is going to crush a record set with 9K SHP (assuming they were the upgraded T55s, and not the standard 3K SHP units). Of course, this is also assuming the boat stayed on the water. Somewhere between that risk and the cost of doing so is the only reason Qatar still holds that record. As soon as somebody with enough flammable cash and big enough cajones decides it's going down, it's going down. We've seen that what it would take is mechanically feasible.

Thanks. Brad.
(937)545-8991

I'm thinking the easier path to breaking the LOTO record is to go small with an unlimited hydroplane.

If you guys are going to dream, dream big. Just build a 50' Mystic with a pair of Rolls Royce T-56 turbines with almost 6,000 shp, weigh just under 2,000#s and are 12' long and 27" in diameter. Have BPM custom build a set of drives capable of handling the power and Rolla build you a set of forged props. The turbines alone will set you back $5M, add another $5M for the one-off custom boat/rigging/testing and for a cool $10M you can probably go break Spirit of Qatar's record (if you live through it). I honestly don't think we'll ever see that record broken. I don't think you'll ever see somebody willing to outspend them, or that doesn't value their life enough to chase that record. Basically similar reasons we see other long standing boat speed records not broken (ultimate world speed record and outboard speed record). Interesting thread though!

Think even smaller! Eddie Knox (owner of Problem Child, multiple time record setting and national champion TFH before he quit racing), told me he was seriously considering taking his team back to LOTO and setting the record at one time. He would've put two fuel tanks/fuel systems in the boat, one for alcohol and one for nitromethane. They would run the boat from the start to to about 3/4 track on alcohol and then for the last 1/4 they'd switch over to nitro. They could gear up from their standard drag setup and he figured they could easily break SoQ's record. Seeing as Problem Child had run over 260mph in the 1/4, running at least that speed or greater seemed an easy task, basically having as long as they wanted to gain speed. The big question would've been could they have gotten wind and water conditions that would allow their 4,000#, 7,000HP 20' Bullet hydro to run those speeds.

You've forgotten more about drag boat racing than I will ever know, Dale, but my answer to your final question would be no way. The course would extend the risk exposure for far too long in a tiny, massively powered 20-footer.

All this discussion makes Ken Warby's 317-mph water-speed record that much more incredible.

Eddie's plan was to have the driver run slow (under 100, with the motor on alcohol) to the 3/4 mile mark, then switch to nitro and floor it for what would be a regular 1/4 mile pass for them - just starting at around 100 instead of 0. It would've limited the exposure to high speed to the end of the run. If you've never been to the boat drags and seen the fuelers run down the course, you really should go Matt. The only problem is that with Lucas out of the picture now, the fuelers only run once a year in the west - which is going on this weekend at Firebird Lake in AZ. And I completely agree with you about Ken Warby's record - I doubt it will ever be broken! You know that his shop is in Rio Vista, I've stopped by there before, but he wasn't there at the time.

Matt,

There's the challenge, isn't it? Making it the whole mile in whatever conditions Mother Nature decides to throw at you. The Mystics seem to be the vessel best suited for this.

Ken Warby was riding a rocket and skimming it across the water. Impressive, to be sure, but he wasn't propelling git with a prop in the water.

Thanks. Brad.
(937)545-8991