Good combo?....just a consideration...
 

This here thing.....

with 2 of there here things....(above 36' Skater)

Somb**ch!

I think those 2nd 2 things are not big enough for that 1st thing!!:D

maybe go with a couple Allison hydroplane piston engines? I actually looked into getting a couple...but th ey are very big and too heavy..good for a custom 46' though at 1450HP each ....

this "little" guy made by Allison (rolls royce) weighs only 158 lbs and produces 405HP....triples on a 42' Fountain would be my dream....

...I can get them out of Canada...but what does a guy do about getting av fuel then...wonder what turbine cat owners do....

...the weight savings....450lbs for 3 engines...vs 3,000lbs for 3 big blocks...and these new turbines need overhauls at around 8,000 hours...they wear like iron...

...and efficient at cruise......

think I can use Zippo fluid?

158lbs...little tiny things....405 HP...wisper quiet...


new starting system allows lower "idle" speeds comparable to piston engines with a new reduction system...and no need for H20 cooling...none of those concerns in salt....

....looks tempting eh?

...company rep said they can be matched to Bravo's a couple engineers in Canada have them on Cats...a 32' skater with a pair goes around 120MPH.....the main advantage is they are exotic....again air cooled....plug right into a bravo drive as they are configured to be replacements for piston engine counterparts....just need a little exhaust gas mods...easily done...no afterburners..so no "flaming" ...exhaust is "cooler" in the reange of piston engines...just a lots more air movement/exhaust so need big bore...like 8-9" oval exhaust outlets....

....these engines actually can push a boat day and night for 5 years without a rebuild..neat huh?

What is the estimated cost on something like that?
Where do you take them for repair?

AWESOME! How MUCH?:eureka: :confused:

i e-mailed for a brochure and pricing....and if import fees apply..etc...waiting to hear back....but my biggest concern is where to get high grade fuel I think they use filtered light grade kerosene with an additive....and along with air cooling....they don't need "oil" changes...they must cost a kings randsom...

...the best part is you can use Bravo's!!

How many RPM's do they idle at? Run at?

.....a company rep also fitted a pair to his searay 39' which was an older boat.....and jackshafts and he said top speed is around 45mph...and about the same fuel efficiency as a pair of 6.2 liter engines...

....these turbines put out 400HP but 600 ft lbs of torque so they perform more like 600hp engines ....and weigh 158lbs....turbines are fascinating engines...

....they also have "lease programs" where they own the engines...and you pay then for hours of usage per year...he was surprised that they haven't been marketed in the usa...lot of road construction equiptment in eurpoe uses them....one of these 158lb engines is plenty for a conventional sized cement truck fully loaded....with a rear piston engine to "spin" the cement mix...

turbines will be the future of performance boating I think when they mass produce these....and they do spin the props really fast so you need a 40% bigger pitch than a comparable pitched big block with the same horse...and expect to see roostertail's baby!

Most turbo-shaft engines used in the marine environment have had their fuel controllers modified to use diesel fuel.
That little fella looks like an Allison used in the Bell 206 Jet Ranger- although good in the weight department, they lack the torque of the larger turbo-shafts that have been marinized i.e. the Lycoming LTS-101 (650 shp) and the T-53 thru T-55's that can be modified for up to 4000 shp (unlimited hydros are an example).
The LTS-101 is a comparable to a Merc 800SC in fuel burn, but has more available instantaneous torque. These were used in the Hueys circa Vietnam era. The T series Lycs are used in the twin-rotor Chinook.

If I had the bucks, I would much rather have a set of turbo-shafts than deal with the short life of a supercharged piston engine, which simply is a bunch of thrashing parts looking to beat their way out. Although turbines seem to be some kind of voodoo science, they are extremely simple to maintain. If you can change oil and plugs on a piston engine, you can do ALL the necessary maintenance on a turbine. If you boat 100 hours a year, the engines will still be running fine when you're taking a dirt nap. ;)

make sure you get your insurance quote before sending out the P.O.