135 MPH Turbine River Boat...
09-16-2008 | 07:10 PM
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135 MPH Turbine River Boat...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1753087/135_mph_project/
It took these guys about 2 years to make this machine, The hull is an Eagle race hull at 21 feet long.
It took these guys about 2 years to make this machine, The hull is an Eagle race hull at 21 feet long.
Very cool.
09-16-2008 | 09:46 PM
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Here is a little info on it from the Father-in-laws site. Way to much to type so I just Clipped it:
Sarah, Chris, Lynn and I and the boys were at Gold Beach Sunday. We watched the up leg at Lobster Creek and the down leg at the Cougar store. We had a great afternoon there much enhanced by the company of the 552 crew. It isn't where they wanted to spend the afternoon I am sure, but they are not ones to moan, they'll just make the best of the situation as it comes to them. We asked Robert if had pulled over there to grab a beer, as it was a hot day, but he says no, it was because of a nice pair. Actually it was his motor, when Lynn asked him what was wrong Robert replied that it was nothing that the motor in the shop in Gold Beach wouldn't fix.
Good guys, witty as hell, and a more pleasant afternoon because of them.
Tim Hardings boat is all you could imagine and more. It's so fast it's scary/spooky to see, and it's nearly silent. Well, nearly as compared to thumpin big v8. The nearest thing I can relate the sound to is God's own Hoover vacuum. But much deeper pitched. Standing on the beach, it's on you and gone before you really realize it is even coming. The tipoff for me was the light plane booking it up the river ahead of them.
The entire boat is put together like a fine watch, a most excellent build. Everything you see in it is evidence of all the thought that went into it. It has HUGE fuel tanks, I am guessing it could haul 120 plus gallons, maybe more.
The turbine is a T-58 and after I had the obvious pointed out to me, that it couldn't be a Huey engine like I was thinking because of the 1400 hp, I looked it up. These motors were factory in such helicopters as CH-46 ****hooks, Boeing Vertols and my favorite the venerable Sikorsky H-3 line. They were first built in about !1955! and production ceased in 1984. Pretty good run, eh? Horsepower initially was about 800 and ranged all the way to an 1870 hp version. The 1870 hp ones were by far the most numerous.
The fuel control includes safety features like overtemp and overspeed automatic shutdowns. When they use this motor in an offshore boat they add a single button override of the safety features. I heard that Tim got it into overspeed, probably on purpose to see what it would do, and it shut down and enveloped the boat in a cloud of unburnt JetA. Not unsafe, just stinky.
I am going on and on about this because to me a turbine powered Unlimited has to be the ultimate expression of the Unlimited class. Always wanted to see one done and by gosh I got to see it! Awesome job Tim!
The other thing I have to say is Tim and Ryan are racing the boat using a big helping of good sense, and that's the best thing of all about the whole deal.
Sarah, Chris, Lynn and I and the boys were at Gold Beach Sunday. We watched the up leg at Lobster Creek and the down leg at the Cougar store. We had a great afternoon there much enhanced by the company of the 552 crew. It isn't where they wanted to spend the afternoon I am sure, but they are not ones to moan, they'll just make the best of the situation as it comes to them. We asked Robert if had pulled over there to grab a beer, as it was a hot day, but he says no, it was because of a nice pair. Actually it was his motor, when Lynn asked him what was wrong Robert replied that it was nothing that the motor in the shop in Gold Beach wouldn't fix.
Good guys, witty as hell, and a more pleasant afternoon because of them.
Tim Hardings boat is all you could imagine and more. It's so fast it's scary/spooky to see, and it's nearly silent. Well, nearly as compared to thumpin big v8. The nearest thing I can relate the sound to is God's own Hoover vacuum. But much deeper pitched. Standing on the beach, it's on you and gone before you really realize it is even coming. The tipoff for me was the light plane booking it up the river ahead of them.
The entire boat is put together like a fine watch, a most excellent build. Everything you see in it is evidence of all the thought that went into it. It has HUGE fuel tanks, I am guessing it could haul 120 plus gallons, maybe more.
The turbine is a T-58 and after I had the obvious pointed out to me, that it couldn't be a Huey engine like I was thinking because of the 1400 hp, I looked it up. These motors were factory in such helicopters as CH-46 ****hooks, Boeing Vertols and my favorite the venerable Sikorsky H-3 line. They were first built in about !1955! and production ceased in 1984. Pretty good run, eh? Horsepower initially was about 800 and ranged all the way to an 1870 hp version. The 1870 hp ones were by far the most numerous.
The fuel control includes safety features like overtemp and overspeed automatic shutdowns. When they use this motor in an offshore boat they add a single button override of the safety features. I heard that Tim got it into overspeed, probably on purpose to see what it would do, and it shut down and enveloped the boat in a cloud of unburnt JetA. Not unsafe, just stinky.
I am going on and on about this because to me a turbine powered Unlimited has to be the ultimate expression of the Unlimited class. Always wanted to see one done and by gosh I got to see it! Awesome job Tim!
The other thing I have to say is Tim and Ryan are racing the boat using a big helping of good sense, and that's the best thing of all about the whole deal.
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