Airboat pictures

[hillrunnerfl]

Really great seeing the old airboat pictures. One thing I haven't seen is a model "A" motor with an aircraft prop. on it.. One or two did look like "A" models. but looked like Banks Maxwell airboat props.
When I was a kid, looooooong, ago, living on Cross Creek, I remember some of the locals around there running aircraft prop, on model A motors. Had the seat mounted, those with seats, right in front of the engine. The prop was right behind their head.
Let's see who remembers these.
By the way I bought a Lycoming O-290 GPU from Banks Maxwell in the sixties, in the box for $200.00.

One of my buddies has tons of pictures, when we get a chance will scan and post some of them.

 

[Waterthunder]

I just saw a show on discovery Channel about the Border patrol. The showed some pre WWII video footage of some airboats in the everglades that the Border patrol built themselves for catching smugglers in the everglades. It was crazy just like you said they ran puller props instead of the pushers we run now. The driver sat about three feet in front of the prop with no cage. And the motors were turned around or positioned like they are in airplanes and the prop was in the middle of the boat. YIKES

 

[cowboy]

Yeah Hillrunner,
I'll be waiting to see those photo's you mentioned. Hope you can post them soon.
There's a guy who runs out on Okeechobee who has a model A powered boat, but I have not seen it yet. I'm keeping an eye out for it. I'll try and get a picture of it when I do.

 

[jim]

I suspect they ran tractor props because they were the only ones available. There were several airplanes that used the Model A.

Jim

 

[rick]

Thought some of you might be interested in seeing your old pictures being shown elsewhere:

I think that's pretty neat.

 

[jim]

Here is one for you Rick:

Go here for more:http://www.1000island.net/~kirawan/

Jim

 

[hillrunnerfl]

Don't laugh. Some of the boats on Orange back then were nothing more that a sheet of tin with wood sides and cypress runners. A 65 Continental would push one over 50 miles per hour.

Do not, I repeat, do not get in a situation where you need to turn one at that speed though.

 

[jim]

This one has the engine in the bottom of the boat and a belt driven jack shaft:

Jim

 

[jim]

Here is the engine and the prop, but it's in a homebuilt airplane:

Jim

 

[marshmaster pat]

The US Army Corps of Engineers made a video several years ago in Florida. It is supposedly an airboat safety video. Has Bud Bell and Billy Kline on it. Mentions the first composites coming out and Kline having one explode on his boat. Seemed to be about mid 1990's.

It had several pictures of Alexander Graham Bell and John Curtiss with supposedly the first air boat. It had water and air rudders was a puller and the man sat behind the engine. Wet ride I would guess.

Bell and Curtiss were working on airplane designs and wanted to test propellers I think. Bell never rode it , but his wife drove it once. Therefore becoming the first female airboat driver.

It credited the first air boat designed especially with shallow water operation only in mind to have been at Bear River. It was built to help count ducks. It was also a puller. No cage. Hand started. And apparently quite a few were built and sent around the US. There is a restored one somewhere on the east coast. I am trying to get some pictures of it.

 

[cowboy]

Rick,
This site already has the best collection of historical airboat photo's availible on line.
Best part is that it's just getting started, and I'm sure it just going to get even better. It does not suprise me that others are already drawing on this resource.

 

[RJ]

Marshmaster Pat, I talked to Bill Kline about that prop putting a hole in one of his boats when they were testing the prop. It was a Powershift and he said they wouldn't pay for the damaged hull. Needless to say don't talk to him about Powershift, he doesn't care for them.