Alaskanairbtr
Member
DANGER WILL ROBINSON , DANGER !!
Not sure I would be comfortable driving around with a boat load of peoples & kids
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Cage ?
- Thread starter Alaskanairbtr
- Start date
DANGER WILL ROBINSON , DANGER !!
Not sure I would be comfortable driving around with a boat load of peoples & kids
Alaskanairbtr
Member
Not comfortable with the fact that there is no cage or engine guard / belt guard on the front of the motor
Edited ; is that a hint of sarcasm
Edited ; is that a hint of sarcasm
Waterthunder
Well-known member
Somebody better tell him gearbox's can't work in the cold. Just kidding I have seen 5 Rotators in Alaska now.
Waterthunder
Well-known member
I use to build a lot of them 4.3 V/6's but the LS1's are lighter and make a bunch more power.
Bob Burnside
Well-known member
That 's a Utah airboat. A guy named Bill Salt builded alot of the boat that are running here. He passed away a month ago. Most of the cages on the boats here are very simple half cage ,just enough to cover the bottom half of the prop. and give support for the rudders. Bill was a very cool guy. I think that 80% of the boat hulls were done back in the late 60s and 70s. That one is a newer one done in the late 90s.
Waterthunder
Well-known member
Dam I'm embarrassed I guess I should have looked at the UT in the registration numbers. I saw a wind shield and assumed Alaska.
CumminsPower
Member
Those are pics of a boat here in Utah. Ive seen them out hunting before and there also members of the Utah air boat association. Here is a link to our site. http://www.utairboat.com/index.htm
SwampMatt
Well-known member
Scary? You want something that's scarry?
or how about....
Notice he's not weating a hat. But he still has arms. When his hat came off, he did not reach back to stop it from getting away!
Or maybe....
This one is bad.... hit one good bump - baby pops up.... then.... ::shudder::
But hey, most of the oldtimers seemd to survive.
One nice thing about a topless cage like that Utah boat is that he can go under some low bridges that we can't in our boats.
I heard stories that old time poachers in the south would rig their motors to stop with the prop sideways, and with no top on the cage, they could scream toward a low bridge with the law chasing them, and at the last minute cut the motor and coast under it, then start the motor again - a clever getaway!!!!
Saves weight and lowers the center of gravity.
"Hang on Kids - I really REALLY mean that!"
LOL
matt.
or how about....
Notice he's not weating a hat. But he still has arms. When his hat came off, he did not reach back to stop it from getting away!
Or maybe....
This one is bad.... hit one good bump - baby pops up.... then.... ::shudder::
But hey, most of the oldtimers seemd to survive.
One nice thing about a topless cage like that Utah boat is that he can go under some low bridges that we can't in our boats.
I heard stories that old time poachers in the south would rig their motors to stop with the prop sideways, and with no top on the cage, they could scream toward a low bridge with the law chasing them, and at the last minute cut the motor and coast under it, then start the motor again - a clever getaway!!!!
Saves weight and lowers the center of gravity.
"Hang on Kids - I really REALLY mean that!"
LOL
matt.
cowboy
Moderator
Yeah Matt,
Alot of the old timers did survive, but sadly some did not.
That's Irwin Fagan. He was an old timer for sure.
He lost his brother to an airboat prop back before they had willow guards.
Because of those older and way more dangerous days, airboats got a name for being hyper dangerous.
I can recall many of my friends were not allowed to go airboating with us.
Their parents would not even discuss it! No way!
I guess there's a few things that weren't necessarily better in the good old days.
Alot of the old timers did survive, but sadly some did not.
That's Irwin Fagan. He was an old timer for sure.
He lost his brother to an airboat prop back before they had willow guards.
Because of those older and way more dangerous days, airboats got a name for being hyper dangerous.
I can recall many of my friends were not allowed to go airboating with us.
Their parents would not even discuss it! No way!
I guess there's a few things that weren't necessarily better in the good old days.
I know what you mean, Cowboy. I mentioned in another thread that I've wanted to get into airboats ever since I was a kid, when I saw my first one on a Florida trip with the folks.
I wanted to try to build one real bad, but my dad wasn't gonna have any part of it. Not just no, but Hell no.
In the late 50's you could pick up a surplus Conny and prop for around a $100 bucks. Our local Civil Defense once bought a surplus (Korea) Sikorsky helicopter for $7500, and all of the talk in town was how they had squandered away such an enormous amount of money.
That's a story for another day, and it's actually pretty funny.
They did have a pretty dangerous reputation back then, and I have an idea that some of those old stories still haunt us at times in the press.
Some of those negative articles are based a lot more on hear-say than fact.
olf
I wanted to try to build one real bad, but my dad wasn't gonna have any part of it. Not just no, but Hell no.
In the late 50's you could pick up a surplus Conny and prop for around a $100 bucks. Our local Civil Defense once bought a surplus (Korea) Sikorsky helicopter for $7500, and all of the talk in town was how they had squandered away such an enormous amount of money.
That's a story for another day, and it's actually pretty funny.
They did have a pretty dangerous reputation back then, and I have an idea that some of those old stories still haunt us at times in the press.
Some of those negative articles are based a lot more on hear-say than fact.
olf
A
Anonymous
Guest
If airboats weren't dangerous, I don't think I would have one. I've never wanted a pontoon boat.
The cage is there to protect the PROP, NOT YOU! If the only thing between you and the spinning propeller is the cage, chances are, it ain't gonna save you either.
In todays society of passive safety devices, it's kind of exhilerating to operate something that is as safe as my input to it
The best safety device is between your ears!
Red [firesuit on]
The cage is there to protect the PROP, NOT YOU! If the only thing between you and the spinning propeller is the cage, chances are, it ain't gonna save you either.
In todays society of passive safety devices, it's kind of exhilerating to operate something that is as safe as my input to it
The best safety device is between your ears!
Red [firesuit on]
SwampMatt
Well-known member
That's kinda what I was gettin' at Red, WB, & Wader.
I'll run a cage on my boat. Always..... Until.... I find a use or need to run without one, or with a partial one. Then I may build a boat for that purpose. And it looks like they have a need - Lower center of gravity, less wind resistance up top, Easy to convert to a hunting blind, and look at the Utah site's photo gallery - Not a tree in sight or any other obstacle!!! About the only obstacle would be the ducks!
BTW, Alaskanairbtr, I totally agree with your original post - I'd not be comfortable with a load of kids that age either, but if I was their daddy, I'd be proud as can be that they obeyed my safety instructions and that prop back there is sure a good reinforcement to "listen to what daddy says". LOL If he says "or else" you can bet they know he means it!!!
But overall, I agree those boats look scary, but at the same time it looks like a THRILL to ride. I'd not want to ride it everyday as a work boat though.
And if I head out to Utah to go riding in one of those boats, and if I'm enjoying myself so much that I jump up and down.... and I get chopped to bits by the prop as I cause the boat to self destruct, it won't be a tragedy. I'll have died with a smile on my face. What better way to go?
BEAUTIFUL photos of the land out there. Y'all - check it out!!!! http://www.utairboat.com/pictures.htm
matt.
I'll run a cage on my boat. Always..... Until.... I find a use or need to run without one, or with a partial one. Then I may build a boat for that purpose. And it looks like they have a need - Lower center of gravity, less wind resistance up top, Easy to convert to a hunting blind, and look at the Utah site's photo gallery - Not a tree in sight or any other obstacle!!! About the only obstacle would be the ducks!
BTW, Alaskanairbtr, I totally agree with your original post - I'd not be comfortable with a load of kids that age either, but if I was their daddy, I'd be proud as can be that they obeyed my safety instructions and that prop back there is sure a good reinforcement to "listen to what daddy says". LOL If he says "or else" you can bet they know he means it!!!
But overall, I agree those boats look scary, but at the same time it looks like a THRILL to ride. I'd not want to ride it everyday as a work boat though.
And if I head out to Utah to go riding in one of those boats, and if I'm enjoying myself so much that I jump up and down.... and I get chopped to bits by the prop as I cause the boat to self destruct, it won't be a tragedy. I'll have died with a smile on my face. What better way to go?
BEAUTIFUL photos of the land out there. Y'all - check it out!!!! http://www.utairboat.com/pictures.htm
matt.
Alaskanairbtr
Member
Moodfood , I am with ya , If I ever have the opportunity to go riding w/ them fellows on one of their boats ... I'd be there in a heart beat w/ a big ol goofy grin on my face having the time of my life .
Unfortunately I have been the witness to a couple of bad incidents involving Brainless people , props and the lack of a guard that could have prevented it . :roll:
Wasn't trying to flame the boys in Utah or their boats . No cage struck me as being odd . They have a great thing going and a beautiful place to do it .
Unfortunately I have been the witness to a couple of bad incidents involving Brainless people , props and the lack of a guard that could have prevented it . :roll:
Wasn't trying to flame the boys in Utah or their boats . No cage struck me as being odd . They have a great thing going and a beautiful place to do it .
cowboy
Moderator
Hey Red,
Look at the evolution of the willow gaurd in the historical airboat photo's available here.
Perhaps you should cut the top outta your cage, six inches above your props horizontal centerline..
It's not really needed to protect the prop most of the time.
Most of the time.
They started out as willow guards, then turned into prop / occupant seperation - prop vegetation seperation devices. More so as seating arrangements shifted from down low and forward, to up higher and rearward.
Sounds like you got it all figured out.
Rock on with it.
Oh yeah,
I don't recall making the statment that any willow guard was a suitable replacement for safe and sensible airbpoat operation.
I will say this,
They did help change a minor airboating mishap from being a potentially non-survivalble occurrance for airboat occupants.
Yeah, Judging by the photo's the typical Utah airboating environment in devoid of vegetation.
The prop should have nothing to worry about.
Can occupant contact with the propeller damage it?
As long as the prop is safe, that's all that's really important.
Is that the typical Utah seating arrangements in the photo as well?
It don't really matter to me.
I'm not gonna question any expert opinion's, or petition Utah to pass a willow guard law.
It's all good, espeacially the way I airboat.... With a full willow guard.
Cut the top out of your cage.
It will make your rig waaay more danerous, and therefore potentially waaaay more enjoyable.
Look at the evolution of the willow gaurd in the historical airboat photo's available here.
Perhaps you should cut the top outta your cage, six inches above your props horizontal centerline..
It's not really needed to protect the prop most of the time.
Most of the time.
They started out as willow guards, then turned into prop / occupant seperation - prop vegetation seperation devices. More so as seating arrangements shifted from down low and forward, to up higher and rearward.
Sounds like you got it all figured out.
Rock on with it.
Oh yeah,
I don't recall making the statment that any willow guard was a suitable replacement for safe and sensible airbpoat operation.
I will say this,
They did help change a minor airboating mishap from being a potentially non-survivalble occurrance for airboat occupants.
Yeah, Judging by the photo's the typical Utah airboating environment in devoid of vegetation.
The prop should have nothing to worry about.
Can occupant contact with the propeller damage it?
As long as the prop is safe, that's all that's really important.
Is that the typical Utah seating arrangements in the photo as well?
It don't really matter to me.
I'm not gonna question any expert opinion's, or petition Utah to pass a willow guard law.
It's all good, espeacially the way I airboat.... With a full willow guard.
Cut the top out of your cage.
It will make your rig waaay more danerous, and therefore potentially waaaay more enjoyable.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Hey Cowboy
I don't recall saying you said "that any willow guard was a suitable replacement for safe and sensible airbpoat operation".
Kinda tense aren't you?
I don't have it all figured out, but I got most of it figured out....except one thing, what is a willow guard?
I don't recall saying you said "that any willow guard was a suitable replacement for safe and sensible airbpoat operation".
Kinda tense aren't you?
I don't have it all figured out, but I got most of it figured out....except one thing, what is a willow guard?