jon/airboat

[Twinkota]

anybody ever herd of putting a small engine with a prop on a jon boat? i seen one on ebay that was set up like an airboat and was wondering if anybody had ever seen or operated one. sounds like a fun project if it would be practical.

 

[Ol Yeller]

I put a real big leaf blower on a canoe one time and it didn’t work out well at all. I went about 1 mph with the loudest racket you ever heard. I think a jon boat rigged with some kind a fan would be a lot of work and money with disappointing results. No since trying to reinvent the wheel is my motto. But its fun thinking about.

 

[rbjscott]

A lot of "airboats" were built in Texas using a wide Monarch john boat hull. They were Chevy Corvair powered and called Mud-Hen Airboat built in Pearland Tx.. Folks built them with small Continentals. Mine was Franklin powered, I put it together in 1967. They would run shallow but were hard to turn in shallow water. Monarch even built what they called airboat hulls ie: no rear seat and extra ribs and knees.

 

[Ron Miller]

Try http://www.mosquitoairboats.com/ It is affiliated with Alumitech and they are the leaders in small airboats.. The web will come up to the rudder rack but just drop them a line for help.

 

[harvey]

I followed H Maddox (SA member) all over Seminole in a jon boat with what looked to me like the briggs set up Paul Dixon uses in his mini boats. Which are also very impressive. Anyway, Henry went places I never would have thought that boat would go, and on a 6 gal tank. I'm sure a lot was the driver. He has a gpu now which I saw him climb stone mountain with one day. lol

There is a video on here somewhere of Airboats Unlimited's (Paul&Carol Dixon) mini boat running dry ground.

 

[Whiskers]

You need to call Paul Dixon @ Airboats Unlimited. His number is 229-246-5760 and you need to check out his website @ "www.airboatsunlimited.com" - he has it figured out. He puts a 35hp B&S on a 14' or 16' fiberglass AIRBOAT hull, not a jon boat. Not only does the boat look and perform like an airboat, you will have a two year warranty on the motor, a top of the line rig, and a company that you can contact, OR will actually call you back +++++ THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT!