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Predator's NEW Wide Track Hull

Southern Airboat Gallery Archives

The Black Pearl
1982 AIRGATOR RESTORED
Lake Okeechobee Ride
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Lake Okeechobee Ride
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Predator Airboats

Well-known member
14'4 Mold will be completed by the weekend of 12/10/05. Demo boat to be completed and on the Lake the weekend of 12/17/05.

This Hull is 10 inches wider "on the bottom" than a Gilileo or a Cottonmouth. Suits all Car Motors, 540's, 720, Superchargers. Call Predator for ordering details. 863-557-0098. Take a look at our other Boats in predator_airboats member galleries.

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Looks like a nice hull from the photos

Sides sure are flat, wonder if that makes it turn like chines do
 
Apache..... not sure of they are still in business, but I think they are. Apache is not even in the hunt with Predator. All Predator Hulls are hand deisgned and have the straightest bottom out, come out and see some of our boats, or view them in our member galleries. They (Hulls) truly speak for themselves, there is no substitute for EXPERIENCE, QUALITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP, ask around about our boats.

To answer some of the other questions on size... The top-back is 7'8, front top 6'9, the bottom that sets on the ground is 6'9 Depth is 20 inches in the back and 21 inches in the front. The crown and bottom is what makes the boat turn, not the sides. Yes, this boats bottom rounds into the sides. I hope this answers all your questions. Let me know if you have anymore. Feel free to call us at 863-557-0098 or emails at predator_airboats@yahoo.com. Thanks.
 
Apache is not in the buisness of building airboats any more. Ricky Lightsey does not even have the wide mold any more. (My personal preference.) A fellow in Okeechobee has the mold and is building boats. But I don't know under what name. (If any). I will be glad to give his name and nextel number if you PM me.

Pred.

Thanks for the info.
 
I know several guys who run the Predator hull and have talked with even more. The only complaining is from guys like me who don't have the money to buy one yet :p . It really is a GOOD hull. Predator puts a lot of time into the designing and development of these hulls and it shows on the water...and the hill!!

Adam
 
predator_airboats":1ndqv2xg said:
The crown and bottom is what makes the boat turn, not the sides.
Click to expand...

Then what are chines for? :?
 
The "crown" is on the bottom of the boat... you can't see it in the pictures, but that boat crowns from the center to each side 7/16th's if an inch. The "Chines" are kind of the same thing by definition:

the intersection of the bottom and the sides of a flat or V-bottomed boat (webster)

When you said side, I thought you were speaking of the actual high sides of the boat, sorry for the confusion. Hope this helps. Thanks.
 
Hands down, Predator is the best boat i have ever owned! My opinion is you WILL NOT find a boat that will run the hill like a Predator boat will!! Well now your saying I CAN MAKE ANYTHING RUN AS LONG AS YOU BUT A BIG ENOUGH MOTOR BEHIND IT!...Well, thats true, but I bet you that any other boat will not take the abuse a Predator will take, and still run as good!! I run a 13'3" Predator Boat, Full set of hunting metal work, and with 0-470 250-260 horepower, it will carry 3(sometimes 4) people,cooler full of beer, and 30 gallons of gas, and you will never have to get out and tug on the front of that boat!! It surprized the heck out of me when i first got it, because the Laser hull i had, with the same set-up didnt compare to this Predator boat!! Predator is a GREAT boat, Bobby Jones Jr. puts great Craftsmanship into his boats!! and it sure does show!! If your in the market for a new hull, try one of these bad-boys! you will be extremly HAPPY!!
 
Welding fumes can get to you also, the bright side about a glass shop is you will be smileing if you forget to wear your PPE. Beautiful hull, that crown idea is interesting. Sort of like a V without being as directional I bet. So the first pictures of the hull is just a plug? Beautiful finish!
 
Who says building airboats is easy? We have just turned the mold over today as you can see it is not the lightest thing to lift and is extremly bulky. It weighs about 1500lbs. Thought ya'll would find he process interesting if you have never seen it. This 14' wide track, will make the 3rd mold Predator has designed, we also have a 12' , and a 13'3. None of these molds were pulled of any other deisgn, they are 100% Predator. Thanks for all the comments on previous posts.

jason_cropped.jpg
 
predator_airboats":ekkyujb1 said:
Thought ya'll would find he process interesting if you have never seen it.
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head with that one! I've never seen it (much) and following this thread HAS been interesting. Thanks for showing a peek at the process.

It is a very nice looking mold and hull. I'm looking forward to seeing it run.

It looks like having the first boat out on the lake the weekend of the 17th is not gonna happen (when is that kind of stuff EVER on schedule? - right?) But I hope you are out on Saturday the 31st. A bunch of us will be out at the milk bus throughout the day - click here for the rough and tenative schedule... And I hope to see you zoom in on that new hull and show off a little. I think many of those attending are aluminum diehards, but I'd like to see it even if no one else is interested.

Nice show. I hope there's more. Interesting process!

matt.
 
If the mold weighs 1500 pounds, how much does one of the hulls weigh?
 
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