Single hoop vs double hoop cage

[Duece]

I was wondering why some folks built these differently? In love the look of the single hoop but it seems you don't see these as much anymore. In imagine it has to do with strength but thought I'd ask in here.

Duece

Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

[pontoon outlaw]

I got two for strength don't want the cage to sway under load and damage the prop

Sent from my [device_name] using Southern Airboat mobile app powered by Tapatalk

[JAMES]

Preference both ok i like double as said but look back few yrs ago everyone said the round curvy rigs was not safe ect ect now their all building them they said 8 ft wide hulls we junk their all
Building them they all said they would never run a car motor they all running them !!

[glades cat]

Build 'em like you're gonna run 'em.
Single for some weight saving, for racing.
Double for strength and rigidity.

[Andy]

I talked with Roho, he said in a smoke tunnel the double or front bar deflected a lot of air. That's from a performance minded guy. Guess it just depends on what you want

[cowboy]

If you ever get an opportunity to witness a stuck airboat with single hoop guards, under full power with the operator sawing on the rudder stick.... pay close attention to how much the guards deflect due to the rudder forces being transmitted into the stuck hull through the prop guard structures. This may be magnified by higher rudder mounting heights, combined with a particularly flimsy guard structure.

If you do this, and see the amount of movement being displayed in the guards, you just may find yourself becoming immediately concerned about the moving guards coming into contact with the prop operating at full power, and suddenly find yourself instinctively ducking for cover to hide from the prop explosion your expect to occur at any second.

Not saying that any single hoop guard design is automatically dangerous or inadequate, but I am saying I have witnessed the above scenario play out firsthand. I wont forget it either.

The rudder forces that are possible to be introduced into the guards can be easily underestimated, and inadequate guards operated for years without incident..... until just the right set of circumstances present themselves...... then you might guess the unexpected outcomes could be very serious for occupants, or bystanders.

Besides,
In my opinion, you want guards that can be expected to protect the prop from damage during an accidental roll-over, so you can right the boat, and hopefully get back to the hill. Not to mention large limbs or bushes smacking the guards while you are operating. In my opinion if you design guards to achieve such primary goal, then they can usually be expected to withstand the ultimate rudder forces that could be generated... even with a very large rudder.

I am not an airboat racer, so I am talking about ride or hunt boats here. I don't think that light weight or airflow should be the primary considerations governing prop guard design when building an airboat.

All the best regards....

[Rick McC.]

Couldn’t agree more, Cowboy!