On Jun 21, 11:34*am, Katie Ohara wrote:
On Jun 21, 7:17*am, Loogypicker wrote:





On Jun 21, 2:31*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:

On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:29:15 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
It is a seriously hot day, over 100 here in N. FL and my wife decided
last night she wanted to go blueberry picking at a U-pick place near
Wacissa. Got up at 8:00 and went there and picked berries for an hour
till we had 3 gallons and then went about 1/4 mile to he springs at
the headwaters of the Wacissa River. As early as 11:00 am it was
packed with people escaping the heat by going into the icy spring
water.

Our blueberry season is going to be really late this year due to all
the cool and rainy weather. *If we get some sun and heat, it's going
to be a good crop though and with all the rain this Spring, next
year's syrup, berry and apple crop is going to be spectacular.

An air boat arrived and I watched it closely because this one was
different, made by a company called Seminole and it had a 5 bladed
prop. *Sure enough it was MUCH less noisy than all the others with
only 3 or two blades. *I talked to the owner and he told me about a
new type of prop where the end of the blades twist and are offset so
that when it spins a blade does not run into the compressed air from
the preceding one.

Sure it was five and not six? *I saw one of these the last time I was
down in SC - 14' that looked to be 6' foot or so wide. *The blade you
are talking about is also carbon fiber, not wood or aluminum which
helps with the noise. *I believe they are called Warp Drive props and
are also used in hover craft hulls.

Go ahead - ask me how I know that.

Hell, I'll tell you anyway. *My neighbor is a hover craft freakazoid
and has built a bunch of them over the years. *:)

I built a hovercraft when I lived in Fl. Universal Hovercraft design.

This particular boat had 5 blades. *They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.
Dang, last night I dreamed of a hovercarft made in the frame of my old
'56 Ford truck, weird.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yeah, seeing how weight to power ratio is key! Here is the model that
I built, was kind of fun going to a lake and people watching as you
tilt the flat bed trailer, start is up to get some lift, and it slides
right off! Then get in gas it, go across the parking lot and into the
water!

http://www.hovercraft.com/content/in...ex&cPath=34_48

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara
wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:17*am, Loogypicker wrote:
On Jun 21, 2:31*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:



On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:29:15 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
It is a seriously hot day, over 100 here in N. FL and my wife decided
last night she wanted to go blueberry picking at a U-pick place near
Wacissa. Got up at 8:00 and went there and picked berries for an hour
till we had 3 gallons and then went about 1/4 mile to he springs at
the headwaters of the Wacissa River. As early as 11:00 am it was
packed with people escaping the heat by going into the icy spring
water.

Our blueberry season is going to be really late this year due to all
the cool and rainy weather. *If we get some sun and heat, it's going
to be a good crop though and with all the rain this Spring, next
year's syrup, berry and apple crop is going to be spectacular.

An air boat arrived and I watched it closely because this one was
different, made by a company called Seminole and it had a 5 bladed
prop. *Sure enough it was MUCH less noisy than all the others with
only 3 or two blades. *I talked to the owner and he told me about a
new type of prop where the end of the blades twist and are offset so
that when it spins a blade does not run into the compressed air from
the preceding one.

Sure it was five and not six? *I saw one of these the last time I was
down in SC - 14' that looked to be 6' foot or so wide. *The blade you
are talking about is also carbon fiber, not wood or aluminum which
helps with the noise. *I believe they are called Warp Drive props and
are also used in hover craft hulls.

Go ahead - ask me how I know that.

Hell, I'll tell you anyway. *My neighbor is a hover craft freakazoid
and has built a bunch of them over the years. *:)

I built a hovercraft when I lived in Fl. Universal Hovercraft design.

This particular boat had 5 blades. They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.
Dang, last night I dreamed of a hovercarft made in the frame of my old
'56 Ford truck, weird.

Ever see a lawn tractor "boat"?

It's a long story. :)

Ommmmmmmmmmm........

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara
wrote:

This particular boat had 5 blades. They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.

Kevlar...you mean like helicopter blades?

Cool - any chance you know the name of the manufacturer?

On Jun 21, 12:03*pm, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
This particular boat had 5 blades. *They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.

Kevlar...you mean like helicopter blades?

Cool - any chance you *know the name of the manufacturer?

Sorry, I was not that interested although the boat said Seminole on
the side and he mentioned to someone else that it was made in
Bainbridge, GA

On Jun 21, 12:21*pm, Katie Ohara wrote:
On Jun 21, 12:03*pm, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
This particular boat had 5 blades. *They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.

Kevlar...you mean like helicopter blades?

Cool - any chance you *know the name of the manufacturer?

Sorry, I was not that interested although the boat said Seminole on
the side and he mentioned to someone else that it was made in
Bainbridge, GA

Oh, and a younger passenger of his was talking very knowledgeably (at
least sounded like it) about helicopter blades and silencing them.
What was also striking was how polite these guys were compared to the
normal airboater.

Frogwatch

On Jun 21, 11:37*am, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:17:57 -0700 (PDT), Loogypicker

wrote:
Hell, I'll tell you anyway. *My neighbor is a hover craft freakazoid
and has built a bunch of them over the years. *:)

I built a hovercraft when I lived in Fl. Universal Hovercraft design.

They are interesting machines.

Probably the neatest one he ever built was actually very small - one
person, three engines and he used two inner tubes from a large tractor
tire for the skirts. The engines were Chinese knockoff's of the
popular Honda 6 hp DOHC grass mower engines.

Thing was cool as heck.

Some of the Universal Hovercraft models use a vertical shaft lawnmower
enginer (like a 5hp Briggs) for the lift fan, and then usually a twin
two smoke like a snowmobile engine for the thrust. That's what the
older model that I built had. I bought skirt material from UH.

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:23:53 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara
wrote:

On Jun 21, 12:21*pm, Katie Ohara wrote:
On Jun 21, 12:03*pm, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
This particular boat had 5 blades. *They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.

Kevlar...you mean like helicopter blades?

Cool - any chance you *know the name of the manufacturer?

Sorry, I was not that interested although the boat said Seminole on
the side and he mentioned to someone else that it was made in
Bainbridge, GA

Oh, and a younger passenger of his was talking very knowledgeably (at
least sounded like it) about helicopter blades and silencing them.
What was also striking was how polite these guys were compared to the
normal airboater.

Makes some sense - there's all kinds of new technology with chopper
blades and different composite materials. I dont' know a whole lot
about it but I did finally solo and got my license for one.

Maybe I need to look into that.

I've got this idea.... :)

On Jun 21, 2:33*pm, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:23:53 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara





wrote:
On Jun 21, 12:21*pm, Katie Ohara wrote:
On Jun 21, 12:03*pm, Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:34:43 -0700 (PDT), Katie Ohara

wrote:
This particular boat had 5 blades. *They were made of Kevlar and were
individually bolted to a flange on the shaft, a complicated
arrangement.

Kevlar...you mean like helicopter blades?

Cool - any chance you *know the name of the manufacturer?

Sorry, I was not that interested although the boat said Seminole on
the side and he mentioned to someone else that it was made in
Bainbridge, GA

Oh, and a younger passenger of his was talking very knowledgeably (at
least sounded like it) about helicopter blades and silencing them.
What was also striking was how polite these guys were compared to the
normal airboater.

Makes some sense - there's all kinds of new technology with chopper
blades and different composite materials. I dont' know a whole lot
about it but I did finally solo and got my license for one.

Maybe I need to look into that.

I've got this idea.... *:)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I know that on a hovercraft, a duct around the thrust fan, in a
certain shape and close tolerances to the prop really helps the
thrust.

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:12:55 -0700 (PDT), Loogypicker
wrote:

I know that on a hovercraft, a duct around the thrust fan, in a
certain shape and close tolerances to the prop really helps the
thrust.

All the lifeboats on the cruise ships have had steerable shrouds,
called Kort Nozzles. The tenders, with identical hulls, have a
conventional rudder. They have bigger engines and are faster, and also
have radar on a retractable mast. Nozzles have high drag and cut top
speed, but offer more manuverability at low speeds. They are found on
some tugs.

Casady

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Katie Ohara" wrote in message
...
It is a seriously hot day, over 100 here in N. FL and my wife decided
last night she wanted to go blueberry picking at a U-pick place near
Wacissa. Got up at 8:00 and went there and picked berries for an hour
till we had 3 gallons and then went about 1/4 mile to he springs at
the headwaters of the Wacissa River. As early as 11:00 am it was
packed with people escaping the heat by going into the icy spring
water.
An air boat arrived and I watched it closely because this one was
different, made by a company called Seminole and it had a 5 bladed
prop. Sure enough it was MUCH less noisy than all the others with
only 3 or two blades. I talked to the owner and he told me about a
new type of prop where the end of the blades twist and are offset so
that when it spins a blade does not run into the compressed air from
the preceding one. He was considering buying one. Very interesting
We had our daughter's (Katie) kayak and we rented a 14' canoe and went
downriver to the spring run of Big Blue Spring and up the run to the
spring and it was packed with over a dozen boats of all types and
probably 40 people lounging in the cold water beating the heat.
I am used o my family's 45 year old 18' Grumman canoe that is very
lightweight, sturdy, stable and turns on a dime. This 14' canoe of
plastic was a barge by comparison that did not like to turn. I
hypothesize it is he extra length that makes the Grumman so
responsive, anybody know?
On the way back upriver, I had a chance to directly compare 5 of the
old airboat types to this new one, the new one was MUCH less noisy,
impressive. Its operator was also very courteous toward everyone
else.
By the ime I got back to the landing, evn though I had guzzled a whole
liter of gatoriade, I was feeling awful. GAWD is it hot.

Frogwatch


Airboat? Funny, I actually saw one this afternoon , being towed on a
trailer.
They sure are an oddity up here.


Maybe an oddity where you live, but there are lots in Canada. They work
extremely well in the frozen north during the winter. Better than a
snowmachine in lots of areas.