Could a boat go 300 mph with conventional propulsion?

Top Fuel drag hydros have run over 240 mph

Could a boat go 300 mph using props or water jets?

 

I have seen a modified hydroplane in the Guinnes book that I seem to recall was unofficially clocked at around 350 one way. It was some Aussie....

 

Aussie

www.kenwarby.com

That wasn't a "modified" hydroplane.

That was a scratch-built purpose-designed boat built to break the World Water Speed Record using a turbojet engine.

 

That could be done, theoretically.

 

In think flying will be more comfortable at those speeds.......

 

It is definitely possible to go above 300 miles per hour of the water. It has been done, on october 8, 1978, when Ken Warby reached 317,6mph onboard his jet powered Spirit of Australia. This record still stands, I believe

 

Hmm. On flat water with a few outboards, you couuld certainly reach 200, maybe 300.

 

Coulda, woulda, shouda. Aparrently they have a long way to go on the toughest part (the last 95 mph) to make 300 mph. Sam
http://www.russwicks.com/records.htm

 

Engines

Unlimited hydroplanes are not "unlimited." For example, one could build a similar hull (by the way, Miss Budweiser now holds the record at 220 mph) but with TWO turbines (as many tractor pullers do).

 

300 mph

Of course it's possible. The question was could you do it with some form of water based conventional propulsion instead of a turbojet?

 

I would think so, if you had ENOUGH of the propulsion systems and enough horsepower. Take a few waterjets and splice them together, but seriously, enough waterjets with a big gasoline engine should do fine on flat freshwater.

 

That's sort of like the supposed "World Series". I was just trying to bring the topic back on track, which was about PROPELLER or JET DRIVE driven things. Do Miss Bud and competitors use props? Aside from that, I remember going to 2 unlimited races, Detroit in the early 60's and San Diego in the mid 70's when the boats still used surplus WWII B52 engines. I think they were straight 12's or V12's with short individual exhaust pipes that looked to be 8" diameter. Helen Keller would have known one of those was coming, it shook your insides. To go back to the question, to ask COULD a boat do it is sort of pointless, seeing as how all the money, talent, time and lives expended on the quest so far have only gotten to 205-220 mph. If all it took was more horsepower and more money, then someone COULDA done it, and I think they WOULDA done it, and if they didn't, they SHOULDA done it and saved everyone else all the time, trouble, money and lives it will take to actully do it. Once it's done I suppose the question will be can a boat go 400 mph ? Sam

 

B-52 engines? WWII, no, not connected. But, sure, you CERTAINLY could use a jet drive or propeller. Certainly could! 400 mph? I guess so, if the boat planed fast enough, had powerful enough powerplants, good propellors/impellers, lowest weight possible (remote control, perhaps?). Basically, it'd have to be a piece of carbon fiber with a few (read: 5+) outboards or jet drives.

 

Speed

Top Fuel drag hydros have hit over 240 mph, still accelerating. For one thing, they have a lot more horsepower than Unlimited hydroplanes. For another thing, they're narrower and much lighter.

 

Propulsion

The question to ask is do props or jet drives have an upper speed limit where no matter how much horsepower you stuff into the boat they simply can't move enough water to make the boat go any faster?