waterspeed record

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Dan Ellison, Dec 23, 2006.

  1. Verytricky
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    Verytricky Large Member

    Well, I may be just a frustrated Britt and I dont want people to see his designs, so an American cant break the record. Or I am an internet Troll logging onto theses forums just to spread discontent.

    OR - DUH - I may be a long term member posting a warning that this particular website has a downloadable virus.


    Your choice!
     
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  2. Verytricky
    Joined: Oct 2005
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    Verytricky Large Member

    OK, it is a virus by definition: It is WM/PolyPoster virus.

     
  3. BOATMIK
    Joined: Nov 2004
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    BOATMIK Deeply flawed human being

    Are you referring to the fates of John Cobb in Crusader and Donald Campbell in Bluebird?

    Sorry, I couldn't resist teasing such a bold statement.

    Campbell (there was a stage when I had read everything available about him) had huge amounts of corporate and government help. I think that type of support is much more difficult to get these days.

    Australia's Ken Warby is primarily a backyard operator. His boat was built in his backyard with his own hands and buying materials and parts as he could afford them. I think his sponsorship at the time was pretty miniscule - little more than fuel.

    He is building a new boat - but he works quietly without a song and dance so we hardly hear anything unless he actually breaks a record.

    A great man.

    Michael Storer
    Australia
     
  4. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Donald Campbell

    In 1966/67, Campbell was working on a shoestring budget.
     
  5. Dan Ellison
    Joined: Dec 2006
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    Dan Ellison Junior Member

    I own the molds to my current drag racing outrigger. Very little modification for a kilo record hull. Wish I had the sponsor $$$ of Wicks or Quicksilver. I do know of an attempt early this spring,(wish it was me). This could get exciting!
     
  6. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Are you at liberty to tell us any more about the spring attempt?
     
  7. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Ultralight WSR Boats

    Dan - To get enough power with a small lightweight boat like the one you seem to be describing, either a rocket motor (which has its set of issues) or an afterburning version of the General Electric J-85 or Pratt & Whitney J-60 will be required. Having said that, I see no particular reason why a small boat shouldn't be a viable record contender.

    As best I could determine from having been an eyewitness, watching the video of the last run, and talking with friends of Craig Arfons this is what happened.

    Craig's boat weighed 2,500 lbs and with the J-85 engine could develop about 5,000 lbs thrust on afterburner. The afterburner was installed only after initial trial runs revealed dry thrust would not be enough to break the record.

    The major problem with Craig's boat was it would get up to a certain speed and veer off to the driver's right because it stopped responding to the rudder. For the record attempt they positioned the boat all the way to the left side of the course with the hope that by the time it got to the end of the kilo it would still be inside the course markers. Because of this problem the boat accelerated for a longer distance than it would have otherwise. About halfway through the kilo Craig gets worried he's going so far off course he's going to run out of lake so chops the engine. The sudden change in the loading on the sponsons sets off an episode of chinewalking, Craig releases the drag chute but it fails to inflate, and the boat does divergent enough to blowover.

    The boat's Kevlar/fiberglass foamcore composite construction probably accounted for the boat being recovered in just two large pieces. The front half was intact except for a missing windscreen which I was later told had been punched out by a battery breaking loose from the control console. Craig was still alive when pulled from the cockpit and might have survived if one of the anchors for his restraint harness had not failed.

    Whether a rudder and stabilizer fin arrangement like Bluebird's would've helped Craig's boat I don't know, but I was struck by the difference when I saw the photos of Bluebird's stern after its recovery.

    The events above are why I believe you'll need a lake allowing plenty of room for a gradual shutdown of the engine. I'd look at using a quarter-turn ball valve for modulating fuel flow to the burner so the driver can roll back out of burner, then roll back the dry thrust so he doesn't abruptly unload the hull.
     

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  8. Dan Ellison
    Joined: Dec 2006
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    Dan Ellison Junior Member

    I'm very familiar with the arfons hull. it was a modified deaver hydro that was lengthened. That hull is known to chine walk right before they blow off. My first outrigger customer crashed three of those before deciding a change was needed. They bought my first hull and have since a national event win and set there e.t. and mph best. My design has a narrow tub(driver and engine area) with a large stable footprint, No airtrap and a very unique tapered bottom. As far as the spring attempt, I can't say who or where because its not my project. Soon as they make it official I will post it.
     
  9. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Thanks, Dan.

    It's good to know that the flaw in Craig's otherwise worthy and innovative approach was not one that would have been obvious before the boat ran, even to someone more experienced with boats.

    After so much tragedy with the WSR since 1967 it sure would be nice to see a couple of successful attempts.
     
  10. marshmat
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    marshmat Senior Member

    Anyone know why the entire original post is now gone? The spyware complaint maybe?
     
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  11. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Learn to recognize what discussions are about, instead of focusing on the incidental and irrelevant.

    There is plenty enough here to get an idea of what sort of concept Dan Ellison has in mind.
     
  12. Dan Ellison
    Joined: Dec 2006
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    Location: pheonix az.

    Dan Ellison Junior Member

    I would be glad to provide any info about my hull, It's not top secret, as I have sold three already. The molds, drawings, lamination schedules, are also for sale.
     
  13. stonebreaker
    Joined: May 2006
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    stonebreaker Senior Member

    What kind of hull bottom design are you using on your sponsons? I'm really interested because I've been tossing around the idea of using a hickman sea sled bottom in place of the regular displacement pontoons to make sort of a sleeper performance cat that looks like a regular lake pontoon boat. I have a 355 ci LT1 out of a wrecked impala ss that I was planning on using for motive power.
     
  14. Dan Ellison
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    Location: pheonix az.

    Dan Ellison Junior Member

    Stonebreaker, Thank you for the interest. You would need more of a cat type of sponson for the hull you describe. My hull is basically a hydroplane with no airtrap. The sponsons are relativly narrow and are designed for very high speeds. They would be only half the length you would need, Dan
     

  15. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    http://www.americanjetcars.com/arfons/art/art61.htm

    http://www.americanjetcars.com/arfons/art/art62.htm

    http://www.americanjetcars.com/arfons/art/art63.htm

    The pontoons on this jet boat built by Art Arfons might be what you're looking for.
     
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