Levi Drives Experimental (DIY)

Hallo All,

We have a new category called "Levi Drive experimental" (see our webpage).

This category is geared for the DIY person who would like to build one or two "Levi Drives" themselves.

We assist such projects with engineering knowledge and hardware. We will
establish a special website where you can publish your project.

Over the year we had several request for unusual drive propulsions (like
turbines, electro motors, motor cycle engines, solar powered engines etc) which might have been an asset to the Surface Drive technology, but somehow got lost.

We want to be a platform for these ideas and push them forward.

I was 3 weeks ago in Rhodos (Greece) for 4 days and designed a new drive for Nikitas. On Tuesday last week he got his propeller form our company in
Malaysia. Tuesday evening (on a deserted beach, nobody was to see his
failure) he tested his boat. He got 40 knots during the first test. He is a
happy customer now

Attached some pictures of his project.

Best Regards
Rudi

 

The website makes many false claims. For example, that Sonny Levi invented the surface propeller. The Hickman Sea Sled had surface propellers thirty years prior. Also, there are a number of commercial drives available. The Levi drives are just one more of them and not the only one as you claim.

 

I am not sure Gonzo, but I think the Levi it is the only one with the tunnel turning, making them the only one with rudders.
I can be wrong.
Someone else has perhaps designed the same geometry.
The picture above doesn't seams to be a genuine Levi. The Levi have a very sophisticate finish. But it's hard to tell. But it looks more a backyard steel fabrication than a cast aluminum perfection.

 

The CAL500 is built on the same principle. There are many commercial drives, including the Arnesons if you don't mind the maintenance.

 

Yes you're right but they don't have the tunnel.
The tunnel serving as rudder also was the main reason of difference between the classic surface drive and the Levi one developed in the 1970.
Probably the patent has expired, if any, allowing some to use the Levi drive name.

 

The "tunnel" is a variation of the ancient Kitchener rudder, without the reverse feature. It has been used in a number of boats and ships.

 

You are missing the point.

I have shown, that a gifted metal sheet mechanic can produce a functioning surface drive in about 3 weeks’ time (not working full time) and achieves 40 knots with his boat. The instructions and the propeller were delivered from “Levi Drives”. The propeller was not optimized for this job. The next one will

The secret of a surface propulsion system is not in the “Drive Body” (Sonny called it always the propeller holder) but in the propeller and its combination with the gearbox and engine.

“Levi Drive” develops and produces its own propellers and we open the market to the DIY person you would like to have a “Surface Drive Propulsion System” but can’t afford the normal inflated shop prices.

Sonny’s tunnel rudder has (apart from other functions) an important safety function. After all, a surface drive is nothing else than a gigantic meat grinding. Every armchair surface drive developer can see this.

 

Yes you are right but Levi developed his version as a surface drive propeller, having only one half of the propeller hitting the water, for very high speed pleasure and patrol boat. The design is also on the propeller itself as part of the whole system. Is design was to "cage" the upper part of the propeller making them more efficient at high speed.
Levi is a very talented propeller designer, and he designed his system as an entity, not separate piece.
The Kort nozzle and Kitchener rudder are not for the same function, been reserved for displacement speed and not high speed boat.
It will be difficult to see a Kitchener rudder with a surface propeller or even a Kort.
Doesn't mean they are bad, it is not for the same application, nor the same design.

 

Over the year Sonny has developed several surface drives (propeller holder) and produced them. There was also a design with a Kitchener rudder, a trimmable version, the single rudder behind the propeller, a 45 degree version (Side Winder) etc. Most of these designs were published in his book (Milestones in My Designs). The LD 170-150 (Fisherman) was the smallest and was geared to replace outboard engines on smaller boats. (See our webpage). We reached 27 knots with 55 hp Isuzu engine and Sonny’s Diamond Back propeller. I don’t think these are high speed boats.
We presented the idea the Government of Malaysia and advised them about the fuel saving capability. The official answer was:
” Malaysia has enough fuel; we don’t need such fuel saving technologies”.
At present we sell these drives assembled or as kits worldwide from Germany. We try to reach 3. World counties who are fed up with these expensive outboard engines and Z- drives which have an average life expectancy of 2,7 year or less in commercial use.

 

I am confused.

Are you actually the original Levi Drives? Or, are you a new Levi Drive manufacturer?

wayne

 

El_Guero I was asking myself the same question. I don't feel very comfortable about XRUDI. He do not show the real Levi drive which was far more sophisticate.
Levi didn't design any Kitchener rudder, and his drive was mostly for high horse power engine.
I think they bought part and some propeller designed by Levi, and call it Levi drive.
But I don't know, I can mistake, but it looks wrong.

 

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple

 

Yes, we are the original

 

The answers are blowing in the wind
Bob Dylan

 

I am still confused.

If you are off-shoring your work to Malaysia and the Philippines, why would you inflate your prices?

:idea:

Get rid of the inflated profit in your product, and the metal worker could afford your product.

Right?