Jon boat to mini airboat

[S-3 Ranch]

I am thinking about turning a alumacraft 1448. in to river and flats airboat
Engine choices are predator 22 or a robin 35-40 , 2:1 reducing gear and 52’ prop
If anyone has any experience with such a build please weigh in

I also have the plans for a plywood hull but it seems out of my league

Thanks Pilar

[mpotts]

Look up DarrelS he did 2 DIY Airboats

[Kbar]

I am thinking about turning a alumacraft 1452 in to river and flats airboat
Engine choices are predator 22 or a robin 35-40 , 2:1 reducing gear and 52’ prop
If anyone has any experience with such a build please weigh in

I also have the plans for a plywood hull but it seems out of my league

Thanks Pilar

I have a brand new in the box water cooled Kawasaki FD620D-FS13-01 that my boss would love for me to get rid of.

[S-3 Ranch]

I have a brand new in the box water cooled Kawasaki FD620D-FS13-01 that my boss would love for me to get rid of.

Pm me the details please
Is water cool better than air for the build?

[Kbar]

Pm me the details please
Is water cool better than air for the build?

I would think water cooled would be better.
PM being sent.

[Merc]

I am thinking about turning a alumacraft 1448. in to river and flats airboat
Engine choices are predator 22 or a robin 35-40 , 2:1 reducing gear and 52’ prop
If anyone has any experience with such a build please weigh in

I also have the plans for a plywood hull but it seems out of my league

Thanks Pilar

Theres a mini airboat forum that discusses this at length, and from everything I've read over there you don't want to use that narrow of a boat.

Lone Star Hovercraft has done a mini airboat that seems fairly simple.

On the aircooled vs watercooled engine it's a matter of weight vs power.

Sent from somewhere

[Quackerbox]

Is water cool better than air for the build?

I would think so but those short tail mud motors are mostly air cooled.

We owned an airboat for years that was an air cooled aircraft engine. Air cooled put a big damper on when we could run or not.

If it where me Id look into wider boat and something without chines on the bottom. Youre already gonna be limited on HP and the chines aren't gonna help any either.

I saw a project airboat hull over the weekend. It looked a lot like an old grass hopper hull. Fiberglass, single seater with a cage. I have no idea of its condition other than its sitting in the grass on the side of the road. Guy actually had an aluminum hull sitting there also.

The one with the cage etc is similar to this

[S-3 Ranch]

Theres a mini airboat forum that discusses this at length, and from everything I've read over there you don't want to use that narrow of a boat.

Lone Star Hovercraft has done a mini airboat that seems fairly simple.

On the aircooled vs watercooled engine it's a matter of weight vs power.

Sent from somewhere

Yep I am looking at their rascal, they have a prototype hull already built
And I have hopefully found the right Moter ( the devil is in the details)
Crankshaft length and diameter, sizing of the gears ect

https://youtu.be/tIe4ViFYHQA

[Kbar]

You should have gotten 3 emails.
#1 shows it’s in the crate
# 2 shows the first time in about 8 or 9 years it’s been out of the box.
#3 shows it’s a 1-1/8X3-1/4 crank - but I’ll reserve myself on this - I’m too **** old do be a metric *****.