An airboat guy, Howard Yates sold me engine parts for my O290 D2 and schooled me on how to build a hotrod engine for air racing in my Long EZ. It had GO 435 angle valve cylinders, 360 rods, etc. That engine put 18 air racing trophies on my "I love me" wall. We were good buddies over the phone and he told GREAT jokes. We lived 2,500 miles apart, so I never met him and was saddened to hear about his passing.
These look like the most rickety, jenky contraptions there are. I'm 52 now but the technology looks the same as from the 1970's to me. They look like a hardened banana peel for the hull with a fan used in Hollywood movies to simulate wind on the back of it. I'd like to learn more about them though.
I almost rolled mine, but I set back up right , two of my airboat buddies rolled their 2 boats, helped them get them out and back to the dock, they're fun but very dangerous, just when you think you've mastered it, it will bite you. Be careful guys and gals.
@larryharris937 they're fun, if you get one get a deep hull and light engine , maybe an O -320 ,Lycoming, or a light continental engines, they are great 4 cyl air-cooled engines and lightweight and very forgiving of mistakes, and just practice driving it in skinny water.
Airboats are the most fun you can have on, or off the water ! But they are inherently very dangerous, especially for someone with little experience operating one. The boats you see on here that have hardly any freeboard are built for very shallow water, places like the everglades, the problem is when people operate them in deeper water they are very susceptible to swamping. Even the ones with higher sides it takes a lot of "know how" to keep from swamping them in deeper water. The combination of very fast, and very powerful combined with a machine that takes a lot of finesse to keep it on the water, not under it, makes for many memorable outings !
Why do so many airboats have only inches of free board? What is the advantage? It seems like it would only limit areas you can go. Why not get them 8 to 10 inches of free board at least in the front and side then you just don't have to worry so much. I understand one thing a short transom to keep the prop and motor as low as possible, but I really don't get why some of them Look like a sheet of plywood.
The worst thing that has ever happened to me was my boat started heading towards a barbed wire fence luckily for me there was a sandbar that I could run up on because the boat would not turn and to this day I don't know why
I don't know what it was doing was it was turning right with the rudder straight and it would not turn left at all now this was a old laser Hull so it was not a step hull
An airboat guy, Howard Yates sold me engine parts for my O290 D2 and schooled me on how to build a hotrod engine for air racing in my Long EZ. It had GO 435 angle valve cylinders, 360 rods, etc. That engine put 18 air racing trophies on my "I love me" wall. We were good buddies over the phone and he told GREAT jokes. We lived 2,500 miles apart, so I never met him and was saddened to hear about his passing.
He built some good running engines that are still around running the marshes here in Florida
@@chrisjacobi3720 Good to hear his legend lives on.
These look like the most rickety, jenky contraptions there are. I'm 52 now but the technology looks the same as from the 1970's to me. They look like a hardened banana peel for the hull with a fan used in Hollywood movies to simulate wind on the back of it. I'd like to learn more about them though.
When logic and science go out the window
I need to get my airboat up and running again. I miss these days.
You know what's better than buying an airboat....having a friend with an airboat..lol
Awesome content thanks
I almost rolled mine, but I set back up right , two of my airboat buddies rolled their 2 boats, helped them get them out and back to the dock, they're fun but very dangerous, just when you think you've mastered it, it will bite you. Be careful guys and gals.
I thought I wanted one. I'm having second thoughts now. I don't even walk that good [fall down a lot]!
@larryharris937 they're fun, if you get one get a deep hull and light engine , maybe an O -320 ,Lycoming, or a light continental engines, they are great 4 cyl air-cooled engines and lightweight and very forgiving of mistakes, and just practice driving it in skinny water.
These things should require a pilots license! 😂
The guy that jumped off while doing a 360 😂😂
Airboats are the most fun you can have on, or off the water !
But they are inherently very dangerous, especially for someone with little experience operating one. The boats you see on here that have hardly any freeboard are built for very shallow water, places like the everglades, the problem is when people operate them in deeper water they are very susceptible to swamping. Even the ones with higher sides it takes a lot of "know how" to keep from swamping them in deeper water. The combination of very fast, and very powerful combined with a machine that takes a lot of finesse to keep it on the water, not under it, makes for many memorable outings !
Why do so many airboats have only inches of free board? What is the advantage? It seems like it would only limit areas you can go. Why not get them 8 to 10 inches of free board at least in the front and side then you just don't have to worry so much. I understand one thing a short transom to keep the prop and motor as low as possible, but I really don't get why some of them Look like a sheet of plywood.
Since they seem to carry people up on a stand, why don't they fill the hull with fuel resistant foam so they can never sink?
Insurrectionists and their redneck toys. Priceless - HERES YOUR SIGN
OH man,,, They got you good didn't they? Leave it to the indoctrinated to spread hate everywhere they go right? I'll pray for you though. It'll be OK.
😂😂😂
ONLY CLEETUS would show up in something like this
Good shit
Why have we not seen Cleet and JH drifting at the FF?
That was some funny shit
Freedom factory sweet
Only in America, maybe mount the engine at base with chain drive so they don't fall over with a fat Cambridge punt on top or two !!!?
Зачем так быстро. Это внедорожная техника. Ее смысл амфибия
The worst thing that has ever happened to me was my boat started heading towards a barbed wire fence luckily for me there was a sandbar that I could run up on because the boat would not turn and to this day I don't know why
You probably had too much steering throw and it stalled the airfoil
If you dropped to an idle then thats why. Have to have air going over the rudders for them to turn. You always have to power through turns.
I don't know what it was doing was it was turning right with the rudder straight and it would not turn left at all now this was a old laser Hull so it was not a step hull
And I forgot I was going straight I was not in a turn and all of a sudden it wanted to go right
They always want to go right !
Its a dance
Go too fast and then flip over.Go to slow and they sink.
Anybody ever put a winch on one?
In Alaska we do to pull our moose into the boat when he in down in the swamp
Junk boats ......