Trying to Build an Air Boat for Phil Marshes

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1. Airboat Trader
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I can put you in touch with the folks at the saw grass recreation park in the Florida everglades;

ed@forktechs.com

Not just GA. I think VGA!

Note: if you wish to give someone a GA (or VGA), you have to press the button, and select GA radio button and click Okay.

...and if my rant didn't work for you, you can find airboat props, new and used at southern airboat . . southernairboat.com/classifieds/index.php . . . .................... Benbenben

Impellers for large air conditioning units may be a good substitute......and cheap if they come from the scrapyard.....

We build airboats here locally. My company builds turbine engine packages for airboats - we use carbon fiber props from Whirlwind Propellers.

Check www.whirlwindpropellers.com

As far as the noise, most airboats run small or big block Chevrolet V8's. You don't need hearing protection from 1/4 mile range. Nor is it anything like 'rape' of the marsh. I'm sorry it bothers your canoeing, but some people actually go out there to make a living. Rowboats are not exactly practical for the job of hauling men and equipment over marshland. I hear them all day from the shop here, out doing seismograph work and surveying.

Being that your company builds components for air-boats, your defense of air-boating is understandable. Let's see if we can straighten out some of the facts...

You wrote 'As far as the noise, most air-boats run small or big block Chevrolet V8's. You don't need hearing protection from 1/4 mile range'........

...what you neglected to mention is that most of those V-8s have no mufflers. Similar to the engines at the 1/4 mile NHRA drag races, at which hearing protection is definitely in order. An air-boat can easily cover 1/4 mile in less than a minute, so donning hearing protection then could leave you just enough time if one is approaching.

In Florida OSHA spec'd hearing protection is required for all passengers of air-boats. This requirement is unique to air-boats, not applying to passengers of other water vessels; ostensibly due to air-boats creating noise levels damaging to unprotected ears.

You also wrote, '..... some people actually go out there to make a living......hauling men and equipment over marshland.... out doing seismograph work and surveying....'

The fraction of air-boat use for seismology and surveying is minute compared to the overwhelming preponderance of air-boat use devoted to recreation. Of course if there is no other way to do a job then allowances must be made. Whatever the case, mufflers could and should be added. Surveying trucks have noise pollution control, so should watercraft used for a similar purpose.

You further wrote, '...... Nor is it anything like 'rape' of the marsh.........' .

You left this totally unsupported (probably out of necessity). The intrusion of an air-boat at high speed and high volume into an otherwise quiet secluded area is a traumatic event that sends life fleeing for safety. It is rape-like in that the penetration is unwelcome and feared, but it comes never the less.

That is not easily observed if your vantage is aboard an air-boat.

Benbenben

Why not hovercraft?

They not only function in the marshes, but can go over stretches of dry land between marshes.

Probably more efficient too.

While not quiet, they aren't as noisy as air boats and noise control is easier with them.

A friend was making one based on an inflatable boat as the frame. Unfortunately he died before he could complete the job, but the idea seemed worth a closer look.