This is an article I found on converting 2 jon boats to a airboat hull.
How do you the poly to get rid of ribs?
Are the ribs the runners on the bottom of a jon boat?
"Foamed the bottom and put poly on it to get rid of the ribs"

http://www.southernairboat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=21984&p=216781&hilit=jon+boat#p216781

Zion,

I sure as heck don't know the answer to your question.

But I'd guess that the "ribs" ARE the runners on the bottom of a Jon boat.

Maybe you should ask Cntry on the SA forum. He's a nice guy, and would help you out.

Duane

The "ribs" on a jon boat are not really ribs. A jon boat hull is corrugated, it has channels in the aluminum. What this method is about is filling in the low points in the corrugation with foam for support then covering it with the poly. When doing this you only fasten the poly at the low point where the aluminum meets the poly. If you fasten between the low points it could make a cup at each fastener.

Doing this would just make an airboat that don't perform. Useing jon boats to build an airboat May be cheaper but it don't work good either. Airboats need a flat bottom and you must keep the weight down for a small low HP motor to push it. If you just want to ease out on the pond to catch fish then the jon boat will work. Try to get one 54 inches or wider.
Thanks, Chuck