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Thread: Awesome site !!!!

  1. #1
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    Awesome site !!!!

    Hey everyone,
    I am new to the site and to airboating. I have owned many motorboats through the years. Everything from a small Jon boat to offshore but, have never owned an airboat. I got the bug real bad last fall and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. I have lurked on this site for several months and have read most every thread. I just finished Corky's build. What a great job!! I am thinking of starting a build myself. Once I have decided what I want, I will build or have built. I am on the fence between a larger mini like Corky's and Papee's or a step up to about 17'x7'x24". This site has been a great learning experience. I am in North Texas and the boat would be used mainly for fishing the Red River. I would like something economical to operate yet, would like the extra room of the larger boat. I'd really like to see a build similar to Papee's in person. Is there anyone in North Texas or Southern Oklahoma who has such a build and would like to show it off?

    I don't want to be long winded on my first post. But, I want to ask, has anyone every tried pods on an airboat?

    By the way. Corky, if you see this thread. What has happened with your build since December of 2017?

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Corky's Avatar
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    Jul 2014
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    Susquehanna river, Dauphin, Pa
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Hello and welcome to the site......I've got too many toys......I've been upgrading a classic car I own the past few months...And the speed boat is going out next week on our vacation...After that it's the mini's turn for the summer...So the build thread will get finalized in two stages first will be some time with the stock carb and the second phase will be with a carb upgrade...
    Hopefully a member close to you can show you their rig...If you go bigger make sure you have a good engine to move that size hull...There's so many choices it would be tough to pick....

    Aluminum .120 14' X 76" hull
    Teledyne 4a084-4 engine
    Circle S 1.69:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind "Razor X" prop



  3. #3
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Corky, thanks for the reply. As to the engine for the larger boat, I fully understand what you are saying. If I decide to go that route I, my hope is that someone can make suggestions as to the correct engine. On a boat that size I would like 3/8"polly and the ability to load and run dry for short distances. If the build cost becomes too expensive, I will build the 14'x5' with probably the 4A084 using a bottom coating. I'm not sure yet of the advantage of a reduction drive. My load with 2 people would average about 600 lbs. The one thing I know for sure....I want this well thought out. If I need to spend a little more on the front end to have the performance I need.....so be it. I am confident, with guidance from the fine knowledgeable people on this site I will have a great build.

  4. #4

    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Poppy View Post

    I don't want to be long winded on my first post. But, I want to ask, has anyone every tried pods on an airboat?

    ?
    Like in catamaran ?
    Attached Images Attached Images   
    Last edited by Coyotes-R-Us; 07-19-2018 at 09:24 AM.

  5. #5
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Hello Coyote. I was just reading about your interesting build. Great ingenuity by the way, you are very creative. That is not the idea I had. Along the Gulf coast, many outboard bay boats have pods on the back of the boat. The pods serve as steps when entering the boat after wading. Most importantly, they keep the stern of the boat from dipping when getting on plane in shallow water. As I see it, one of the critical times for an air boat is the dipping of the stern while slowing in turns. I wondered if that could be addressed with the pods. I will post a photo the pods later. Catch you later.

  6. #6
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Coyote, look at the stern of this boat. This is the pod I was wondering about adding.
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  7. #7
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    OK, let me try again.
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  8. #8
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Welcome to the site!

    The pods in that instance is for extra flotation due to the heavy motor hanging off the back. Yes,it does help with planning because of the extra flotation and planing area. With our boats the weight is not set back on the boat as far. On our custom hulls we build them to suit the weight of our power plants making them wider. Pods really wouldnt be good on an airboat, the back of the hull really needs to be straight and the full width. If you're going to add a full width pod you may as well just make the boat longer it would be less weight.

    There really aren't many boats, mini airboat like Corkys and mine. Most everyone builds a shorter boat. I had many nay sayers when I built mine saying it wouldnt work on that size boat with a small powerplant. That's all the motivation I needed to get my build going.
    Last edited by Papee; 07-19-2018 at 01:28 PM.
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  9. #9
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    Re: Awesome site !!!!

    Papee, great site! I hope you are feeling better. I understand your point about the pods, just curious.

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