Topic: Why my user name?

[Gasturbine]

Ive had a couple people ask, no Im not in the Navy, but it is boat related. We built this boat a numbr of years ago...

It's a Rogers 20’ Bonneville, powered by an Avco-Lycomming T-53 gas turbine jet engine.

It makes 1350 hp, and hurls the boat down the water at 145 mph, while going 0 to 100 in about 7 seconds.

We got the jet from a crashed Huey helicopter, and through the Cassell v-drive, it throws a 24”/29p screw via an Arneson surface drive.

The jet spins at about 28k rpm, and has a built in 3:1 reduction unit. That runs into the 1:.83 overdrive (v-drive) which ends up at about 6k screw rpm.

We also installed a disk brake on the output shaft. This not only allows the shifting of the v-drive, but also allows us to stop the output shaft, load the turbine, then release the brake, allowing great hole shots.

The boat is turn key ready, smooth, and built right. While we can build piston engines that make this power, the rebuild schedule would be high. The great thing about turbines is the little wear they produce, and that they are right at home running at 100%, even for long periods of time. Try that with a piston engine.

[Bob Wessner]

Can I have a ride? 

[flybox1]

wholly fcuk!   

[Duanob]

I thought drag boats these days had to have capsuls? Talk about getting wet, nothing like breaking a prop at 145MPH and coming to an abrupt stop in an open boat like that. The inertia will send you flying over the nose. Seen it lots of times.

[Xnavylfr]

With the engine nozzle up like that , Do you have to get it up on plane by putting the prop deeper in the water with the actuator strut mounted to the transom???


Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[MrGardman]

Damn, that's stunning.

[MoMo]

That is one awesome machine!   Can you imagine being out on the water and having that thing zoom by

[70CB750]

That is bloody beautiful!

[Bailgang]

I can only imagine the traffic that backs up on the road from people checking it out as you're towing it let alone the attention it probably draws at the marina.

[Stev-o]

Looks awesome!   Would like to see video....

[toytuff]

Where's the radio?

 

tt

[Stev-o]

Where's the radio?

 

Bet ya couldn't hear it if it had one.

[754]

 Cool boat.. We got a few big serious piston engine boats on our lake.  A lot of them dual engines  One of them did 125 with a single big block...there is faster ones with dual engines..
 Big money game..
 How much is the turbine to run vs blown gas?   A lot of the guys here use about 500-1000in fuel in an afternoon. There may be one turbine rig here, I think the guy from Campion boats runs one..

[MoMo]

Looks awesome!   Would like to see video....

and hear the engine ...Larry

[Bob Wessner]

Where's the radio?

 

tt

Hmm, Huey engine, wouldn't that make it an 8 track tape? 

[kghost]

I recall the Huey would be out of gas in 2 hrs.

So about 100 gallons an hr?

[333]

I'm with Bob.  I want a ride.

[dave500]

wow,i thought the user name was something about flatulence.

[Gasturbine]

Not really a "drag" boat, but there are two concepts in fast boating...stay in the boat (strapped in a capsule with oxygen), and open cockpit...boats sink, you dont want to be strapped in.

The gasturbine has little thrust out the pipe, so there is no real force coming out. Thats what a gasturbine does...its a jet engine that converts thrust into rotating torque.

Yes, its loud. The pilot/co pilot used helicopter noise cancelling communication gear...no radio. 

While the design of the T-53 hasnt changed in years, they are still in production today, so its certainly not a "vintage" engine.

A gasturbine is superior to a piston engine in the aspect that it can run at 100% all day long. You can not do that with a piston engine.

And you hit the nail on the head...it consumed 100 gph at speed. We had two 80 gallon tanks on each side, and another 50 in the bow. It was not uncommon to drop hundreds of dollars, just for few hours of fun.

This is the only video I can find...its crappy and old, but enjoy.

Jet Boat.avi

[Stev-o]

Very cool, thanks for posting. 

When was it last in the water?

[Bob Wessner]

GASTURBINE, I seem to recall on of the big reasons airlines switched to jets years ago was that jets, like turbines, had much lower maintenance costs vs piston engines.

[Don R]

Walt Arfons son has one in a front engine dragster. Looks like it might get warm in the drivers seat. I was thinking one in a rear engine dragster would be the nuts.

[MoMo]

Walt Arfons son has one in a front engine dragster. Looks like it might get warm in the drivers seat. I was thinking one in a rear engine dragster would be the nuts.

Don,  My somewhat foggy memory brings up a recollection of seeing Walt Arfons jet dragster at Atco Dragway in NJ possibly back in the late 60s or early 70s. It was quite the experience , from what I remember it was huge...Larry

[Gasturbine]

GASTURBINE, I seem to recall on of the big reasons airlines switched to jets years ago was that jets, like turbines, had much lower maintenance costs vs piston engines.

Correct. Basically, one moving part that is rotational mass...no reciprocating pistons and rod masses. Rebuild schedules are low as well. With no valves, rings, con-rods, cranks, etc, there is inherently less wear...especially at speed. If fact, up to 70% of the air taken in by a turbine, is used to cool it...EGTs are lowest at speed, and the engine seems happier there.

Downsides to the turbine are fuel efficiency, noise, and while the T-53 is considered to have on of the best, throttle response lag.