Convert Jon Boat to Air Boat

I have an 18X60 Duracraft with outboard power, remote steer.
Lots of shallow rivers nearby. What would be involved in converting to an air boat type motor?
Good idea, or not?
Obviously would need a good protective cage and steering rudders(?).
Would a flat Corvair or Subaru engine work? Or maybe aircooled Volkswagon engine?
Do air boats use some kind of gearing to make the prop go faster?
Anyone have any experience or ideas in this area?

You would be better off just adding a fan to the boat for the times that you wanna get really shallow. Check out some bowfishing rigs. They use gas powered fans with a reduction gear and different props to get the desired tourque. You still get to keep your outboard, and you get the benefit of the fan all in one package. There is a website forum similar to this called bowfishingcountry that is dedicated to what you are asking about.

Those airboats are pretty sweet. I wonder if here in MN you could use on on the snow in the winter?

Floundering Boats also use an auxiliary air motor. Might search that for ideas as well. I guess it really depends on how shallow you want to go.

You don't gear a prop to go faster, you gear it to not come apart. The tips cannot break the speed of sound. The resonance can cause them to shatter.

I also have an 18X60 Duracraft that I essentially gutted and rebuilt last winter. I have been using it for fishing this year and now have a blind on it for duck and goose season. Mine is also outboard (48 HP Johnson) with a 4 HP kicker and trolling motor. I have thought several times about an airboat conversion as my lakes and rivers are frequently very shallow. I saw one the other day that was essentially a bolt on kit that the owner said came from somewhere on Oklahoma but he had no history. It was a V8 but no manufacturers markings anywhere. I am curious if you ever found a conversion kit? I would think a VW engine would be good, lots of those around and they are air-cooled.

I had a plan at one time to convert one using a liquid-cooled snowmobile engine as the powerplant. Mount a small four cylinder car radiator in the incoming airstream to the prop and it should keep things cool nicely. A lot of modern snowmobile engines are rated at 60-80 horse now, so should have plenty of power to swing a 4-5 foot prop.
It might be a little tough for you guys down south to find a snowmobile engine though, sorry.
The biggest problem with an airboat though, is the prop noise.

Roger

GTS225 said:

I had a plan at one time to convert one using a liquid-cooled snowmobile engine as the powerplant. Mount a small four cylinder car radiator in the incoming airstream to the prop and it should keep things cool nicely. A lot of modern snowmobile engines are rated at 60-80 horse now, so should have plenty of power to swing a 4-5 foot prop.
It might be a little tough for you guys down south to find a snowmobile engine though, sorry.
The biggest problem with an airboat though, is the prop noise.
Roger

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Air cooled VW engines are very good and have been used for years in experimental aircraft.
The noise as mentioned comes from the prop and also the exhaust. Propeller noise can be over com by using a fan shaped blade. Exhaust noise gets a muffler and operation is very quiet.
A very good site for ideas is SouthernAirboat.com

bobberboy said:

Those airboats are pretty sweet. I wonder if here in MN you could use on on the snow in the winter?

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No problem, these puppies can go anywhere in comfort......Jerry
https://www.southernairboat.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/62806/title/fueling-up/cat/508

Jonboat Jerry said:

Air cooled VW engines are very good and have been used for years in experimental aircraft.
The noise as mentioned comes from the prop and also the exhaust. Propeller noise can be over com by using a fan shaped blade. Exhaust noise gets a muffler and operation is very quiet.
A very good site for ideas is SouthernAirboat.com
https://www.southernairboat.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/62806/title/fueling-up/cat/508

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Being as your in Florida, Jerry, I'l bow to your probable experience with them. I am aware of the VW engines being used in aircraft, and most of them direct drive to the prop.
About that "fan shaped blade"......might you have a pic available? (Never mind; saw some on that link you provided) Those things have a huge cross section! I can see how they might quiet things down.

Roger

GTS225 Being as your in Florida, Jerry, I'l bow to your probable experience with them. I am aware of the VW engines being used in aircraft, and most of them direct drive to the prop.
About that "fan shaped blade"......might you have a pic available? (Never mind; saw some on that link you provided) Those things have a huge cross section! I can see how they might quiet things down.
Roger

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Thanks Roger, but you give me far to much credit. I have a son who has two of them, and he does his best to keep "Dad" up to date on the latest. Some of it I understand, quite frequently he thinks I live in a vacume.....it's mutual.