What is the average cost of an airboat?
Typically a new commercial airboat will cost from $32,000 for a standard entry-level airboat right up to $420,000. Smaller airboats for private use are sold for as low as $16,000. A used airboat can usually be purchased for a price between $5,000 and $40,000.
How much HP does an airboat need?
An air propeller of small diameter will be great IF it produces 5 lbs of thrust per hp. 5 into 400 is 80 , so you would burn 8GPH with the air prop and need an engine with 80 Continuous HP.
How fast does an airboat go?
How fast do airboats go? Airboats can be very fast, with some modified boats reaching speeds in excess of 130 mph (117 kn)! But, our airboats will not exceed speeds of 35 to 40 mph (30 kn) as we explore the Florida Everglades. Are airboats loud?
How reliable are airboats?
How reliable is an Airboat? Airboats (using Chevy V-8 engines) are about as reliable as a Chevy truck. Eventually something breaks down but it is not that much of a hassle to repair.
How do airboats stop?
Airboats do not have brakes and are incapable of traveling in reverse. Stopping and reversing direction are dependent upon good operator/pilot/driver skills.
What is a boat with a fan on the back called?
On an airboat! Airboats, also called fan-boats, are flat-bottomed vessels propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. They are primarily used for fishing, bowfishing, hunting and eco-tourism, and are most popular in swampy areas such as the Florida Everglades.
What motors are used in airboats?
Airboats can use aircraft engines or car motors. “Parts are cheaper for car motors,” Herbert said, “but the weight-to-horsepower ratio is not efficient.” Aircraft engines are light in weight and high in horsepower. A 245-pound, four-cylinder Lycoming motor produces 180 horsepower.
Can airboats flip?
One witness told WTSP that the airboat was traveling at a high speed when it hit a turn and flipped over. “I knew from the get-go that something was wrong,” Donna Young said. “I’m an experienced airboater. The back half of the boat was sitting kind of low before everything happened.”
Why are airboat seats so high?
Airboats are flat-bottomed boats that are powered by an aircraft engine and propeller. The engine, propeller, and seats are mounted high on the boat to raise the center of gravity and ensure that the boat skims over the surface of the water, rather than using a propeller underneath the water to push its way through.