Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
There is hope, however. Jimmy King has been driving the U-3 Ace Hardware for a number of years, a very competitive Allison V-12 turbo powered boat. This team has spent a good deal of time and money on developing the Allison, and have managed to solve a lot of the reliability issues that plagued them "back in the day".
The reciprocating engine boats are allowed a bit of a weight advantage over the turbines. The big V-12 seems to pull harder out of the corners than the turbines, while giving up nothing in top speed. If only their efforts would entice other teams to explore these now well-sorted V-12's again.
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And that's sort of what I was getting to in a rounda bout way:
You can hop up a ford model A all you want but it's still a model A.
the Allison V12 was first developed in the early 1930s.
If they had a modern high HP version of a huge engine, the coolness factor would be over the top.
They get about 3000 hp out of the lycoming turbines. That's about the same as they are getting out of the allisons now.
Imagine if they built an unlimited hydro with two gnarly twin-turbo V-12s putting out 2000 hp each, or maybe a lightweight V16 with 4000 hp. And then built a boat big enough to handle all that power in rough water!
They wouldn't be able to print the tickets or sign up the sponsors fast enough.
We've have entire threads dedicated to how cool those modern engines would be instead of a pre-WWII museum piece.
Lets just hope they don't get stoopid and try electric or hybrid nonsense, that would certainly mean the end.