# Smallish air boat? Ever seen one with a prop 30-36" diameter



## Crazyboat (Jun 16, 2017)

Was diving on the highway today when in the oncoming direction I spot a small tinner being tow my way. As it passes me I look in my side view to glimpse the power on back. To my surprise there is a round cage about 30"-3" in diameter sitting there on what looks like a mud motor mount.

I've never seen an airboat with a set of blades that small but can't figure out what other form of propulsion it could have been.

Anyone have a guess or answer for me? I only saw it for a second, the boat itself looked most like a 12' narrow beam jon boat.


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## Stumpalump (Jun 16, 2017)

Paraglider


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## Crazyboat (Jun 16, 2017)

Stumpalump said:


> Paraglider


Smaller then any paraglider I ever saw.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jun 16, 2017)

Yes there are small air boat set ups.


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## stinkfoot (Jun 16, 2017)

There was a 10 footer with a 13hp motor on my local Craigslist yesterday. Not there now so somebody bought it!


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## Crazyboat (Jun 16, 2017)

OK thanks guys, thought I was seeing things. My area isn't exactly airboat city so it really took me off guard.


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## stinkfoot (Jun 17, 2017)

https://www.airboatfun.com/


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## BillPlayfoot (Jun 17, 2017)

Did it look like this?


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## LDUBS (Jun 17, 2017)

BillPlayfoot said:


> Did it look like this?



Wow. Looks like an old wing tank. Assume this is for snow?


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## stinkfoot (Jun 17, 2017)

Didn't Joe McBryan of Buffalo Airways have one of those with an enclosed cabin?


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## Crazyboat (Jun 17, 2017)

BillPlayfoot said:


> Did it look like this?


No was a regular jon boat with what looked like a fan mounted the way a mud motor would be mounted. Fan did have a small cage around it.

Thanks for the link Stinkfoot, will check it out.


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## BillPlayfoot (Jun 18, 2017)

LDUBS said:


> BillPlayfoot said:
> 
> 
> > Did it look like this?
> ...



Yes this is for snow. There were only six of these made and this is the last surviving one.
I thought maybe the engine and prop were the same as what Crazyboat had seen


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## Kismet (Jun 18, 2017)

You might do a search for Bow fishing for carp and buffalo fish. Just watched a sports fishing program, featuring 16-18 ft jon-boats with outboard, a trolling, and a small air-boat engines on them. Some just had the air-boat rigs. No high seating like Everglades motors.

Makes sense, they go in really shallow weedy water for the spawn to shoot their fish, and a smaller, properly regulated air boat motor lets them get in low-water spawning water.

They looked like it was nothing special to them, so they may be commercially available.

Best of luck.


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