Hydroplane Museum Rough Footage #2 1981-1986

[@PAKiller1]

Thank you Hydroplane Museum for all you do.. I am in Detroit but have been to the Museum twice.. I love the footage of the old boats, Pistons and Turbans both

[@seandawkins8361]

Wow, I've never seen that view of the Pay-N-Pak crash in Seattle before.

[@timford3599]

I fell in love with the sport of Unlimited Hydroplane racing during the era of the late 1970's thru the mid 1980's, mainly because of the Allison and Rolls Royce "Warbird" V-12 piston engine powered boats. But when Jim Lucero built the first (to my recollection) Lycoming Turbine powered boat, The "Miss Atlas Van Lines" with the Great Chip Hanauer aboard as the driver, the entire sport was evolving in a direction which could not, would not be stopped. For a couple seasons the field was a mixed bag of traditional piston powered "Thunder Boats" vs the "Cabover" helicopter engine driven "New Age Boats." The die had been cast and when the Legendary Bernie Little converted the mighty "Miss Budweiser" into a "Whoosh Boat" that well and truly sealed the fate of piston engine powered Unlimited Hydroplane Boats. I feel that was when the "Have vs the "Have Not" teams created a huge chasm in performance and therefore competition differential. I certainly know that time and technology marches on BUT...IMO the sport, over the long run, suffered greatly in the ensuing years to come. Today the racing has become so expensive and competition so lopsided that field numbers (entries) and locations have dwindled as have event sponsors. I still like to watch the racing when it's available but, unfortunately, it's just NOT the same! I welcome any other comments on the topic. Do you agree or am I (pardon the pun) "all wet."

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Timford It is ironic that the people running the Merlin splash ROLLS ROYCE all over the valve covers but ib reality Most all the merlins in this country were Made and modified by PACKARD, 55,525 of them with the Brits getting 37,137 and the USAAF got 18,000+ and all those Packard Merlins had PLAIN, no name valve covers !!!! ! Facts of history !!!

[@stevenhill4122]

I quit going when I could hear the water smack the hull over the engine sound.