U3 Cooper Racing Piston Powered Unlimited Hydroplane 2009

The U3 crushes the turbine powered boats at 2009 Seafair - this is the Worlds fastest Piston powered Unlimited Hydroplane of all-time

[@dumbcat]

The sound of turbine boats is sweet but the brutal sound of piston motors is so intense and visceral you can literally feel it in your bones when the boat blasts by you. Nothing like it.

[@stephenlally6009]

Miss the old THUNDERBOATS

[@manzchello4752]

Get this sport popular enough again to support piston divisions.

[@MrBer43]

I’ll take the piston engine any day, im77Yrs old so I’ve heard a few😊😎🇺🇸

[@Rotor108]

Sweet! Nice to see a piston boat walk away from the Turbines

[@billiebones62]

That is awesome! Long live the 'Thunderboats'!

[@josklaa7160]

Correction announcers, the engine that won the battle of Britain was the R.R. Merlin NOT the 1710 -Allison

[@Madturtle55]

After you can thank Packard for the success

[@Grizzman99]

U-3 is what the sport should be. Bring the noise back. Awesome

[@steventate9132]

I remember watching this growing up my favorite hydro boat was the miss Budweiser

[@bobbysanders7725]

147 mph average with Allison power is nothing short of incredible. I can`t help but wonder how fast the U3 Cooper boat could have been with Merlin or better yet Griffon power.

[@billville111]

When I am Emperor, the first thing I will do is outlaw announcers at boat races and vintage air shows, and piston unlimited's will be mandatory. History will call me William the Magnificent.

[@stratslngr]

Ha! Already do! Great idea!

[@PAKiller1]

I miss the sound of the piston engines in hydroplane racing..the ground shaking of 5 piston boats coming accross the starting line at the same time used to cause an erection...lol

[@musicsponge7420]

Glad i wasn't sitting next to you at one of those events . . .

[@terryburgettburgett965]

Just saw jimmy King in guntersville Alabama and that Allison is still fast

[@SuprSi]

I'd love to know more about that engine, which particular engine, how much boost it was running, approx hp etc. Awesome to see a WW2 engine winning a race!

[@karenaudreytodd]

The Turbine powered boats don't spool up nearly as quickly coming out of the corner, turbines of this size have a second or more of throttle lag because they A) The expanding burning gases are not in a sealed environment, but one that is (theoretically) open to the atmosphere, IE: Positive displacement versus not) and B) Turbines spin 10+ times as fast as piston motors (in this case about 20 times faster) meaning the Ly coming turbine must increase 20 or more times as many RPMs for a given gain in propshaft RPM compared to the Piston motor, this makes a big difference on a tight course or when it get's rough where the turbine cannot use it's higher top speed to it's best advantage. The piston motor also makes for a more aerodynamic package because it doesn't need the huge ducting to move all that air. Additionally the exhaust gasses out of a turbine require a higher wing to get clean air and make for more drag at the back. All in all, a piston motor makes for a quicker handling boat that can run harder in rough water, which is every lap after the first. It's like the difference between a NA and a turbo motor in a car: The turbo may be a little more powerful and a bit lighter, but on a twisty track it's better responsiveness may produce quicker lap times and it will handle traffic much easier. The problem is making a piston motor than can run such high power for more than a few seconds that is anywhere near as small and light as a turbine which can put out 4000-5000+ HP all day, measures only about 2 feet in diameter and 4 feet long and weighs less than 900 lbs.

[@barrystein8834]

The Cooper was so effective, because there were/are Horsepower/weight restrictions on the turbine boats, but no one thought to apply those to "old" piston technology. Horsepower was significantly increased in the piston engines (see the Reno Racers), and some one realized that they could literally just outpower the turbines with high boost and the correct engine modifications (power levels that would cause a engine in the early 90's to disintegrate quickly). And that was that.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

That engine did not take part in the Battle of Britain, that was the Merlin.

[@stratslngr]

But was it an old WW2 era engine?

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

@@stratslngr Correct, but no Allison V12s were used during the battle of Britain. This engine is an Allison V-1710.

[@raymondgarlick4624]

I miss PICO s American Dream....

[@gorbaggoescamping1329]

Back before the turbines finally ruined it!

[@flaplaya]

Tommy D'eath was/is one of the most fearless drivers ever put on water. This twin turbo Alison would be a walk in the park for him.. Should have had that legend riding that beast.. He'd show everyone how it would've been done.

[@nordicpride9708]

fla playa He was a great driver but I doubt he claims to be fearless. Everyone has a bit of fear driving one of these. It’s what keeps you alive. Any of the old time greats could have easily handled this boat so what’s your point? Have you ever driven one??!! Oh yeah you haven’t. You sound like a little kid describing your favorite baseball player....

[@kimisdaman]

Turbo Allisons were the also-rans of unlimited hydro racing in the '70s and '80s; why was the U3 so fast?

[@kimisdaman]

P-38s ran turbocharged Allisons, so it's not like the technology was unknown in the '60s-'70s when such engines were powering hydros.

[@nordicpride9708]

Powerfactorguy There were countless turbocharged Allison’s in the 80’s. The real issue was turbocharger technology. Also, there is a company making custom Allison’s and has been for over a decade or more. So don’t always assume the engines came from a warbird scrap yard. If they did you’d be paying upwards of $300,000 or so depending on the version. Once turbos matured, gear ratios tuned in, and hull designs optimized, the V-12 can really start to compete with this series of turbine engine....oh and chip wasn’t in this heat. If so we all know the outcome

[@dwlopez57]

Hull, propeller technology is much more advanced than it was back then

[@stratslngr]

Chip is part of the KIRO announce crew on this broadcast.

[@Paganiproductions84]

The u3 team schould get a good engine tuner/efi specialst

[@gene1351]

How fast was she...???

[@Cheops2112]

140 MPH

[@alexmatheson7226]

They are all prop boats buddy..... The turbines drive a gearbox and prop! Think about it before talking like you know something....

[@Paganiproductions84]

their are modern twin turbo v8 engines out there maby you could fit one on a hydroplane that be make a very easy 2000+ hp

[@505197]

The engine you speak of has too short of a fuse to run three laps flat out. My guess is that a turbine engine is cheap HP and pretty reliable and light compared to an Allison. I was at the Madison Regatta today, the first time I've ever been.

[@nowtinterested]

Paganiproductions Conventional wisdom says that 1710 ci V12 is pushing 4000 hp.

[@Paganiproductions84]

ok good

[@BlueSky-qv7cd]

Paganiproductions Their are V8 piston engines that will put out more than 2000 HP but not for an extended period of time. The Allison and Rolls Royce V12s in WW2 only put out between 1500 and 2000 continuous HP a good rule of thumb for reliable HP in a piston engine is 1 HP per cubic inch of displacement on a liquid cooled engine and .50 HP per cubic inch on an air cooled engine.

[@EnglertRacing96]

+Paganiproductions this is a dual overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder Allison aluminum block, aluminum heads stock output is 1700hp, its supercharged and designed to run at full power for hours on end at 400mph in an airplane this one does not use the stock supercharger but 2 turbochargers they can make 4000+hp i don't think you can find anything that will work better this was the LAST and most advanced piston engine used in a fighter plane before they went to jets.

[@explicitcontent7730]

Any day on the water is a fun day on the water. God's speed .

[@timvire5945]

Yea a mid west boat from Indiana that refuses to race in Indiana. Don't care if that boat ever wins again.

[@nordicpride9708]

tim vire why don’t you cry some more