Strange request

[Edward Matthews]

Hi Guys,

As some of you will know, my passion is for scale models of world
water speed record boats or famous raceboats, as well as paddlers of
course!

So I was wondering, has there ever been a paddle driven raceboat?
Surely it must have been tried at sometime? A small high speed
paddlewheel should (in theory) be better than a prop for acceleration
etc, so has it been done before - Anyone got any photos of such a
boat, or preferably drawings of one?

Regards
Eddy

[GJ. Nelson]

Hi Eddy,
I remember seeing a documentary some time ago
showing different hobbies as practiced here during
WW2 and while the film was old and not good, it was
interesting. Model race boats running on a tether running
against a clock. These boats were steam powered
and appeared to be paddlers and really looked strange.
The boats appeared to be single step hydros. Not all
that fast but water flew all over.

Regards,
Gary

[Edward Matthews]

Thanks for that Gary, I thought it must have been tried somewhere....
I'd still like to find if there were any fullsize raceboats that
tried a paddlewheel for propulsion though, it would certainly make
for an interesting model! Does anyone know of any fullsized boats,
even if they were tried and found to be unsuccesful? PJ, do you have
any info?

According to Walter Snowdon, he remembers a set of plans for a paddle
powered model raceboat called "Sonic Sippy", possibly done by MAP.
Does anyone know any more about this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Regards
Eddy

[Edward Matthews]

Hi Guys,

Following on from my previous post, I have found details of one
paddlewheel driven hydroplane patented by William Henry Fauber in
1910.

You can find the full US patent in the files area....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paddleducks/files/STRANGE%20PADDLERS/Fauber%20paddlewheel%20hydroplane/

I don't think this boat was ever built, but it does at least show
that some designers were thinking of using a paddlewheel for a
raceboat....

Anyone know of any more?

Regards
Eddy

[wsnowdon]

Hi Eddy and all. My brother and I built a free running paddle single
step hydro back in the early sixties. It was powered by a .8cc diesel
mounted across the hull in a recess at the stern and it was
terrifyingly fast (and also VERY wet as it threw up a 3 foot wall of
water behind it) The plan was published in a late fities- early
sixties book by MAP publishers who about that time published two
books with similiar titles - MODEL MAKER ANNUAL and MODEL MAKER
MANUAL. Both contained loads of plans and articles. I am not sure
which book the plan came from. It was never issued as a separate plan
by MAP (now NEXUS). The driving force was a hardwood flywheel with
only 2 very small paddle blades glued and pinned into the rim. As the
diesel would be revving at about 7000 rpm, any more would have just
cavitated a big hole in the water! The name of the design was SONIC
SIPI (not as Eddy spelled it). A play on MISSISSIPI. I would love to
find copies of both the above books as mine are long gone. May your
wakes always be twin and straight. Walter.

[Edward Matthews]

Hi Walter,

Thanks for correcting the bits I got wrong.... Hopefully it might
help to jog someones memory, maybe someone out there has a copy of
this plan?

Regards
Eddy

[Paulrjordan]

Hi Walter and Eddy:
The plan you want for "Sonic Sipi" begins on Page 46 of Vic Smeed's
book "Model Maker Manual" published by Model Aeronautical Press,
England in 1957. This book is nearly 50 years old and is quite rare
and goes from $30 -$40 US. Elizabeth Campbell in Kenora, Ontario,
Canada has a copy at around $29.00 and her email is
ecbooks@netv.ca

Good luck, keep us posted and let us know how you get on!

Best regards

PJ
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

[Edward Matthews]

Thanks Paul - I've just ordered the book from her website. As usual
with things like this, the airmail charges are more than the cost of
the book!

Regards
Eddy