What Is An Airboat?

An airboat is a kind of boat with a flat aluminum hull similar to some types of boats. Instead of powered by a propeller or jet engine in the water, an airboat is moved by a large propeller on the aft of the hull that looks like an over-sized fan powered by either an aircraft engine or an automotive engine.

This propeller is about as large as a propeller on a small propeller-powered airplane. It is caged in order to protect the driver and passengers along for the ride.

Airboats have a variety of uses but the functionality of their flat bottom design resembling a punt separates them from traditional boats because they can navigate through swamps and marshes without overly damaging plant and animal life or the engine. They can be used with equal success in shallow water where other boats would have problems.

The elevated seating position of the driver in an airboat makes it especially good for rescue missions and for fishing as the height allows the driver to more easily see obstacles and objects in the boat's path along with added visibility for seeing distant objects. An airboat is steered by two large fins that to boaters would resemble rudders in the air. The ride is affected by wind speed and direction.  In strong cross winds drivers will have to turn into the wind when driving to go in the proper direction.

The propeller wash can emit a wind above 150 miles per hour when the throttle is fully engaged.  The two to three propeller blades spin at tremendous speeds so safety must be a priority of anyone using an airboat for any of its various uses. Getting anything into the blade can result in shards spraying everywhere.  Keep the rear fan clear of tree branches and anything else that could accidentally get directly to the propellers inside the cage.

Airboats are popularly used in tours and for hunting in the Everglades and other places with similar marshy areas. One drawback is these boats are incredibly noisy, not only the engine, but from the high RPMs of the large propeller blades. Certain areas with a lot of airboat use are implementing codes of ethics in an attempt to appease house owners who complain of airboat noise in busy areas. Mufflers must be used on engines, but there is no way as of yet to muffle the noise of a spinning propeller so it seems airboating will be an environment-friendly, yet noisy activity for some years to come.

 

Sound Research. 2006. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2 Oct. 2006 http://myfwc.com/Boating/AirboatMufflingRequiremen ts.htm.

Trader. 2006. Water Walker, LLC. 2 Oct. 2006 www.airboattrader.com/.