All About The Air Boat - A Highly Specialized Boat

The air boat is designed for very specific applications, it is not a general type of boat. The air boat solved a problem by allowing travel into places where other boats cannot go. The air boat is known by that name because of the way it is propelled, but it is also know as a Jon boat and a bottomed vessel. The air boat is propelled by an aircraft propeller and the propeller is powered by an aircraft engine and can also be propelled by a car engine. The boat's engine is air cooled. Choosing between an aircraft

engine and car engine depends on the advantages offered by each type of engine. Even though parts for a car engine are very easy to obtain, the aircraft engine is much more accessible and much lighter. A big advantage of the car engine is that the fuel is cheaper and much easier to obtain. Most hulls are now made from aluminum or fiberglass. Small family owned businesses manufacturer the air boat on a made to order basis.

This excellent boat is used primarily in the everglades in Florida or Louisiana. Only the this type of boat will work in shallow marshy water conditions. Unlike other boats the depth of water is not a major factor for air boats, it does not depend on the water to travel.

The propeller is protected by a metal cage. A collision with the propeller is a serious concern and the cage keeps objects from contacting it. There is a very real danger of something making contact with the propeller, including the passengers, wildlife, the passenger belongings, and tree branches. There is no reverse on the air boat propeller, it only moves forward. Less surprisingly of the air boat, there are no brakes. The skill of the operator will determine where you will stop and how you will change the course of travel. Air boats have elevated seats which allow the operator of the boat to see better.

Despite its popularity in the everglades and bayous, the boat is also commonly used for flood and ice rescues. Because the engine is above the water the hull can be flat. Steering and control depends on wind, currents, the depth of the water and the power of the engine itself.

The propeller makes these boats very noisy. Among the improvements to quiet these boats down is the use of carbon fiber propellers and mufflers. 

These boats range in size and can carry from 2 passengers to 18 or more passengers.

The boat started to appear in large numbers in the 1930s, where it was common to see homemade boats in Louisiana and Florida. This boat became popular among biologists, because it allowed travel in areas that could not be traveled by other boats.