400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!

[Fr. Frank]

Well, they've done it. Mercury has partnered with MTT to produce a 400 hp diesel/JP4 fueled outboard motor. It only weighs 380 lbs. It uses a Rolls Royce Allison 250 series gas turbine as the base powerplant.

It's still in design testing phase, and Mercury has no published plans to go into production. Here are some photos:

[ocuyler]

My 23 wants one...

[Fr. Frank]

At 380 lbs each, don't you really want two of them on your 23'? My 20' Seafari would love to have one. Have to get used to the whining, though. Kind of like the noise we make when we buy fuel for our boats now

[Capt Chuck]

My 23 wants one...

Otto

Who you bullshi tting ?. Your '23 just wants to feel water

[1bayouboy]

Unfortunately I resemble that remark..... [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I bet that baby crosses the $50k line.....I bet it can suck some fuel too......but what a sleeper if you mounted two of them low in the hull on a bayliner I/O.....

When that big loud Fountain or Donzi drives by you could go drive circles around it.

[Fr. Frank]

I bet that baby crosses the $50k line...

I doubt it. You can pick up a used low hour series 250 Rolls Royce/Allison turbine for under $6K. New ones are in the $17K-20K range. I think it should come in below $30K total.

...I bet it can suck some fuel too.

Yeah. It'll do that. This turbine in aircraft has been set up to produce as much as 560 hp. Can you imagine a pair of 560 hp outboards, each weighing under 400 lbs, mounted on the back of a Seavette?

[Bushwacker]

I bet it can suck some fuel too..

That Allison gas turbine was originally used on the Army's Kiowa helicopter; it's a low compression 1960's vintage design. Merc version doesn't look like it has any heat recovery devices on exhaust, so BSFC is probably 0.7 or higher (a good diesel is about .35). That would translate to a fuel flow, at the 400 hp rating, of over 40 gph! At part power it will be even less efficient!

In the mid 60's, Pratt & Whitney developed a waterjet for use with the 650 hp PT6 gas turbine for use in river patrol boats in Vietnam. They put one in a 32' Formula! My neighbor ran the camera boat they used to get some PR shots of it, a 32' Rybovitch w/twin 500 hp Holman-Moody engines. Said he could just barely stay with it with the throttles firewalled. What impressed him most was that it was almost silent - all he could hear was a slight whistle. He said it did run out of gas pretty quick!

Latest PT6 is rated up to 1200 hp, so you could have some fun with that rig if you could find a water jet that could handle it!

[bigeasy1]

I'm getting me one of these.You salt water guys can be out to the canyons in a few minutes.





Jet Boat: F-4 Phantom II 25,000 HP

The Phantom II is being built for USMSG as a promotional tool by Thriller Powerboats of Florida. Thriller Powerboats manufacturers U.S.C.G. certified 43 passenger high-speed catamarans for the tour industry in addition to a Fishing, Poker Run and Sport Commuter model.

The Thriller Phantom II is a modified version of the Thriller "FastMover" poker run boat. This 55 foot catamaran is powered by twin General Electric J-85 fighter-jet engines with full military afterburners. These engines deliver over 12,000 pounds of thrust, equating to more than 25,000 horsepower. The vessel has all state-of-the-art electronic equipment and it sports a military paint scheme incorporating the insignias of all U.S. Military Services and the logos of our Sponsors whose help and support makes this vessel's construction and promotional campaign possible.

The Phantom II will be displayed at air shows, car shows, major sporting events, and other large public gatherings. It will also make demo speed runs and be on display at boat shows, powerboat races, and other major in-water events. NVF and USMSG merchandise such as T-shirts, hats, posters, calendars, coffee cups, DVD's, etc. will be sold at all events attended by the Phantom II.

As part of our upcoming television show we've installed two high definition time-lapse cameras to capture all the day-to-day activity surrounding the construction of this unique and amazing vessel. Between the hours of 8:00am and 4:30pm (ET) each camera continuously uploads a high-def frame to our servers every five seconds. To view this stream of live images, yourself, please click on one of the following links:

Please view this content on the USMSG Member's Website


We've also installed two state-of-the-art high definition webcams to provide our member supporters with live video (and audio) of not-only the daily activities here at Port Fierce but also live engine/systems testing, in-water sea trials, and public demonstrations once the boat is formally out on tour. Please check our "Events Schedule" page to see what's on the agenda.

Please view this content on the USMSG Member's Website


We're currently in-production, shooting high definition video footage of all milestones and events surrounding this amazing, one-of-a-kind project; including the ongoing technical/engineering problems (and solutions). "How do
we prevent a 1500 degree turbojet afterburner from burning through the fibreglass hull only two inches away?"
It took our friends at NASA to come up with a solution to that one. Numerous clips and articles documenting this "amazing journey" and more will be available soon on the usmsg.org website. Please stay tuned !!



Jet Dragster: F-16 Viper 12,000 HP

The F-16 Thriller Viper is one of the world's fastest jet dragsters. It is a state-of-the-art drag car powered by a General Electric J-85 fighter jet engine with full military afterburner. The engine develops over 6000 pounds of thrust equating to more than 12,000 horsepower. The Viper is capable of speeds exceeding 350 miles per hour.

With a thunderous roar and 30 feet of flame and smoke from it's afterburner The Viper is a definite thriller for patrons of all ages. It's painted identical to the Thriller Phantom II and both can be displayed or demonstrated together when not racing or otherwise participating at another event.

We'll also be shooting exciting high definition footage of drag racing events and shows attended by the F-16 Viper throughout the summer and into the fall. These ongoing "location videos" will be continuously available to our loyal member supporters via the USMSG Member's Website. Here's a sample, shot recently at the Moroso Motorsports Park in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Please view this content on the USMSG Member's Website

[PipeDreamsMarine]

Who you bullshi tting ?. Your '23 just wants to feel water

Did I hear someone say "beyatch slap"...

[Snookerd]

I

Did I hear someone say "beyatch slap"...

Isn't it ice skating time up there by his river estate?