Anyone ever seen one of these?

John Beardslee said:

My dad built mine in the early 1950’s (home built, not Dumas) and the engine was an OK Cub .049 that came in kit form that he helped me assemble. It would do a big circle with the air rudder slightly angled and engine screaming. Oh, I can still close my eyes and feel that nylon prop kick and hit my fingers!

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Hydro Junkie said:

I figured you were joshing, Tom. I'm good with that since it was meant in fun. Bad part is my reply was actually legit. The Dumas Pak I had bought was heavier than most sport 40s, the hardware was garbage and that little HB 20 couldn't even get the boat up on plane. I later learned the engine was nothing more than an airplane motor with a cooling jacket added. Worse yet, the engine was only capable of 17,000 RPM!!!!. Still have that motor and the Futaba twin stick I bought for $60 to control it, both being good reminders of what NOT TO DO

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Gary Girvin said:

Hi guys, If you go to RC Groups, you can see my threads on building 2 White Heat Vs and a White Heat 60 from scratch. One has the original new 50 year old O&R engine with a steerable strut and the other has a modern engine and strut. The White Heat 60 has an electric motor with a steerable strut. Unfortunately they have not hit the water yet. Thank you, Gary

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LARRY LAHUE said:

I was lucky enough to have Ed and Dee Hughey(both were THE innovators and started both nitro and electric boat racing),Marty Davis,Fred McBroom,Phil Ackerman,and many others in the INDY MODEL BOAT CLUB as mentors in the 80's and 90's. Those guys were all from the begings of RC boat as we know it today.I got to see a lot of the original boats they built on shelves,most were US 1's.

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LARRY LAHUE said:

I was lucky enough to have Ed and Dee Hughey(both were THE innovators and started both nitro and electric boat racing),Marty Davis,Fred McBroom,Phil Ackerman,and many others in the INDY MODEL BOAT CLUB as mentors in the 80's and 90's. Those guys were all from the begings of RC boat as we know it today.I got to see a lot of the original boats they built on shelves,most were US 1's.

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harvknox said:

I have not been on this site for some years now, been busy racing bicycles in various senior games. Could not resist adding a little more history to the White Heat/O&R thread. I have a White Heat X. This was a slightly later version of the White Heat V. It differed by the cowl. The X had a cowl similar to real early round nose hydroplanes, driver behind the engine. I used a GI Joe as the driver. This was in the early to mid 60's. No fiberglass cowls. I built the cowl entirely of wood. In those days, no clearcoat. Boat was finished with auto enamel, which to this day still looks decent. The O&R engine was interesting. Tom P. of Octura fame, gave me some history on it years ago. Octura made a cast aluminum engine mount for the O&R with an 8" width It's also shown in the above photos. Tom said the single step design was mainly designed to allow the large flywheel and fan housing to fit in front of the step and keep the overall height down. As mentioned there was first a 3/4 HP version then a .85 HP version and last a 1 HP version. They were originally produced for industrial use. Mini generators, chain saws, pumps, hedge clippers, etc. Engine could be equipped with a gear reduction for additional applications. You old model airplane fans will remember the O&R 60, ,23, and19, all ignition engines. To enlarge their sales O&R, since they were a California Co, came up with the idea to put the engine inside a surfboard to allow the surfer to go out faster and further, then shut the engine down and surf in. Needless to say this did not sell. However, O&R produced a water jacket version of the 1 HP model for this application. Octura bought the entire or part inventory of the water cooled versions. This eliminated the need to use Octura Kool Clamps if installing engine in a boat. I have a 1HP water cooled version in my White Heat. In addition Octura made accessories for this engine. Original engine came with a diaphragm ,butterfly throttle carb, connected to an air vane governor. Octura produced a ball throttle venturi carb substitute which is on my engine. Octura also produced a V-8 exhaust manifold similar to that shown above, and a megaphone exhaust which would blow the needle off a sound meter. I have one on this boat. The noise is something else. It wont quite reach todays noise standards. LOL. I first used an Orbit 10 channel vacuum tube transmitter with a reed receiver and 2 Bonner Transmite servos. I later used an F&M solid state 10 channel transmitter. I changed the radio to a JR R-1 about 15 years ago, which still operates. I use to bring the White Heat out once a year to wake up the "Knoxville Gang" I also have a 48" cabin cruiser with a 3/4 HP O&R engine with 2 Kool Clamps and a custom water cooled muffler exiting thru the transom which sounds and looks like the real deal when siting in the water idling and water bubbling out of the exhaust. This boat also has 2 Pittman electric motors I could operate by radio to bring the boat back if the O&R engine stopped. I didn't know about retrieve boats in 62. I don't know how to post photos or I would post some of these antiques.

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