American Spirit

[SCOTT WITHERELL]

Will it be IMPBA legal to use the dumas "Circus Circus" boat kit, to do the "American Spirit"1/8th scale.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Will it be IMPBA legal to use the dumas "Circus Circus" boat kit, to do the "American Spirit"1/8th scale.

Scott you wouldn't be the first one-

8401-

84 U-1 ATLAS VAN LINES

85-87 U-00/1 MILLER AMERICAN

88 U-00 MILLER HIGH LIFE

88 U-00 MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS (BLUE SIDES)

89-90 U-31 MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS

91-92 U-50 AMERICAN SPIRIT

91 U-50 RACE ROCK MOTOR CITY DINER

B)

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Wasn't the Spirit refitted with Jones sponsons? If I remember right, the dumas Circus has flat bottoms on the sponsons

 

[Don Ferrette]

Wasn't the Spirit refitted with Jones sponsons? If I remember right, the dumas Circus has flat bottoms on the sponsons

Yes but wasn't that late '91?? For some reason I think it ran as the Spirit with both types. :unsure:

 

[Gale54]

No, the spirit ran Ron Jones sponson the first day it ran as the spirit. They only ran the circus cowling a couple of times.

 

[Don Ferrette]

No, the spirit ran Ron Jones sponson the first day it ran as the spirit. They only ran the circus cowling a couple of times.

Thanks, good to know. I've seen 2 Dumas hulls done as the Spirit in years gone by......

 

[Mike McKnight]

I'm not sure how the IMPBA Scale rules are cuz I haven't read through them yet. But yes it did have the radiused Jones sponsons from the get go and the other thing is that boat didn't have an inset transom like the Dumas Circus does. That hull maintained a flush transom as the backup Circus in '93 and all the way trough the Exide years. Occasionally it had some extended shoes but they were still inside the airtrap.

 

[moe1117]

Will it be IMPBA legal to use the dumas "Circus Circus" boat kit, to do the "American Spirit"1/8th scale.

The cc kit should not be legal would like some in-put from your district and national scale director, sponsons, cowl, winglet at rear are different. Have been building 93' Spirit for last few years lots of time and effort to get it right! What year were you thinking of.

moe1117

 

[Don Ferrette]

Will it be IMPBA legal to use the dumas "Circus Circus" boat kit, to do the "American Spirit"1/8th scale.

The cc kit should not be legal would like some in-put from your district and national scale director, sponsons, cowl, winglet at rear are different. Have been building 93' Spirit for last few years lots of time and effort to get it right! What year were you thinking of.

moe1117

Isn't the '93 Spirit is a different boat? Based on the master hull roster it's #9299 & was the U-100. The 91-92 Spirit was the #8401 hull and ran as the U-50. B)

#9299

92 U-99.9 MISS BRAKE SHOP

92 U-99.9 KISW/MISS ROCK

92 U-99.9 KRBT/MISS ROCK ('92 WHITE, RED & BLACK TRIM)

93 U-100 AMERICAN SPIRIT

93 U-100 ART VAN'S AMERICAN SPIRIT

93 U-100 ARC CONSTRUCTION

93 U-100 DALLAS MOTOR COACH

93 U-8 TIDE/AMERICAN SPIRIT

93 U-100 ALBERTSON'S AMERICAN SPIRIT

93 U-100 VON'S AMERICAN SPIRIT

93 U-100 PAYLESS/AMERICAN SPIRIT

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I think this one needs to be referred to the powers that be at both NAMBA and IMPBA as far as legal or not. There is enough here alone to make the different paint scheme questionable

 

[P THOMAS]

Will it be IMPBA legal to use the dumas "Circus Circus" boat kit, to do the "American Spirit"1/8th scale.

Good idea is start with a picture of the boat you want and then pick a kit or build from the proper plan to do the boat as scale as possible.

Many times someone will find the pictures last, then find out about all the things that dont fit the boat that is being modeled.

If you have real good pictures of the boat to be modeled, it should work if you build it to match the original boat and it fits the size limits.

The IMPBA rules say as scale as posible, not exact scale. We would not have many running if that were the case.

Of course the better job you do making it scale the better chance for a concours 1st place trophy.

People get all over someone if this or that is not perfect sometimes, and you wonder why more scale hydros are not racing?

FYI Here is the rule as of March 06 from the web pages.

PHIL THOMAS

IMPBA SCALE RULES

Engine and Boat Specifications

1. All boats to be modeled after Unlimited hydroplanes from past or present.

2. All boats to be built to a scale of 1 1/2" to 1'0" (1/8 scale) plus or minus 10% of the

beam and 5% of the length.

3. Boats will look as scale as possible and meet the following requirements for racing

and scale judging:

a. Cockpit with driver

b. Complete all major lettering and paint schemes

c. Effort must be made to conceal glow engine with fake engine or cowling as

per prototype boats.

March 2006 H - 5 Nitro Special Classes

4. Hull bottom and running hardware will not be judged or checked. However, hull must not

deviate from conventional 3-point hydro (unless prototype was a different design).

a. Hull bottom must be scale appearing.

b. Belly pans are acceptable to clear engine and/or flywheel.

c. Secondary front sponson running surfaces are optional.

d. Air traps are optional.

5. Engine must correspond with IMPBA Class "E".

6. Boat shall use same number of propellers as the prototype.

7. The drive dog must not extend beyond the transom unless the prototype boat did so.

8. No twin rudder assemblies allowed.

9. Boats should have the ability to change frequency.

Rules for Optional Scale Judging (Concourse)

1. Boat must accumulate 50 points in racing to qualify for scale judging.

2. Judging points to be separate from racing points.

3. All boats are to be judged no closer than 10 feet.

4. A picture must be submitted for the scale judging.

5. Points as follows:

a. 1 to 10 overall scale appearance

b. 1 to 10 for detail, engine, cowl, driver, etc.

c. 1 to 10 for paint job, markings, etc.

d. 1 to 10 for construction

 

[Don Ferrette]

Actually Phil there are currently a couple minor amendments on a one year trial, see page 6 of the Sept. Roostertail. also there is one typo- the trials amendments were co-authored by myself & Brian Schymik, not just me.

 

[Gale54]

Back to the orginal question yes, you can use the Dumas circus kit to build the Spirit. All you have to do is put on the Jones sponson to make it scale. I can help you with the sponsons and pictures if you would like. It will take a little work but can be done. Don Mckay

 

[moe1117]

No, the spirit ran Ron Jones sponson the first day it ran as the spirit. They only ran the circus cowling a couple of times.

Gale54, If you have any photos with spirit using circus cowl I would like to see it (them) I know I have a lot of money into my mold for my boat take a look at my gallery moe1117 would like to know if I have it right

 

[P THOMAS]

Actually Phil there are currently a couple minor amendments on a one year trial, see page 6 of the Sept. Roostertail. also there is one typo- the trials amendments were co-authored by myself & Brian Schymik, not just me.

OK thanks I did see that but it wouldnt change the subject here whould it? Whats with these one year trails? Make it a rule change or forget it, it gets confusing enough. No one knows scale rules anyways when you go to a race.

dont have to reply here just so we dont get off this topic send me a PM if you would like to.

PHIL

 

[Gale54]

No, the spirit ran Ron Jones sponson the first day it ran as the spirit. They only ran the circus cowling a couple of times.

Gale54, If you have any photos with spirit using circus cowl I would like to see it (them) I know I have a lot of money into my mold for my boat take a look at my gallery moe1117 would like to know if I have it right

Moe, I can not see your pictures in your gallery. I will have to find the pics again of it running the circus cowling. It ran as the Petro's Pizza in Seattle that is the picture that I have. It looks ugly to me because of all the decals all over it. Plus they used the circus cowling for salt water races too.

Don

 

[Glenn 787]

Hi Don, I ran into the same problem seeing his pictures. I had to login the gallery to see them.

Moe, your boat doesn't have the Circus scoop on it.

If you go to the RCU website a guy named Steve Doolittle has pictures of his building the 91' A.S. (In the "Our Boats" section)

http://www.rcunlimiteds.org/

They also have a 93' American Spirit #9299 Leland hull

http://www.newtonmarine.com/pop_ups/158c_pop.html Newton Marine website......Don's right it's ugly with all the decals.

 

[Mike McKnight]

I have a slightly cleaner pic of the 8401 Spirit that I'll post later when I get to the office. By cleaner I mean not as many decals. In fact now that I think about it's the later version with the smooth round cowl and the rear tiplets. The boat that is on the RCU site is that one. That's the configuration it remained in through 1993 as the back up Circus that ran in Miami and Evansville I think minus the wings. The next year the cockpit was rebuilt and it became the Exide.

The Dumas Circus hull as it comes out fo the box wouldn't be legal in NAMBA for two major issues. Sponsons and transom. Dumas' sponsons almost look like a cross between Jones and Lucero from the waterline up. The edges are sharp but they tried to round the tips. The other is the transom. That boat never had an inset transom. There is also a minor issue of the rear vent on the cowl but that is not as important as the other two. I'll pull '91 races from my video library and figure out when and where it ran with that clown frown cowl.

 

[Ray Sametz]

Scott, Doing research on Ron Jones Jr, I found this http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0244.html Ray

 

[SCOTT WITHERELL]

OK guy's,this is what I came up with,to much work to change the sponsons over,the CC hull is not the right hull to use for the American Spirit, I got the kit from my brother for free for building his Circus Circus for him(almost done),didn't want 2 of the same boats rolling around the pond,So I'm going to do the Miller high life instead. I know that hull I can do with the CC kit.After the MHL is done ,I'll get Roger Newton prints to do a really nice Scale hull (done right to the "T"). Thanks guys for all your Input, my ?'s been answered.(Do the research 1st before building,thats why I asked).

Thanks to all , and good luck racing this year! ""maybe I"ll see you their some time"".

Scott N. Witherell