Fire Bomb Hydroplane Racing Speedboat by John Storoz, MI, 1950's
This Hydroplane was modeled after the 1950's style Gold Cup speed boats and was completely hand crafted by Mr. Storoz. John was a tool and die maker in the Detroit area and he started this project in his basement in 1954. It measures about 50 inches long, 24 inches wide, 10 inches high at the engine, and 17 inches high from the bottom of the rudder to the top of the tail fin, which doubles as a fuel tank. His custom engine is 11 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 6 inches high with a bore of 1-1/8 inch and a stroke of 7/8 inch for a total capacity of 7.2 cu in (118 cc). The engine is connected to the propeller shaft by a chain just ahead of the flywheel that houses a centrifugal clutch. The flywheel is configured for rope starting.
Mr. Storoz began by making patterns, molds, and castings for the engine and then machined the components on a small Atlas horizontal milling machine, lathe, and drill press. It appears he finished the project in the early 1960's.
The radio controls include throttle, rudder, and spark advance via a three-channel Schmidt tube-type radio transmitter and receiver.
See More Model Boat Engines at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets/72157641089388694/
See More V8 engines at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/albums/72157663468409191
See Our Model Engine Collection at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets/72157602933346098/
Visit Our Photo Sets at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets
Courtesy of Paul and Paula Knapp
Miniature Engineering Museum
Fire Bomb Hydroplane Racing Speedboat by John Storoz, MI, 1950's
This Hydroplane was modeled after the 1950's style Gold Cup speed boats and was completely hand crafted by Mr. Storoz. John was a tool and die maker in the Detroit area and he started this project in his basement in 1954. It measures about 50 inches long, 24 inches wide, 10 inches high at the engine, and 17 inches high from the bottom of the rudder to the top of the tail fin, which doubles as a fuel tank. His custom engine is 11 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 6 inches high with a bore of 1-1/8 inch and a stroke of 7/8 inch for a total capacity of 7.2 cu in (118 cc). The engine is connected to the propeller shaft by a chain just ahead of the flywheel that houses a centrifugal clutch. The flywheel is configured for rope starting.
Mr. Storoz began by making patterns, molds, and castings for the engine and then machined the components on a small Atlas horizontal milling machine, lathe, and drill press. It appears he finished the project in the early 1960's.
The radio controls include throttle, rudder, and spark advance via a three-channel Schmidt tube-type radio transmitter and receiver.
See More Model Boat Engines at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets/72157641089388694/
See More V8 engines at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/albums/72157663468409191
See Our Model Engine Collection at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets/72157602933346098/
Visit Our Photo Sets at: www.flickr.com/photos/15794235@N06/sets
Courtesy of Paul and Paula Knapp
Miniature Engineering Museum