New Way To Build An Unlimited?
Murdo Cameron
Murdo Cameron is a man with three passions—after family and dogs. They are aircraft, Unlimited Hydroplanes (past and present) and composites.
In 1998, Cameron, a former Boeing 767 Captain, built a composite full size replica of the historic P-51 Mustang in his hangar at the Coeur d ‘Alene airport near Hayden Lake Idaho. The plane is 4300 pounds lighter than the original P-51 and claimed to be one and one half times stronger than its metal counter part.
A longtime fan of the Unlimiteds, dating back to early races in Coeur d’Alene and Lake Chelan, Cameron’s next adventure was to use the composite technologies used on the P-51 to build a full size replica of the original U-25 Miss Spokane. Cameron is working in collaboration with some of the best-known Unlimited designers and builders including Ron Jones and Doug Ford.
The composite P-51 is 4300 pounds lighter than the original.
The goal with the Miss Spokane was to build the lightest and strongest Hydroplane by using composite materials and reducing the hull weight by 50-60%. The boat is being built with a one-piece bottom mold including the sides, sponsons and transom and a one-piece top deck.
Then came a conversation with Mark Evans of Chelan, owner of Evans Racing and long time Unlimited driver. Cameron told Evans that the same composite construction techniques could be used to fabricate modern, turbine powered unlimited hydroplanes. All he would need is one of the new style boats to use for making molds.
Molds are being taken from the last Leland hull.
Evans had recently purchased a Leland hull from Leland Unlimited and had it in his Chelan shop. It was the last boat Chip Hanauer drove to his last Gold Cup victory.
The boat is now in the instruction facility at North Idaho College’s Aerospace Composite Technician program where Cameron and students are working side-by-side creating the molds which will eventually be able to produce Unlimited hulls with just three pieces- the bottom and two sponson decks.
A second Leland hull is being used to make molds for sponson decks.
A second hull, on loan from Stacy Briseno of Leland Unlimited, sits beside the boat borrowed from Evans and is also being used in the mold making process. Evans has spent time with Cameron and the students and is an advisor to the project. The NIC program just graduated 50 students who now have a one-year degree in composite fabrication.
Cameron’s concept is that an Unlimited Hydroplane can be built with a smaller part count and be lighter and stronger than boats being built with the current methods. The composite hull will require less in the way of internal reinforcement to achieve superior strength. The owner and crew of such a boat would add their own rear wings, verticals and horizontals, as well as the cockpit area, and Cameron has masters that he can loan out to be used to produce molds for those additional items. Another benefit would be more efficient repairs. Fabricating the damaged area in the mold and bonding it in can make an easier repair process to a damaged hull.
The cost of a hull using this process will vary, depending on the materials chosen by the team owner. Those range from fiberglass to the most exotic of lightweight, super strong composite materials.
Cameron plans to build 5 hulls in 5 months and make them available to existing teams to add to their fleet. He also says these hulls could be used by someone who would like to start their own team. The sport of Hydroplane racing could benefit from the infusion of new boats and new teams.
Will it work and could it be the future of Hydroplane construction? Spending a half hour with Murdo Cameron will have you believing it just might.
And don’t forget- the man built a composite P-51 Mustang that is 4300 pounds lighter than the original and works nicely.
You can read more about the P-51, Miss Spokane and Turbine Unlimited programs on the Cameron Aircraft website, www.cameronaircraft.com
New Way To Build An Unlimited?
Murdo Cameron
Murdo Cameron is a man with three passions—after family and dogs. They are aircraft, Unlimited Hydroplanes (past and present) and composites.
In 1998, Cameron, a former Boeing 767 Captain, built a composite full size replica of the historic P-51 Mustang in his hangar at the Coeur d ‘Alene airport near Hayden Lake Idaho. The plane is 4300 pounds lighter than the original P-51 and claimed to be one and one half times stronger than its metal counter part.
A longtime fan of the Unlimiteds, dating back to early races in Coeur d’Alene and Lake Chelan, Cameron’s next adventure was to use the composite technologies used on the P-51 to build a full size replica of the original U-25 Miss Spokane. Cameron is working in collaboration with some of the best-known Unlimited designers and builders including Ron Jones and Doug Ford.
The composite P-51 is 4300 pounds lighter than the original.
The goal with the Miss Spokane was to build the lightest and strongest Hydroplane by using composite materials and reducing the hull weight by 50-60%. The boat is being built with a one-piece bottom mold including the sides, sponsons and transom and a one-piece top deck.
Then came a conversation with Mark Evans of Chelan, owner of Evans Racing and long time Unlimited driver. Cameron told Evans that the same composite construction techniques could be used to fabricate modern, turbine powered unlimited hydroplanes. All he would need is one of the new style boats to use for making molds.
Molds are being taken from the last Leland hull.
Evans had recently purchased a Leland hull from Leland Unlimited and had it in his Chelan shop. It was the last boat Chip Hanauer drove to his last Gold Cup victory.
The boat is now in the instruction facility at North Idaho College’s Aerospace Composite Technician program where Cameron and students are working side-by-side creating the molds which will eventually be able to produce Unlimited hulls with just three pieces- the bottom and two sponson decks.
A second Leland hull is being used to make molds for sponson decks.
A second hull, on loan from Stacy Briseno of Leland Unlimited, sits beside the boat borrowed from Evans and is also being used in the mold making process. Evans has spent time with Cameron and the students and is an advisor to the project. The NIC program just graduated 50 students who now have a one-year degree in composite fabrication.
Cameron’s concept is that an Unlimited Hydroplane can be built with a smaller part count and be lighter and stronger than boats being built with the current methods. The composite hull will require less in the way of internal reinforcement to achieve superior strength. The owner and crew of such a boat would add their own rear wings, verticals and horizontals, as well as the cockpit area, and Cameron has masters that he can loan out to be used to produce molds for those additional items. Another benefit would be more efficient repairs. Fabricating the damaged area in the mold and bonding it in can make an easier repair process to a damaged hull.
The cost of a hull using this process will vary, depending on the materials chosen by the team owner. Those range from fiberglass to the most exotic of lightweight, super strong composite materials.
Cameron plans to build 5 hulls in 5 months and make them available to existing teams to add to their fleet. He also says these hulls could be used by someone who would like to start their own team. The sport of Hydroplane racing could benefit from the infusion of new boats and new teams.
Will it work and could it be the future of Hydroplane construction? Spending a half hour with Murdo Cameron will have you believing it just might.
And don’t forget- the man built a composite P-51 Mustang that is 4300 pounds lighter than the original and works nicely.
You can read more about the P-51, Miss Spokane and Turbine Unlimited programs on the Cameron Aircraft website, www.cameronaircraft.com