Airboat Technology

A Frank Odell Web Page

Page Content

This page contains photographs of the airboat and its operator. Some technical details of the airboat that was used on the tour has been added.

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AIRBOAT

Page History

Original: 04/09/98

Improvement: 03/23/02 11/12/03 11/11/04 05/22/05 10/07/07

The author of this site is located on Merritt Island, Florida, USA

Unofficial Web Page

Airboat Technology This Airboat Is Not A Home Made Unit. It is manufactured by Panther in Cocoa, Florida. The factory is about 10 miles east of the Lone Cabbage.


	Photographs by Sherrie McPhee and Frank Odell The airboat tours operate out of the Lone Cabbage Restaurant and are staffed with local people. As far as I know Disney has not bought them out - yet. The boats are well maintained and run well.
Many airboats have aircraft engines, but the Panthers have General Motors automotive engines. The engines are large block V8s and are 400+ CID (greater than 5.7 litters). The engines are modified for greater power and to handle the propeller. The hull is not much more than a strong pan with a rolled front. Steering is accomplished with an air rudder that is controlled with a push-pull stick. There is no water rudder. The engine's power is controlled with a foot peddle like an automobile.

LONE CABBAGE Where the tour begins and ends.
	The Lone Cabbage Restaurant is unusual in both its location, partly over the Saint Johns River, and its local cuisine taken from the river and surrounding countryside. Gator Tail, Frog Legs, Turtle, and Catfish are just a few of the fried delights available. Some weekend days live music is presented. It is country music, of course. It is enjoyable to sit on the outside porch, over looking the river, and eat a mess of catfish and drink a few beers while enjoying the river view and the Florida weather. On occasion an airboat docks or undocks just below the porch or watch as a small boat, with one or two fishermen aboard, drifts past on the flowing river. Adjacent to the Lone Cabbage is a small fishing shop where all that is needed for fishing can be rented or purchased.

LONE CABBAGE
Where the tour begins and ends.

The Lone Cabbage Restaurant is unusual in both its location, partly over the Saint Johns River, and its local cuisine taken from the river and surrounding countryside. Gator Tail, Frog Legs, Turtle, and Catfish are just a few of the fried delights available. Some weekend days live music is presented. It is country music, of course. It is enjoyable to sit on the outside porch, over looking the river, and eat a mess of catfish and drink a few beers while enjoying the river view and the Florida weather. On occasion an airboat docks or undocks just below the porch or watch as a small boat, with one or two fishermen aboard, drifts past on the flowing river. Adjacent to the Lone Cabbage is a small fishing shop where all that is needed for fishing can be rented or purchased.