Double Eagle - Aluminum by Bill Zubko
2 January 2010 Update
hi guys...some more pics of my double eagle... one is the truck bell housing cut, and a plate welded on for the transmission mount, the trans mount also has 3/8" x 3" steel flat bar bolted to welded aluminum plates on the transom. the other pictures are the first time out of the shop and on its way for the maiden voyage!!! you can see the surface drive unit I made on the transom. after the first run with a 17" x 21" prop and a dual rudder set up... a disappointing 8 knots and terrible steering, so out came the saw and mig welder again, and I went back to a single trailing rudder(just like a normal inboard) and a 19" x 18" prop with my own cup in the leading edge (a prop that has worked in the past on another boat with another one of my own surface drives) for 21.9 knots on my garmin gps. also had to add a curved peice of plate at the transom to divert water under the hull(because in reverse the massive amount of water hitting the transom pushed the hull forward; something I was aware of but it never happened to me before). I new the hull would plane, I just had to move more water. I'm going to put on a 19" x 24" prop and try it again. the 6cylinder, 130 h.p., 5.86L Iveco truck engine had no problems turning the 19" x 18" prop. the hull is very stable in the water and everyone on the docks said it looked great going through the water. the hull gives off a nice flat wake, does not squat at all, and feels like it goes through the water with ease. more pictures to come of the swim platform, dive ladder, 8' x 10' (blue)canvas tarp that cost me less then $50.00 to make. In a tight spot this type of drive system will test your seamanship, but in open water it feels as if you are skimming along on top of the water, sliding around turns and a lot of fun to run, not to mention he shallow water capabilities. I've built four of these fixed shaft surface drives and they all act about the same.
more pictures of my swim platform(length-30", plus pipe, width is just under 8'). there is a beer can by the rudder post to give some size reference to everything. the water line at rest is even with the top of the main support pipes to the strut/rudder assembly. A great drive system you can make yourself, some tweeking is involved, very reliable, fun to drive, and you can fix it yourself(because youbuilt it).
