These
aren't your grandpa's hydroplanes. Heck, these aren't even your fathers
hydroplanes. The old days of mahogany wood or honeycomb aluminum with
the giant V-12 airplane engines are gone. These are high tech, carbon
fiber, adjustable winged, turbine powered, jet fueled rocket ships that
run on a prop blade and a prayer.
These
boats are designed with computers and are tested in space age wind tunnels.
They hit 200 mph on the chutes and power through the turns at 140. They
barely touch the water. They are truly a hydro-plane, flying above the
water while the pilot controls adjustable wings trying to keep it right
side up. Sometimes they do, sometimes they..... Well,
we don't want to go there now do we?
