Barn Find

I have to know how much they wanted for it.

 

No rotocraft experience.

 

Rotax engines are known for bulletproof reliability and longevity. Just like the Tundra engines. Good luck. Keep us in the loop. Peace. D

 

Someone on Lake Greenwood had one years ago, no idea who or what became of it but i bet you got more leads on parts than anyone would.

Guessin' it don't have bluetooth so that'll piss some folks off.

 

I have connected with a heavy equipment pilot in Orlando Florida that is about
to complete his restoration of an RX2000, he will be a great source of information.

This is his craft before, and current.

 

This pretty neat. We could use that here in the Sip with all the flooding around the Mississippi river.

 

What kind of speeds can you achieve with one of these?

 

45 to 50 on relatively flat water, faster on smooth ice. One of the smaller, lighter R&D craft I flew around the Miami area would easily top 65 in ocean swells - that craft was too much fun.

Cruising through a no wake zone Manatee area at 45 mph pissed off the locals, but they didn't realize the craft was about 8" above the water surface. No Manatees were harmed.

Skinny me taking a local lady on a joy ride.

 

I would drive that muthertrucker over a calm lake at full speed while blasting the Miami Vice theme music ...

 

I plan to let the RX2000 remain sitting in that barn until the dead of winter, because there are hundreds of active wasp nest all around. I'll continue researching what it will take to restore the craft... until then, here are some pictures of yours truly demonstrating a craft in the cold South Carolina sun in 1989, and a few shots of me flying the craft in the Dade Co. Florida canal system - plus a rare picture of my Riviera tow vehicle.

 

Dig the Buick!

Was that Hartwell? Red clay is a giveaway.

So the skirts are rubber, I've always wondered if the bottom was open or closed? Are the skirts like airbags?

 

403 4 barrel with blue velour interior. That's Lake Murray, just outside of Columbia.

You can look up these skirts, all but the rear skirts are wide open. The rear skirts had a baffle on the bottom, but all of the are open and hold no air. Lift is all redirecting and focusing high velocity air downward lifting the entire craft on a bubble of air that you must stay on top of. Many say operating the smaller lighter craft is something like riding a motor cycle, I agree but there are a lot more forces working against the hovercraft operator.

 

Yeah, they got red clay there. Thanks for the info, interesting.

 

I found a company that still makes a set of skirts for this rare craft, approximately $600 for the set.

 

Road & Track, 1991

 

nice

 

I remember when my uncle looked at selling those things as a novel recreational type land/water vehicle in 1990 (he did marine sales on Lake Erie). A rep from the company brought one for us to demo. I could walk faster than it moved on land and swim faster than it moved on water. I remember being so excited to see it and then miserably disappointed

 

That's what I would call a terrible demonstration... a complete failure.

 

I love the Brake Rating LOL!