Switzer Wing

[Ron Hill]

After OMC sold Ted May's Switzer to Bobby Massey they were hard pressed to find another wing, as most of the old Switzers were tied up with Mercury and the NEW WING wasn't out yet...

So how OMC got a hold of "The Black Coffin" of J. Ernest Threlkeld... a teacher like me, only he was a band teacher...

During the month of February, OMC test for Parker at Havasu Spring at a plce called George Savards... George was a pain, but he had a nice bar, restaurant, and motel...

I was testing my DeSilva wing...actually, Ray Nydalh was doing all the testing.

We could see 98 one evening and Ray didn't want o quite until he saw a hundred.... Finally, as the sun was sitting and he had no fuel, with the wing all the way down, below the pads at the transom, he saw a hundred...

Thinking about the name "BLACK COFFIN", I went home and bought a fire proof suit...I didn't bill OMC because I didn't want them to know how much I'd paid...

Erine and Ted ran this wing at Parker to 8th place...First 99.9 cubic inch OMC, I had two Evinrudes, they had two Johnsons... Looks like Ernie at the wheel, as Ted always ran a bright orange helmet.....

[Ron Hill]

This Switzer Wing, I think was made of wood. as you can see the wing section of the outside of the two pods... Bill Olney was a Cop from Montebello, California. Rudy Raymos told me he was later killed in an ET blow over, but I don't recall that as a fact.

Glen Schaid, who drove with Bill, builds trailers in Lake Havasu City, Arizona...Don't know the name of the company, but would bet the name Enduro is mentioned. in the companies name.....

[B VALACHOVIC]

In this months Powerboat magazine is a couple of photos of the Miss Diablo 3 Switzer Wing. With no test time we could not get the boat to run in the water at this event. After a # of changes to the engines and help from Lynn and Harold Sinberger, the boat will be at A.P.BA. vintage and historic events for 2005 season with Kenny Kitson and myself.The open stacks should be on the boat by then as we could only locate one side inner and outer mounting plate for them and are having the other side made now.I can't beleive how difficult it was locating some of the old parts for this rig. Bob

[Ted March]

Knew Ernie well. Met him and John Dipetra at the Orange Bowl in 1965.

I was with Erniie a the kilos in Norristown, PA when he did a 270 with the wing. 360 might have been OK but 270 wasn't. Went in nose first.. he had a stirrup like control with which he controlled then wing. When it hit, his body went forwad but the foot didn't. Was wedged in the stirrup. He ended up with a pretty mangled leg. I followed the ambulance that took him to the hospital in Mongomeryville, PA and checked him in. Have always wondered where the OMC guru's were when we were going to the hospital.

He also had a very successful careeer runing a single engine OMC V4 powered tunnel boat built by Alan Stinson in the NOA.

[B VALACHOVIC]

The Miss Diablo 3 as she is today. This is the same boat as in the photo with the Snapper of Ron hill at Havasu that is in this post. Bob

[Miss BK]

Oh my, I want to see that Miss Diablo run. Last time I saw her run I was only eight!!


Here is a picture my brother took of the 1970 Havasu Classic. Out of 20 or so he took, it's the only wing picture we have.

[march3stv]

GL-20 and GL-21

Ed Tweed - red 1981 - Bobby's local test driver
Tom Harrod - white/green - 1981

[Miss BK]

Note the triple motors on that boat.

I was told there weren't ever any triple motor Wings. So maybe this is a copy???

Also notice that this slide is in color - a rare thing in 1970. That's because my brother had just returned from Vietnam/Thailand, where he bought a ton of Nikon equipment before retuning back from active duty. He tested it out at Havasu that year and then gave me all the slides. Way cool

[Mark75H]

There were 2 triple engine Wings

Go here and read what Robert Switzer has to say:

Jeff Bowman's Switzer Wing page

[Miss BK]

Cool Sam! Thanks.

So ..what do you think? Is that tan one a real wing or not?


Also -- Ron is right! Glenn Schaid owns Enduro Motor Sports Trailers.
Located at 1969 Commander Drive Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
(928) 855-7888

Glenn spent eon's as an official at Parker. I'll bet he'd be on board to help restart that tradition.

Ron - did you know it was Glenn who was responsible for me meeting Brad? He was the first Mirage dealer in Arizona, and that's who I bought my Tom Cat from. But I had never met Brad - just raced against him. When Brad came out to AZ with a new boat for the Hot Boat Magazine test, Glenn let Brad work on the boat at his shop.....then Glenn invited me to come down to hang out. It was a set up. Brad and I have been together ever since.

About 3 years ago, we went up to Bob Switzers shop by invitation to see his new creation. Brad and Bob spent hours going over what and where to tweak. It was awesome to see these two boat crafters compare notes and discuss various construction techniques, personal boat building opinions and the laws of hydrodynamics. I took a lot of pictures of that meeting - in my opinion, it was a historic event.