Hal Kelly, Foo Ling ?

**JohnsonM50** · 12-02-2009

Originally Posted by JohnsonM50

I have a copy of Hals Airborn B [and the boat]. It does have a 'D' scale to about 13'6". Theres also added instruction like a 3/8 bottom to build it.
Look at the Foo-Ling & see if it has external upper chines. This is unique to that model I think. Its supposed to improve roll up characteristics & trap some air too.. [Ive heard]. Hals runabouts as Ive heard are: Dry Run, Foo-ling, Jinx, Airborn & Madcap.. Are there others? He designed some hydros too.

I would also agree that a KG9 would be a handful on a B, Would you be able to reign in the porpoise?

**Ed Hatch** · 12-02-2009

I believe Mad Cap and Foo Ling are just a/b and c/d versions of the same design. If you look at the two boats in Skip Hagerman's website

http://www.antiqueoutboardmotor.info...lly/Kelly.html

You will see the similarity in the chines. No way to tell, but it makes sense on a practical basis, scaling up a B Airborne to a D Airborne using that funky scale in the Airborne plans is not as precise as it should be,,,and since Mad Cap and Foo Ling were the successors to the Airborne it seems logical that Kelly would address the scale up issue with two separate plans,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tomtall · 12-02-2009

The Foo Ling I purchased was a "B" version. The builder and owner (at that time a teenage boy) ran the boat with a stock KG9. He said it was a hand full but very fun. He had to re-enforce the transom and glass the bottom to make it live. This pictures shows the Foo Ling trip chines. Yes the boy that built this boat 30 years ago ran it with the fin mounted backwards.

**JohnsonM50** · 12-02-2009

Originally Posted by Tomtall

The Foo Ling I purchased was a "B" version. The builder and owner (at that time a teenage boy) ran the boat with a stock KG9. He said it was a hand full but very fun. He had to re-enforce the transom and glass the bottom to make it live. This pictures shows the Foo Ling trip chines. Yes the boy that built this boat 30 years ago ran it with the fin mounted backwards.

The fins a good one, wonder if you changed it would it even be noticeable? An A class 15 with a short course prop will probably be pretty cool on that. Good Luck

**Ron Hill** · 12-02-2009

Seems when Frank Zorkan built Ernie Dawe a Foo Ling, he did not have those reverse chines, as Frank and the rest of us felt these were air traps and would not be legal. Ernie raced his Zorkan Foo Ling in the 1960 Beloit Nationals.

The boat is faster with the fin on backwards...

Tomtall · 12-03-2009

The boat is faster with the fin on backwards...

If that's true Ron, God really screwed up when he made the Shark.

**Ron Hill** · 12-03-2009

My dad never cared about horse power because he said we were racing BOATS......Not horses...

In 1956, I finished third in AU at the Cambridge, Maryland Nationals. I lost to good company. Dean Chenoweth was first and defending National Champion, Bill Schumaker was second.

53 years later, I still feel I would have won that Nationals had I been able to run my good motor. My good motor had been torn down for inspection and we were headed from the Divisionals to the Nationals and no way to put it back together, plus every part of my good motor was polished or chrome plated (California Bling), my Old man feared we'd get DQ'd for the polish, so we ran a BONE STOCK engine and gave away 1 mph.

After the Nationals this picture was posted in Boat Sport of the AU start. The picture hangs in our shop today. But, in studying the picture, I decided to back cut my fin on the angle of the water. I picked up 1 1/2 mph by doing this.

All my runabouts after that had "Back Cut" fins. Running a fin backward is almost the same thing, in the fact that the fin can come out of the water and not drag...

Also, the backward fin has less leading edge to cut through the water (4") compared to 6". More drag, less speed...

So, a shark's fin may be better under water, but a boat runs out of the water part of the time...

**Jerry Combs** · 12-03-2009

After seeing Ron's cut back fins I did the same on my BU fin. Worked great!

Tomtall · 12-03-2009

Interesting. I'll have to try that. Thanks for sharing.

**seacow** · 12-03-2009

Originally Posted by JohnsonM50

Look at the Foo-Ling & see if it has external upper chines. This is unique to that model I think. Its supposed to improve roll up characteristics & trap some air too.. [Ive heard].

One of the things I liked about my Foo Ling was those chines. Made it easy to lift and carry the boat. It seemed to do better on one buoy turns than the Sid, Van Pelt, Dry Run, and DeSilva B runabouts I ran during those days. But the Sid Craft was much faster on the straights than the others.