?? About Wings.

[tthibodaux]

Ok, I know this will sound off the wall and maybe just dumb but here goes. Any of you guys who read the crap I post get the idea that I've been to a race or 2 in my life. Sometimes things are just interesting to you and you enjoy the history behind them but in reality you have no clue. Thats the case with the WINGS. I'll delete this after someone helps me out but first I have a couple questions that I have yet to find the answers to.

First and most important, What the heck is the passenger side for?

Next, what kind of speeds did they run?

I know, I know but I'm serious so stop laughing at me! I've only ever seen a couple different pictures of 3 or 4 of these boats so was there a lot of them in their day or are the couple of them I've seen pics of about all there was?

Last question, did they have there own class or did they run in some type of multiple boat/engine combo class?

Sometimes you can only pretend to know about something interesting for so long and then ask someone so there, I've asked the questions and now I feel better!

Thanks guys and gal's, I look forward to your responses!

Sorry Val, I had to use this picture to make sure everyone knew what I was talking about!

[largecar91]

The Wings were ran in the twin engine classes that were popular in the 60's to early 70's. In racing, I personally have never seen a passenger aboard. Speeds were over 100, with the records in the upper teens. When up and running right, these boats ran completely out of the water. The motors were normally trimmed under and the ride additude is controlled by an aileron. They were and still are awesome boats! I think the production numbers are about 40 18 footers and around 20 20 footers.

[Trident]

They ran two up in some early Marathons, like the 1961 Winnebagoland. That was the last year for that race and they ran Stock Utlilities on the usual course, and ran OPC (Outboard Pleasure Craft, then) from Fondy to Oshkosh checkpoint to Neenah turnaround, and back.

This was the original wood Wing with a pair of Merc 800's with speedmasters which ran in the unlimited class. It won going away, but broke the boat on the rough water. Don't recall for sure, but I think two people were required per boat in all classes.

See pix and text, p. 138 & 139, in "A Century of Outboard Racing"

We ran two guys, in the smaller classes. (Another Switzer, an older Shooting Star, won in our class). Guess a Switzer was the boat to have...

Oh, well, it was fun anyway... And really neat to see that Wing run. Power Cats and such were just flat outrun.

Jerry Wienandt

[Mark75H]

Merc did not destroy the plans for the Switzer (Hydrocat) Wings. Actually there were no plans, the Switzer brothers built boats by the seat of their pants.

What was destroyed was the molds to build them, by accident in a fire. By the time of the fire, the boats had been obsoleted by newer smaller lighter tunnel hulls so the mold were not rebuilt after the fire.

The quoted speeds were possible, but with the heavy load of fuel they could carry, probably not attained very often.

The original OPC rules (from the late 1950's when OPC started in NOA and widlcat) required all OPC boats to have built in seating for 2, but most races did not require a passenger.

Single engine boats as the top classes started just about the time you came around, Tim. Before that, the top classes were multi engine ... mostly dual engine, but some with more ... up to 5 in one case (disregarding the 6 engine offshore boats).

[cyka]

opps my bad thamks for correcting me on that. this site said ''Mercury (Kiekhaefer) owned the rights to all 40 18 foot Switzer Wings produced.
He did, in fact, have them in a warehouse....... but that cache is long gone.
Back then after 2-3 years Mercury basically wrote off and destroyed all
hulls in their possession...from hydros to Offshore hulls. The exceptions were
those that Merc employees and friends were able to get out the back
door...or buy outright. These 18 footers that are appearing here
and there....including Gene Lanham's, John Sherlock's, and a few
others are probably from that stash.''


the site is http://www.powercatboat.com/Switzer/wing.html

[tthibodaux]

There were some copies as well. Dutchman and DeSilva. The Dutchman Wings are almost identical to the Switzers, but there was never anything like the DeSilvas.

Actually one DeSilva Wing should be called the DeSilva/Hill Wing

Does that mean Ron had something to do with it?

[cyka]

your so smart I give you a A+ Mark. do any of them still race anywhere.

[Bunker Hill]

My understanding is that the Hills. Ron and Russ Sr. took delivery of the Desilva wing unfinished. Ron and my grandfather finished the wing with a few minor design mods and the rest is history! It was the first outboard powered boat to lead The Parker 9 Hour Enduro!! all was well until the counter rotating engine broke a crank! this problem plagued OMC 115 xs power untill the advent of the flex flywheel! I am sure that Sam can elaborate.

Sam, didn't the Switzers have a stirrup of sorts where the driver used his foot to control the wing angle and didn't a driver or two become pretty injured due to this apparatus?

[Mark75H]

Sam, didn't the Switzers have a stirrup of sorts where the driver used his foot to control the wing angle and didn't a driver or two become pretty injured due to this apparatus?

If you've ever been in a crash, you know it is hard to tell exactly what happened

[tthibodaux]

Any idea about how many wings there were back then? I mean was it a good full class or just a boat or two showed up from time to time at a race over a # of years?