I don’t know what it costs to replace a turbine engine in one of these APBA Off-Shore hydroplanes, but I can tell you that the Miss Tri-Cities team had to spend all of it after this big bang that shot all the insides to the outside of their turbine race engine. This rear facing video was captured by the team’s GoPro and it shows all the parts flying out. You’ll note that you can see the water and air moving around the wing and rudders on the rear of the boat, which lets you really see the aerodynamics going on above the water line, and then a smoke trail starts just before the big kaboom.
And boy what a kaboom it was. Just look at all the parts and pieces that are shooting out the back of this engine! It’s nuts that this thing had so much carnage in just the blink of an eye, but man it is cool to see firsthand!
Video Description:
Onboard the U-8 Miss Tri-Cities driven by J. Michael Kelly as the turbine engine failed in the Final Heat at the 2022 APBA Gold Cup in Guntersville, AL. The engine’s main shaft snapped, overspeeding the turbine wheels, resulting in immediate and catastrophic engine damage.
That should discourage tail-gating wouldn’t it?