The Beginnings: From a backyard workshop at Irishman Creek Station in Central Otago in the 1920s, to multi-million dollar international enterprise in Christchurch in the 2000s. The story of Bill Hamilton and the Hamilton Jet is surely a pinnacle in the history of backyard tinkering in New Zealand. Bill Hamilton's workshop expanded over the years, until in WWII it played an important role in manufacture of munitions and earthmoving equipment, and in the training of engineering personnel for the war effort. With the coming of peace in 1945, he moved operations to Christchurch, and as the new operation prospered he found more time to devote to new ideas. Solidworks 2014 with crack 32 bit. Hamilton developed the water jet in response to the need to navigate the shallow waters rivers around his Irishman Creek Station.
After fiddling unsuccessfully with airscrews and retractable propellers, his first success came with a vertical centrifugal pump powered by a Ford 10 engine through a bevel gear. Mounted in a 3.5m runabout, the jet unit achieved a speed of 11mph, a slow start.
The potential of the concept led Hamilton to hire a young engineer, George Davison, as his assistant in improving the jet unit. Davison's engineering training, combined with Hamilton's hands-on approach proved the ideal combination. The concept took off, and the two never looked back. Today: Currently employing 340 staff in New Zealand and 60 overseas, Hamilton Jet is now one of New Zealand's top export earners in the marine industry, exporting almost all of its production to more than 45 countries world-wide. The company has carved a niche in water jets for craft in the 10 - 60m range, a market in which it has consistently expanded its share. The 10 - 60m range is defined at the lower end by the large number of manufacturers of light-duty water jets for recreational applications, and at the upper end by a few manufacturers as represented by the Rolls Royce-owned Swedish company KaMeWa. Progress: Further research and development of the Hamilton's initial design brought three fundament modifications which made the Hamilton Jet what it is today.
The first - expelling the water jet above, rather than below the waterline, significantly increased efficiency of the unit, and therefore thrust and speed. The second -eliminating the bevel gear, brought increased mechanical efficiency.
This modification was incorporated in the first commercial units manufactured in 1956. Known as the Rainbow Jet unit, this design featured marine parts such as a centrifugal pump connected directly to the motor, without the need for a noisy and inefficient right-angle bevel drive. Designed for light runabouts, the Rainbow Jet was sold in limited numbers in New Zealand. The third - eliminating the tortuous and inefficient path through the centrifugal pump, further improved efficiency, and established the fundamental design of the axial-flow jet unit as we know it today. The axial-flow concept was further improved with development of two and three-stage axial systems developing greater pressures, and incorporated in the Chinook Series in 1957, and the Colorado Series in 1963. In 1959, the Hamilton Jet took on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Over the next few years the team repeatedly visited the Colorado while building the profile of the company in the US market.
The Colorado Series of jet units, developed in response to demands for greater simplicity and lower cost, proved a milestone in the development of the Hamilton Jet. The Colorado Series halved the cost of jet units, and reached a wider market, covering everything from small fizz boats to large off-shore racing craft. As worldwide interest in the Hamilton jet increased, the company began work on the Work Jets System, introduced to the market in 1970. Larger and more robust than previous models, the Work Jets were designed for diesel-powered commercial vessels where high loads and prolonged operation is the norm. The Work Jets Series formed the basis of the HM Series, since developed and refined into the sophisticated HS and HJ Series. In keeping with the trend towards increasing computerisation, the early 1990s saw the company introduce electronic control systems to manage the increasingly complex units, culminating in today's 'blue ARROW' water jet control system.
Old Marine Engine: 1961 BUHLER 16' TURBO CRAFT - NEED INFO Last Days 1961 BUHLER 16' TURBO CRAFT - NEED IN. » » 1961 BUHLER 16' TURBO CRAFT - NEED INFO « » Author Message Visitor Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 08:16 pm: I have a 1961 Buhler (don't know if spelt right) 16' Turbo Craft - with 1 flat head 6 cyl engine. I've been told this is a Gray Marine engine. How can I verify if this is really a Gray Marine engine? Where is the engine identification number? What prefix should I look for?
Senior Member Username: miro Post Number: 266 Registered: 11-2001 Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 11:44 am: The Graymarine flathead 6's usually had a name plate riveted to the exhaust manifold. The engines in the 60's generally used Hercules blocks, which were also used by Chris Craft and Buchanan ( and possibly others). Alternatively, the name plate might be on the transmission cover. Miro Visitor Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 10:43 am: Thanks - We'll check it out Moderator Username: andrew Post Number: 849 Registered: 11-2001 Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:05 pm: Dennis, You could also post a picture of the engine here with the numbers you find. Visitor Posted on Tuesday, October 09, 2007 - 09:26 pm: i too have a 1961 Buehler Turbocraft 16 footer, at least i was told that was the year. I have not found another boat with the same hull design or jet unit.
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My boat has a crusader marine Buehler Turbopower 200 small block chevy v-8 in it. I am very interested in seeing pictures of your boat if that is possible Visitor Posted on Friday, October 26, 2007 - 03:48 pm: I have a 16 foot Buehler Turbocraft, I always refer to it as a Jet 32 since that is what the emblem on the dash says. It has a Chevy 327 in it now but I was told that originaly it was a Ford Interceptor. Visitor Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 08:54 pm: my 1961 turbocraft is also a jet 32. The early boats had ford interceptor motors in them, mine however, has a chevy v-8 in it and i have talked with the original owner and he states that is how he bought the boat brand new. My intake has a crusader marine engine data plate on the intake manifold stating that it is a 'Buehler Turbopower 200' built for buehler turbocraft by crusader marine.
It is a Model 150 serial number TP117. My boat is very original, last registered in 1970, so depending on the year of your boat, it could have come with chevy power. In the later 60's buehler used chrysler power in his boats. Visitor Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 12:51 am: I have a 1961 Buehler Turbocraft Jet 32.
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You are correct, it originally came with a 256cc 145hp 4.4L Fored Interceptor (i have done much work on it) I am not a ford man myself, but man does that engine sound like the coolest thing ive ever herd in my life. Most of those early jetboats had the exhaust pipes coming out the back really really low. So the exhaust floated up and made this bubbly noise along with the kind of poping sound of the industrial engine. New member Username: luke Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2008 Posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 - 02:04 am: I to,at least I was told it was a 1961,it has been a research game for me, but after seeing Eugene Killen's info. Concerning the later 60 models having the Chrysler's, now I dont know what year it is, Beings mine has a for sure Chrysler slant six I.D.