rpage83

Is this possible to use a sheet of plexiglass for a hull on a boat?
It would look preaty sweet to have a clear hull on an airboat.

Selph-Inflicted

Anything is possible with the right engineering.

How you would actually keep it together....I'm not sure.

Good luck!!

impulse

A flat bottom hull wouldn't be too hard. Anything is possible with enough $. Because it's who you know not what you know. Also a cool idea would be to put a small video camera on it and drive in some shallow (5-10 feet) clear water. That would be interesting.

dadkins

I made one once I used 1/8" clear plex with 1/2" pine for the sides and transom of the boat - It has been so long ago I forgot what I used to glue it to the wood - I think CA. then sealed it with clear silicone. It did look pretty cool - at first .. then stress cracks satrted developing all over, and it was so brittle you hate to run it aground. I took some pic's of it way back when.. I will see if I can dig em out someday soon.
If I had to do it again - I would do the wood sides with 1/4" plex -mounting the engine to the side rails(sides)

machjeff

It is actually very possible. I built some models out of acrylic (plexiglass) before, and you can easily curve it and shape it to form any shape hull. You would need to make a mould out of wood or something in the shape you want. Then you heat up the acrylic in an oven (I forget, guess maybe 300degrees for 5 minutes or so) and it gets very soft and flexible. I'm sure you could do some gentle compound curves. Once it cools it goes back virtually to its original strength and rigidity. It takes a bit of experimenting though.

Weside

you have to be careful bc plexiglass does crack

canadianjosh

Plexi would work great, CA actually welds it, not just bond. You could spring for a lexan bottom instead for ruggedness.

machjeff

It may not last for ever, but it would be unique and look cool.