Amphibious Vehicle Dobbertin HydroCar Water Test 3 & 4 - YouTube

These Test Videos of the Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 3 & 4. Show the Amphibious Vehicle. It's doing better, in the Water, than in Tests 1 & 2 (links below). The Nose, is up now. They were still trying out different Props, and Angles to get better Push, in the Water. Read the video descriptions, to find out what they were doing to the HydroCar, and their future plans. I noticed, that the number 4 test video, is the newest one. It was made in 2010 and this is 2015. So, I hope the Project wasn't scrapped. But, I do know that Rick, spent many years, working on his previous Project. The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter - Mild to Wild in 55 Hours and Monster Garage. Ricks first Amphibious Vehicle Project, that he built in the 90's. There are more links on the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter, and the HydroCar, below too. Check out the related links for more on Ricks Projects and other Cool Stuff, too...

Don

Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 3 - Amphibious Vehicle

Video link...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmiFwOmyFak

Dobbertin Surface Orbiter - Mild to Wild in 55 Hours and Monster Garage

dobertin1

135

110,792

Uploaded on Oct 10, 2010

 (Continued from Water Test Two)
 For the first time, the HydroCar sat in calm water with the nose higher than the rear.
 The prop only needed to be trimmed down a couple degrees to be completely submerged.
 This time the front end of the HydroCar actually raised when the RPM was increased.
 The prop was still creating a huge 'rooster tail', so we lowered the trim to compensate, but still couldn't get the necessary 'bite' to get it up on plane.
 When adding the trim angle to the angle of the craft, we found the prop was still angled downward around twelve to fifteen degrees -- resulting in a less than optimal angle for forward motion.
 Modifications after Water Test Three:
 We went back to the dock and added four fifty-pound sandbags to the rear deck.
 We also switched over to a four-bladed prop with a greater pitch.
 We were hoping that these modifications would result in a better attack angle for the prop with less cavitation...

Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 4 - Amphibious Vehicle

Video link...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En529NXRoEs

dobertin1

Uploaded on Oct 9, 2010

 (Continued from Water Test Three)
 These quick modifications resulted in less cavitation and a bit more speed, but we still couldn't get it up on plane.
 It almost seemed that the HydroCar had added some weight on the last two launches -- and indeed it had.
 At this point, we thought the main problem was still the prop, not realizing the rear wheel wells were not self-bailing adequately.
 Modifications after Water Test Four:
 Studying the videos and calculating the latest modifications, it was obvious that we had gone too far with the weight transfer.
 To understand the problem that we had created, the following is a little design information:
 The HydroCar's wheel wells are covered on the bottom with sliding panels similar to the landing gear doors on an aircraft -- but they are not watertight.
 Water enters the wells through the axle openings as well as around the bottom panels.
 To drain the water out of the wheel wells, each well is designed with a trough in the rear to self-bail any water that might accumulate, as soon as the craft begins to move forward.
 The front wheel wells had adequate-sized troughs, but the rear wheel wells did not.
 On launches three and four, with a lot of added buoyancy in the nose, the front wheel wells had self-bailed -- but not the rear ones -- so they had actually filled with water.
 This resulted in the craft dragging over six hundred pounds of water along with it (inside the rear wheel wells.)
 Add to this the removal of three hundred pounds of floatation foam from the side sponsons, (which was now filled with water) and two hundred pounds of sandbags -- and it was almost like we were dragging an eleven hundred pound anchor behind us!
 So...
 The troughs in the rear wheel wells have been opened up to accommodate the additional water flow, thus enabling the rear wells to self-bail as they were originally designed to.
 A keel-cooler was added under the craft to aid in engine cooling while in WATER MODE.
 The electric / hydraulic marine power steering system was changed over to an engine driven pump to reduce the current draw on the electrical system.

The HydroCar is now ready to go -- but the weather in upstate New York is prohibiting any additional Water Tests until spring.

I've recently had a lot of input from several boating experts and most of them feel we've got it just about everything 'dialed-in' except for the prop.

We still need to find a prop with just the right combination of diameter and pitch, combined with the proper number of blades, so the HydroCar can optimize its performance.

Once it's up on plane, it's going to be one Hell of a ride!

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  • Autos & Vehicles

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  • Standard YouTube License

• Uploads
• 8:21
• Dobbertin Surface Orbiter - Extra TV and Good Morning Japan

  • 1 year ago
  • 2,155 views

  After an attempted amphibious circumnavigation of the Earth, Rick and Karen Dobbertin filed for divorce and Extra TV was there to broadcast the details, in a segment they called "The Unloved Boat" ...
• 6:03
• Dobbertin Surface Orbiter - Mild to Wild in 55 Hours and Monster Garage

  • 1 year ago
  • 543 views

  In June of 1991, (11 years before Monster Garage) Rick Dobbertin and a hand picked crew of car-crafters transformed a stock Ford F-150 pickup into a full-bore pro-streeter at the 1991 Street Machin...
• 6:46
• Manta Mirage Tour

  • 2 years ago
  • 3,579 views

  This is a quick tour of our 1983 Manta Mirage, which will soon be offered on eBay.
• 6:18
• Manta Mirage Test Drive

  • 2 years ago
  • 3,933 views

  Manta Mirage test drive down a few country roads - Video shot from inside the vehicle.
• 4:44
• Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 3 - Amphibious Vehicle

  • 4 years ago
  • 110,792 views

   (Continued from Water Test Two)
   For the first time, the HydroCar sat in calm water with the nose higher than the rear.
   The prop only needed to be trimmed down a couple degrees to be complet...
• 2:16
• Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 4 - Amphibious Vehicle

  • 4 years ago
  • 68,301 views

   (Continued from Water Test Three)
   These quick modifications resulted in less cavitation and a bit more speed, but we still couldn't get it up on plane.
   It almost seemed that the HydroCar ha...
• 4:27
• Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 2 - Amphibious Vehicle

  • 4 years ago
  • 33,665 views

   (Continued from Water Test One)
   With the added buoyancy in the bow, the HydroCar sat a little bit better, but was still a little lower at the nose.
   The prop went a little deeper in the wate...
• 3:41
• Dobbertin HydroCar - Water Test 1 - Amphibious Vehicle

  • 4 years ago
  • 101,420 views

   When we first launched the HydroCar, it was pretty obvious that the nose lacked buoyancy.
   Floating motionless in the water, the craft sat slightly nose down, while the prop was actually angl...
• 3:20

Dobbertin HydroCar - Sponson Demo - Amphibious Vehicle

• 4 years ago
• 140,972 views

The Dobbertin HydroCar is a high-tech amphibious vehicle that can actually transform its shape by raising or lowering its full-length articulating sponsons. On land, the sponsons (or pontoons) are...