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Aluminum First Question |
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By Fred Farley - ABRA Unlimited Historian |
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QUESTION In a book by Arthur Knowles, THE BLUEBIRD YEARS, there is a reference that "Henry Kaiser had built an Allison-powered speedboat called the ALUMINUM FIRST with which he planned to wrest the world water speed record from Britain." What can you tell us about ALUMINUM FIRST? - Billie Hasenwinkle ANSWER Kaiser's ALUMINUM FIRST was indeed intended to try for the straightaway record. Bandleader Guy Lombardo, the 1946 Gold Cup winner with TEMPO VI, was selected to drive. ALUMINUM FIRST was one of two Ventnor hulls built for Kaiser in 1949. The other was HOT METAL. Both failed as competitors and were quickly retired. ALUMINUM FIRST was a 32-foot non-prop-riding three-pointer that weighed 8500 pounds. It was one of only two Unlimiteds to try an Allison W-24 power plant. The other was Kaiser's 1955 vintage SCOOTER TOO. Lombardo tested ALUMINUM FIRST at Lake Placid, New York, in June of 1949. But the tests were obviously unsatisfactory. No speeds were ever announced and plans for a straightaway record attempt were abandoned. Norman Lauterbach, an engineer for the Ventnor Boat Works, hinted that Henry Kaiser knew just enough about hydroplane designing to be dangerous. Kaiser wanted a lot of things done to HOT METAL and ALUMINUM FIRST that Lauterbach knew wouldn't work. The two boats were intended as advertising vehicles for Kaiser Aluminum. But the aluminum that Kaiser sent to Ventnor for use in the construction of HOT METAL and ALUMINUM FIRST proved unsatisfactory for boat building purposes. So Lauterbach secretly substituted Reynolds Aluminum. nd Henry J was never the wiser. Kaiser eventually realized his straightaway record ambition when HAWAII KAI III set the mile record at 187.627 in 1957 with Jack Regas driving. SLO-MO-SHUN IV designerTed Jones told me a story about HOT METAL and ALUMINUM FIRST. In the 1950s, Kaiser asked Jones to inspect the two hulls and give an opinion about them. Ted took one look, handed Kaiser a book of matches, and said, "Burn 'em."
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