Photograph of Murl Emery Airboat, Willow Beach (Ariz.), 1930s - 1940s

The Murl Emery Airboat rides through the water. The description provided with the photograph: "Murl Emery Airboat. Shown here navigating the upper Ringbolt Rapids above Willow Beach. It was designed and built by Murl Emery in 1929 and made many exploratory trips into the Grand Canyon and downriver to below Black Canyon. It proved to be very successful in the shallow water it was designed for as it could run in as little as two inches of water and could attain speeds up to 40 MPH. The engine was a 100 HP Curtiss V-8 with a pusher propeller. It would not get up on top in deep calm water but there wasn't much of this at the time so it was usable until Lake Mead was formed, It was then bought by the Bureau of Reclamation and moved to Yuma. Emery Collection"