The 650 К model was created by Krasnoyarsk Amphibious Plant “Sever”, which is one of a few Russian companies specializing in airboats and other amphibious equipment production
The choice of place for the test drive was not incidental. A branch of Krasnoyarsk plant has been operating at Admiral yacht club since 2019, which is reported both by the graffiti on the hangars and airboats scattered all over the place, on trailers and without them. Some of them feature the “war paint” of emergency and rescue services, others carry civilian camo or various geometric patterns.
To someone accustomed to the look of traditional small boats, the Sever 650 К looks a bit strange. Judging by the superstructure, it is a normal aluminium cabin boat (and that is what letter ‘K’ in its name stands for), but the inflatable sides make it look like a RIB, but with a cabin that is brought aft and a huge foredeck. From a distance, the cage that the propeller and the engine sit in, as well as the vertical keels, look like part of the superstructure thanks to the colour that matches the hull. But once you come closer, the whole construction with a huge six-bladed propeller immediately draws attention and is sure to impress any first-timer with its scale.
The length of the Sever 650 К airboat is 7.77 m, the beam is 2.85 m, and the height is 2.60 m. It can accommodate 8 passengers, or even 10 if you sit closer, as its load capacity is about 1500 kg. According to Moscow branch representatives, the extended foredeck is meant for transporting cargo. There is not so much storage space inside the cabin, and part of it is occupied by the fuel tank, so large equipment, supplies and loot are placed here, on the “cargo area” specially designed for this purpose.
It is hard to forget the sound of the airboat engine starting and running. The tried-and-true 430 hp 6.2-litre gasoline LS3 V8 was installed on Corvette and Camaro sports cars back in the days when electric motors appealed to vegan hipsters only. The engine is open, so thanks to a simple exhaust system it roars from the heart. Paired with a propeller, they make an unforgettable duet that sounds like a nightmare to winter fishing enthusiasts.
The moment the airboat starts moving, we are inside the cabin, so the soundproofing helps, but still it’s impossible to have a casual conversation. However, it feels like a kind of compensation for the opportunity to contemplate the empty piers passing by outside the window, overcoming ice and snow and polynyas easily.
“The boat starts moving at 4000 rpm, so we needed an engine that could operate in the high range. After some experiments, we chose gasoline Chevrolet LS3, established its supplies (which is a must for working with state authorities – Edit.) and have mainly been using it since,” says Maxim Kuzmin, head of Moscow branch of “Sever” plant, who doubles as our pilot.
Neither diesel, nor electric motors are capable of working at the extreme temperatures that airboats normally operate at. According to Maxim, the temperature range confirmed during the testing varies from -45 to +45 degrees, but the boats are mainly used in the North – as amphibious craft that whizzes you to or from hard-to-reach places and as a reliable and economically viable replacement for small aircraft.
“It’s all child’s play to this boat. Bad weather, no roads, water barriers, swampy areas, ice hummocks and snow,” says Maxim and mentions that several Sever airboats were sent to Chukotka to deliver locals to the airport in “difficult times.”
Meanwhile, we are moving along the frozen Klyazma Reservoir towards a peninsula overgrown with reeds. Instead of going around it, we are cutting right through it. The reeds knock angrily on the windows, and part of the “harvest” remains on the foredeck, but the boat keeps moving confidently.
“Shall we climb up the bank?”, our pilot asks. There is a roar of approval, and we are climbing from the water onto a gentle hill, sliding across a snow-covered wasteland along a fence covered with folk sayings, and then back into the reservoir again.
“This would be impossible to do in summer, of course, because there are fishermen everywhere. It’s possible on wet grass, though, and sometimes on sand, too, but asphalt and other hard surfaces harm the scales”, Maxim explains.
The plastic scales that are 5 mm thick and 50 cm wide protect the inflatable raft of thermoplastic polyurethane cylinders and work like car tires. They are attached to an all-welded aluminum hull with a special edging and allow the boat to move both on water and snow.
“Depending on the mode of operation, they can last for a year or a few, but in fact they are consumables like car tires”, Maxim explains.
The cylinders, the hull and the scales are all home-made, well-thought-out from the viewpoint of safety, maintainability and use in difficult conditions. The Sever 650 К has no fear of rapids, driftwood and other underwater and surface obstacles that are destructive for ordinary boats. What is surprising is that the idea of “dynamic draft” has little application to an airboat: scales and cylinders work as shock absorbers and handle the terrain easily.
Of course, you can get a puncture, but the boat will remain on the water. And it’s the same with a fiberglass propeller: even if there are three blades left out of six, you can still get back home.
Now there is a decent-sized hole with pieces of broken ice in front of us, and the Sever 650 K overcomes it easily, slows down a little in the slush, then jumps out onto the ice and picks up the speed cheerfully. The top speed we reached during the test drive was about 55 km/h, but according to our pilot, the Sever 650 К can develop up to 100 km/h on the water, and exceed it by another 20 km/h on the ice. The record set at the Baikal Mile race is 178 km/h.
When I ask about fuel consumption (according to the manufacturer, it ranges from 25 to 70 litres per hour), Maxim explains that a lot depends on the load, conditions and speed, but on average it is about 1 litre per kilometre, which means that with a fuel tank of 420 L (there is an option of an extra tank of 140 L aft) the range is quite large.
To handle an airboat under 20 m one needs a normal license from the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels, but allowing for driving “Vessels of special configuration”. You will certainly have to get used to the boat’s “manners”, to keeping an eye on the terrain, playing with the accelerator, taking into account the features of the propeller, but with a little practice all of this gets pretty clear. One thing is that can’t really count on reverse, and it’s worth paying attention to this point.
As soon as we arrived safely at the bank, we climbed up the slip spectacularly, parked, and had a chance to get a good look at what is inside.
One can enter the saloon only through the central door from the foredeck, also known as the cargo area. A single helm is located on the starboard side, and there’s another “navigator’s” seat opposite it. Next there is a U-shaped sofa with lockers in its sides, which can be unfolded to create a sleeping place for three or four people.
Another option is to install a small table between the sofas. There are niches under the ceiling for storing small things.The finishing materials seem rather no-frills compared to traditional boat interiors: there is a dark grey carpet on the walls and on the ceiling and some practical polymer on the floor. Leather seats and “carbon” inserts on the control panel. However, according to the plant’s representatives, the boats can be more premium and feature leather, wood and other more expensive furnishings, as well as be equipped with air-conditioning and fridges. The standard pack includes only a survival kit for an airboat, which includes a couple of liquid heaters and an autonomous one.
There is neither a head, nor a galley, and they are unlikely to appear in the nearest future, as airboats are normally meant for the customers who are used to handling the harsh realities and conditions on their own.
In addition to quite understandable and expected orders from government agencies and businesses, approximately half of the customers are private. They are avid hunters, fishermen, researchers, fans of extreme travel and those who simply want to go boating at a time when it is impossible for other kinds of small vessels. And judging by Sever’s swelling book of orders and plans to double production and open a new facility, there are more and more of such customers every year.
Perhaps the most important thing is that the price for the Sever 650 K as standard starts at 7 300 000 rubles. The standard configuration is not meagre and includes everything to make traditional boat owners consider the concepts of opening or closing the season irrelevant.
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