They are an amazing airplane. In some parts of the world,
Helio floatplanes operate as long as the floats are level
and the top is not under water. The level part is a good
idea because it check balance [CG] but the floats are over
sized so they do get a little heavy.


"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in
message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| On dry ground the H295 would take-off in as little as
two
| airplane lengths. The factory had a grass strip next to
the
| assembly building. They would land and take-off day in
and
| out, from the 300 feet of grass, even with straight EDO
| floats.
|
|
|
| Jungle Aviation and Radio Service has their own field in
Waxhaw, NC called
| JAARS-Townsend. I used to go over there just to watch the
Helio Courier pilots
| do their stuff. It was absolutely amazing.
|
| They'd stand on the brakes, go to full power, pop the tail
up in one length, and
| be airborne in another. I suspect you could sprint
alongside it and keep up for
| a few seconds.
|
| The Helio didn't just climb out of impossibly short
strips... it had six seats
| and could carry a load.
|
| JAARS is a missionary outfit, if anybody wonders. They
used to have missions in
| New Guinea and down in South America... don't know about
now. They also
| operated DC-3s and some other birds (can't remember now).
|
|
|
|
| --
| Mortimer Schnerd, RN
| mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com
|
|