Is anyone out there designing a scale PBY Catalina?

Instead of designing and building something that may or may not work
and taking years in the process why don't you just go out and
buy the closest equivalent and have a certified airplane in the process.

The Canadair CL-215.

Big, roomy, radial engines, certified, you can redo the interior to
your own specs, and if you want the big bulgy widows on the sides....
why not.

Available now...... You could be actually flying throughout those
Pacific Islands within months.

Shiver Me Timbers wrote:

Instead of designing and building something that may or may not work
and taking years in the process why don't you just go out and
buy the closest equivalent and have a certified airplane in the process.

The Canadair CL-215.

Big, roomy, radial engines, certified, you can redo the interior to
your own specs, and if you want the big bulgy widows on the sides....
why not.

CL-415 would be better with enhanced performance and more dependable
engines...

Course if you want the real thing:

http://www.barnstormers.com/listing....es%40cs-ent.ca

And cost a fraction of what a new CL-415 geauxs for...

"Tom Osmundson" wrote in message
om...
Yes, the PBY never had flaps, but I'm going to put some 30% chord
fowler flaps over about 70% of the span. Should be pretty close to
STOL then with a good power to weight ratio.

I've got access to Catia V5, so I'm ok there. I have more experience
using ProE wildfire, but that's what I got. :-)

The gear will weigh a lot, and I want to make sure it is up to rough
fields. I think it can be reasonable in weight if one puts enough time
into it.

I've been looking at safety issues right off the bat with this
concept. I've already went through NTSB stuff on the Catalina as well
as other types, like the seawind. So I've been documenting problems
such as the nose wheel doors on the catalina collapsing causing a
nose-over in the water. You mention loosing an engine might be a
problem with 2x200 hp. I had been looking at the power loading of
several twins and have noticed many with similar power loading. In
fact a 1997 PA-34 Seneca V has 2 engines rated 200 hp continuous (220
for TO) with a gross of 4750 lbs, but a stall speed of 70 mph. But you
do bring up a good point about SE performance, and that's one thing I
will keep an eye on.

Thanks for your comments! Keep em coming!
Tom


Look carefully at the props. A seaplane needs a lot of thrust at low
airspeeds to break free of the water. The very high wing Catalina would
allow for large, slow props which, being much more efficient, would allow
lower HP for the same performance. Of course you have to deal with the
water spray erosion of the blades but modern Kevlar-carbon blades might
survive better than metal. Reversible props would allow the airplane to
pivot on it's center for good water handling.

Seaplane safety depends a lot on just how slowly the aircraft leaves and
returns to the water. Your idea of Fowler flaps is a good one. The
Catalina's big, high aspect ratio wing helps too.

Bill Daniels

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

CL-415 would be better with enhanced performance and more dependable
engines...

True.... But a Catalina has those big round engines
and so does the CL-215.

Some of those will be on the used market for a whole lot less than a
turbine model.

Course if you want the real thing:

http://www.barnstormers.com/listing....es%40cs-ent.ca

And cost a fraction of what a new CL-415 geauxs for...

Parts, parts, parts.

With a Canadair CL-215 you can phone, fax, or e-mail Bombardier
and have brand new parts delivered overnight.

If you want to cruise the islands of the Pacific do you want to be
flying a sixty year old plane with no factory support or an airplane
that is still being made with one hundred percent factory support.

"kumaros" wrote in message ...
to have. Better than a sailboat.

I recall a French series of nature documentaries filmed in Patagonia etc.
featuring a huge amphibian twin-engined aircraft, sort of a flying
combination of a house, a boat and an airplane. I wish I could find the
name of the series.

Maybe something involving Jaques Cousteau? He had a converted Catalina.

Veeduber - "pilot's head in the pylon" - the shoulders are in the hull, then?

From: "John Oliveira"


PBY was only US warplane (not counting single engine observation) that did
not have flaps!
"Tom Osmundson"

The running gag at the tim was that the Cat had a take off speed of 100 kt,
cruise speed of 100kt and a stall speed of 100kt.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Maybe something involving Jaques Cousteau? He had a converted Catalina.

Veeduber - "pilot's head in the pylon" - the shoulders are in the hull, then?


Yes, but his son died in the crash....

I watched the series on PBS a while back (probably a couple years) it was
very interesting. Completely purpose built. But alas, sorry I have no other
info on it!
John



kumaros wrote:

"Kathryn & Stuart Fields" wrote in message
...

Nathan: Several of us including a P.E have set around the table talking
about the same thing. Diesel engines great for the lagoon hopping out in
the So. Pacific. I even approached one of Burt Rutan's test pilots and
told
him to get Burt working on the idea..??
I think the idea is neat.. We spent 8 years out in the Pacific in the
Marshall islands and the type of ship you are playing with would be the
thing to have. Better than a sailboat.

I recall a French series of nature documentaries filmed in Patagonia etc.
featuring a huge amphibian twin-engined aircraft, sort of a flying
combination of a house, a boat and an airplane. I wish I could find the
name of the series.
Kumaros
It's all Greek to me

Hey maybe he is as interested in designing as he is building and flying!
Go for it.
John
Dibs on shotgun on first passenger flight! ;-)


Shiver Me Timbers wrote:

Instead of designing and building something that may or may not work
and taking years in the process why don't you just go out and
buy the closest equivalent and have a certified airplane in the process.

The Canadair CL-215.

Big, roomy, radial engines, certified, you can redo the interior to
your own specs, and if you want the big bulgy widows on the sides....
why not.

Available now...... You could be actually flying throughout those
Pacific Islands within months.

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:28:59 +0000, John Oliveira wrote:

PBY was only US warplane (not counting single engine observation) that did
not have flaps!

You're kidding right? Many of the pre-WWII US warplanes did not have
flaps.

--
Kevin Horton RV-8 (finishing kit)
Ottawa, Canada
http://go.phpwebhosting.com/~khorton/rv8/
e-mail: khorton02(_at_)rogers(_dot_)com