Boat + Plane = Amphibious Aircraft?

[alibre_rob]

Well, at least - that is what my interest is, and why I decided to sign in - since a boat builder friend of mine recommended this forum to me!

I have this idea of designing an Amphibious aircraft - had it bouncing in my head since 1984!! Finallly got some software - 3D MCAD to begin a learning curve last year - Alibre Design. also have a trial of Rhino 3.0 still in my system, but have been mostly busy with Alibre Design this last year!

Any input will be welcome! I am currently back working ( was layed off) at Bombardier/ DeHavilland here in Toronto, Ontario. Robert

[B. Hamm]

Better off looking at aircraft design rather than boat design. Might check out the EAA, Experimental Aircraft Assoc., they have an extensive web site.

Bill H.

[stump]

Rob, check out the ground effect hovercraft. I searched Google and came up with a site that has plans to build a hovercraft with stubby wings that it would fly several feet off the water and still be classed as a boat. And, yes they have full sized wing plans for those with a pilot license. Sorry about not having the link, but with a little searching, you'll find it. I saw a thing on TV about commercial ground effect hovercraft hauling passengers across the English channel so decided to see if plans were available.

stump

[Eric Sponberg]

Rob,

Merrifield-Roberts Inc., a boatbuilder in Bristol, RI, built a number of prototypes of a flying boat that flew in ground effect, therefore it was a boat and not an airplane. They have a lot of experience in the design and construction of such craft. I do not have their number handy, but you can get it from telephone information. Talk to Kim Roberts, one of the owners.

Eric

[D'ARTOIS]

Are you specifically interested in flying boats like the WWII Catalina's and German built Condors or the ground-effect craft as we know today like the Ekranoplan or Volga?
A German company, Rhein Flugzeugbau GmbH is also know to experiment with working model (f.i. X-113, achieved 98 knots with a 28 Kw engine) next to them their are lots of experimental projects around.
For transport purposes Airfoil- or ground effect craft are substantial more efficient hat traditional powered water-craft by having low operational costs and can be flown at very high speeds up to 200 km/h, about 108 nm.

They are designed for circumstances of waves not surpassing heights of 1.5 mtrs (landing capacity).

If you require addresses here are a few:

BOTEC Ingenieurs Soziatat GmbH
Odenwaldsring 24
D - 644401 Gross-Biebenau
Germany

RHEIN FLUGZEUGBAU GmbH
Flugplatz,
PO BOX 408
D 4050 Moenchengladbach - 1
Germany

Attn Dipl. Ing. Hartmut Stiegler

CHIBA Marine Development Co
attn Yusuke Uzawa
Motoige 17-75
Iwasaki, Nissin-cho
Aichi Prefecture
470-01
Japan

[gonzo]

They are building something along those lines in Italy. I don't have their name right away but will post it when I find it.

[Thunderhead19]

I love these things.
http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/chinaclipper2.html
and especially
http://www.martinmars.com/
When those boys fly over us, they block out the entire sky.

[rxcomposite]

Alibre,

Bad luck. Just 3 days ago, i threw away my printed materials on winged ground effect aircraft. D'Artois has a good lead in locating RFB. RFB was the leading design on ground wing aircraft. Their latest was the airfish. I came to know this a/c when it was offered to us to manufacture when i was still in the aero industry sometime in 1990.

The latest i have heard of RFB was that it was sold to a private company for development. The article appeared in Popular Science or Popular mechanics magazine some years back.

There are other designs, notably the Russian ground effect machine. You will see this in Jane,s High Speed Marine Craft 1994-1995 edition.

Good luck,
Rx

[rxcomposite]

This thread should be relocated to "wingboat design". Lots of interesting topic and this idea was fully covered in the said thread.

[mackid068]

How about getting a large plane (like the 737, there's a guy who did this) and shaping its hull so it becomes a boat. This time, keep the wings n' engines though.

[boby boy]

other sights would be more helpfull to you. follow your dreams.

[gonzo]

Mackid068: maybe you are believing your political blurb. In reality, the laws of physics limit what you can do. A plane is designed to fly and land on wheels. If you want a seaplane it has to be designed as such. Also the alloys are different for corrosion resistance.

[kach22i]

Bob Winth (spelling?) is the man to talk to at Universal Hovercraft.

http://www.hovercraft.com/

http://www.hovercraft.com/images/new_ground_effect.jpg

If you want "aircraft" look up Bell Aerospace (of Toronto early 1970's) they took a small pusher seaplane and did a hovercraft landing system on it. Took it one step further and did a turboprop DeHavline "Buffalo" too. Sorry about the spelling, gotta run they are both in Jane's Surface Skimmers 1976 and a Discovery channel "Wings" program.

[gonzo]

That looks slightly smaller than a 727 :)

[kach22i]

That looks slightly smaller than a 727 :)
There are published designs for "Mega Planes" using air cushion landing systems, although they are typicaly cruising in "Ground Effect" or low to the surface (water).

[Jimboat]

There is quite a difference in designing a "boat that benefits from WIG effects", and an "aircraft that can land on water". There is certainly lot's of info around on both - but they aree definately different animals!

[kach22i]

The guy who started this thread works at the only place that has ever done an air cushion landing system (retro fitted to an aircraft), I find this a little odd. Perhaps someone put him up to starting this thread - don't have any idea why, just find it odd.

The "Lake" aircraft and the "Buffalo" of the early to mid 1970's have not been replicated to the best of my knowlege.