solentlife

Watching this is 'poetry in motion' ..... if only I could do same with mine !!



The obvious bit is that the PBY is still 'flying' when she touches ... keeping those wings level. This gives me an idea ! Why not use a stabiliser to assist in the landing ... some may call it cheating - but this is no aerobatics machine ... its for more relaxed flying.

mmmmmmm thinking !!

Nigel

solentlife

This video actually shows how low in the water she is and the bow wave coming over the prow ...



and notice the skips on water when landing ... again - it shows she's still basically flying when landing.

Nigel

dahawk

Cool vid ! I like The Grumman Goose too.

Buddy is scratching building the H3 from a photo. 4 engine seaplane designed, built and flown once by Howard Hughes. He destroyed all the plans. The H4 was called the Spruce Goose.

solentlife

The name Spruce Goose was actually incorrectly given as most of the wood used was Birch ...

Nigel

pizzano

Actually, the media penned the name Spruce Goose (figures why it was incorrectly identified)......Hughes referred to it as the "Flying Boat" the Air Force designated it the HK-1 and later changed it to the H-4...........yes, constructed entirely of wood, 85% of it Birch.........

solentlife

The reason for the use of wood was the Govt requirement to not call on 'strategic' materials such as Dural and other specialist light alloys allocated to military production.

Some incorrect reports say that Hughes decided to use wood being an easily worked but strong material ...

It has never been cleared up as to why he actually took of from the water for the few hundred feet when in fact he was only cleared for taxi trials. There are reports that he was surprised by it happening having possibly miscalculated lift off speed being the plane was empty and without full fuel load.
We will never know the truth.
The fact is he walked away from the H4 after that day to never try her again saying he'd done his job.

Nigel

dahawk

This guy claims there was an H3. I can't find it anywhere. He has built his with 4 engines. The H4 has 8. I think he may be incorrect in thinking there was a 4 engine H3.

solentlife

Well Google Images shows a H3 with 4 engines as a concept model for later enlargement to the H4 ... who knows ...

Nigel

dahawk

Thanks,

Interesting He's on it then. Building H3 based on a single picture. No plans, nothing. Looks great. Even had a guy 3D print some nacelles. I'll take a pic when he brings to float fly.

solentlife

Looking at the image - looks like a racer fuselage with a large multi-engine wing !

Nigel

dahawk

Yes, this one. He's got it 98% completed. He only had this pic to go by. All plans and images were destroyed by HH.

I'll get a good pic at the float fly on Oct 9th. What a scratch build. All ply and balsa

solentlife

Had some fun with the PBY yesterday until second flight where wing pylon broke after some 'spirited' flying ....



Second flight ....



Repairs underway already and will refrain from stressing it so much again next time !

Nigel

solentlife

Here she is back with her 8x4,5 stock props and of the club lake ...



One day I will get her to land properly without digging a float in ...

Nigel

solentlife

Old thread but mines still alive !!

Dragged her out to see if I could sort the lack of grass take-off.

Every time I tried - she would dig her nose in and refuse.

Today I carefully measured thrist lines and found the props had different amounts of DOWN .. stbd was about 5 deg ... port about 3 deg. They both also were not straight, given the contra rotation props - side thrust is not needed.

I carefully removed the top nacelle shells and then glued spacers under the motor posts to pitch up. Put the nacelle tops back and then measured again The port one was still slightly down, so I took a lollipop stick and via a tight slot in bottom nacelle pushed the motor post up to correct .. epoxied stick in place and now she's all done.

Took her outside and motored her easily around the roughish grass I have. SUCCESS ! The secret as I suspected is to have motors without downthrust - to be in line with wing ...
Now to see what she is like in flight.

Interesting item : Last time I flew her was May 27 2017 ..... today I found I had left a 3S 2200 Lipo in her !! Its still in good order ..............

solentlife

Took her to the General Open Summer meeting at the ex Soviet airfield. Having got her to stop nosing into the ground everytime throttle opened - thought to try her there.

WOW ... what a difference, she was an absolute peach. Gone was the previous 'nervous' model ... now she was smooth and really looked the part.

Sadly the video never came out good ... Soloshot 3 battery was discharged ... hatcam was misaligned - must have knocked it ...

Really pleased.

Beaver Pilot

Love the airplane do you still fly it? Any advice for someone who would like to get one?