Laker conversions (Great Lake Ships)

[PR19_Kit]

Okay 'fess up, or am I the only person who skipped this thread at first thinking it was something to do with Sir Freddie's airliners?  

I made the same assumption and deliberately read it because of that! I was expecting it to be about some Whiffed Super Carvairs or something similar. Hm, now there's an idea, how about a DC-7 based Carvair?

[Dork the kit slayer]

Except the position of the superstructure.  These "lakers" would have been at a disadvantage with their superstructures forward - cutting holes in their bows would have been more difficult 'cause it would have undermined the strength required to support it.

The bridge would have been cut off and moved aft above the engine room( taller funnel).
Texico(Caltex) did this in the 70s with their old T-2 tonnage.



"Plus the lakes are fresh water and the sea isn't. The lakers would have floated higher in the water out at sea, which can't have done much for their stability."

Cant see there being a problem re salt/fresh water,the advantage would be that it could carry more cargo for a similar draft.
All merchant shipping has a fresh water allowance in its load line, which deals with the different densities of water the vessel loads or discharges its cargo.
Ive loaded bulk from the Amazon (fw)for discharge in Canada (sw)and grain from Deluth (Great Lakes) for Italy(sw)

Most ships in the ww2 era rode high ( in ballast)  the advent of water ballast allowed for increased stability in light ship passage.

[JayBee]

how about a DC-7 based Carvair?

or one based on a Comet