Shinden float plane

[Dork the kit slayer]

There is a guy on Hyperscale showing a mock up of a Shinden (canard) floatplane. It looks so interesting I could be tempted along the same dark path.  Give it a quick coat of looking at.





***added html for the link to the page in question***

[JayBee]

Come on, give us a link!!! Please!!!!

[Sauragnmon]

I'm going to suggest to him (when they file my application( that he move the main float Forward - as it stands, she'd interfere with the prop, I'm sure of it.  To move it forward, though, he'd have to re-arrange the stands for the float, with the single vertical moved forward to support the weight, and the V-stand aft, so it stays connected to the wings.  Ostensibly, he could use the original landing gear positions that way (as they would theoretically be stressed to support the landing forces) I could almost wonder what might happen if the mounting joints for the main float were designed as stabilizer airfoils...

[jcf]

Its an interesting notion, however as shown it would not float let alone take-off.
The maximum volume of the float is too far forward, there is almost nothing to
support the weight of the engine, moving it further forward would only exacerbate
the problem.

Some kind of twin-float arrangement would probably work better.

[Sauragnmon]

The problem at current, is that the tail of that centerline float is going to get smacked by the prop when fitted.  As to supporting engine weight, putting more floating capacity on the tail floats might work better.  Perhaps shortening the float's overall length and retaining its central position so it doesn't interfere with the prop, while giving the side floats a little more body to support the engine weight (which let's face it is Not at the tail, but mid-aft fuselage - they had a drive shaft, and associated vibration issues, to connect the prop to the tail, the radiator was mounted behind the engine if I recall, with the drive shaft going through the radiator).

If you go for twin floats, you still have the nose to support if you're trying to balance the weight - there's the four 30mm guns plus ammo up there, in addition to other mass on that point.

[jcf]

Moving the float forward or shortening the float to clear the prop would just put the prop in the water  , floatplanes have a tendency to 'squat'
when the power comes on. Increasing the size of the stabilizing floats is a zero-sum game as it would greatly increase drag. In a centre line float setup the weight of the aircraft is carried by the main float, the stabilizing floats are there to keep the aircraft from tipping over.

As his design stands it requires longer mounting struts.

To actually make a float Shinden work it may be necessary to revisit the early days and use three floats, two main and a small float forward to support the nose. Something like the Sopwith Tabloid layout in reverse.


Or use two larger floats and solve the weight distribution issues by sweeping the wings forward. 

I'm quite familiar with the mechanical layout of the Shinden, the air-cooled 18-cylinder radial engine and propeller drive installation
(there was no radiator) took up a little less than the aft half of the aircraft. The engine proper was mounted so that the bulk of the
weight was aft of the main spar, thus in the last third of the airframe. No matter how you cut it the Kyofu float being used on that
model would not work as it is proportioned for a front engined aircraft.

[Green Dragon]

There's a few more pics in his post on Starshipmodeler. http://www.starshipmodeler.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=75910
Wouldn't mind seeing the movie he's based it on, we don't get many Japanese movies in the UK. I 've got more than thirty movie channels (not including all the Box Office/Pay Per View ones) and there's usually hardly anything worth watching.

Paul Harrison