Land-Based Plane With Jettisonable Float: Do-Able or Not?

[The Wooksta!]

Don't diss everything that Aoshima did.  They released some beautiful Fw Ta 152H kits in the mid 1990s that are the best of the type ever released in 72nd. 

[NARSES2]

Don't diss everything that Aoshima did.  They released some beautiful Fw Ta 152H kits in the mid 1990s that are the best of the type ever released in 72nd. 

Yup got a couple, but I also remember some of their early stuff. However at the time if you wanted the type they were the only models available.

Blackburn B-20: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_B-20

There were a couple of Blackburn types if I remember rightly

[KJ_Lesnick]

Weaver

Don't see why not. You could use P-40/Corsair-style rearward retracting gear so it's not fighting the float for centreline space.

Well it would be necessary to ensure the structural support for the float wouldn't cut into the volume where the landing gears and doors are located.  The gears wouldn't be extended if the float was attached, it would be necessary though


Hobbes

The extra weight would eat into the (already not very large) payload for smaller aircraft.

What about a plane like the P-38 or P-47?  They both had significant payloads and the P-38 had two engines which could help provide additional steering control without any kind of water-rudder

You'd also have to make damn sure that the float stays in place during a water landing, but also can be ejected with absolute certainty when needed.

Did the means to produce small explosive bolts or charges to blow the whole thing off safely?

And you'd end up throwing away large, expensive pieces of kit every time you jettison a float.

Well that's true, the idea would be that you could one design as a land/carrier-based aircraft, a seaplane-fighter to escort flying-boats with the ability to jettison the floats and land on a ship or a land-base.

A flying boat with retractable wheels is a much simpler solution.

Flying boats, as I understand it are more conducive to large aircraft whereas floatplanes are better suited to small aircraft.

[sandiego89]

.[/quote]

Flying boats, as I understand it are more conducive to large aircraft whereas floatplanes are better suited to small aircraft.
[/quote]

Yes more conductive but there are examples of effective small flying boats (Duck, Walrus, See-Bee, many others) and larger float planes (C-47/DC-3 IIRC being among the biggest). A flying boat is generally preferrable for a large patrol or transport seaplane, and floats are likely best for a "fighter" or recon plane due to less drag. 

Totally depends on what you want.  If you want a fighter go with floats.   

[Weaver]

Weaver

Don't see why not. You could use P-40/Corsair-style rearward retracting gear so it's not fighting the float for centreline space.

Well it would be necessary to ensure the structural support for the float wouldn't cut into the volume where the landing gears and doors are located.  The gears wouldn't be extended if the float was attached, it would be necessary though

That's precisely the point of using P-40-style gear: the gear retracts backwards into the inner wings, leaving a wide swath of centreline space for the float pylon. If you used conventional inwards-retracting gear you'd have exactly the problem you describe, since the wheel wells of many (though not all) such gears almost met on the centreline.

[Mossie]

The grumman duck was amphbious & could (& did) land on board a carrier.

Engineering wise it would probably be possible to have light fixed undercarriage stored inside the outrigger floats, especially if you mounted them a bit further inboard.  Wouldn't be ideal, but if you needed to jettison the gear when jumped, you could at least land.

[RussC]

The grumman duck was amphbious & could (& did) land on board a carrier.

Engineering wise it would probably be possible to have light fixed undercarriage stored inside the outrigger floats, especially if you mounted them a bit further inboard.  Wouldn't be ideal, but if you needed to jettison the gear when jumped, you could at least land.

  What is really needed is a design for a outsize rubber tire that also works as a float, maybe by turning it on its side, and incorporating a hub that even gives aerodynamic lift. 

[jcf]

The first retractable float fighter was built by Gotha in 1916 to a design by Oskar Ursinus.






The largest float-plane was the Cant. Z511. (Span: 131' 2.75"; Length: 93' 6"; Weight[loaded]:73,987 lbs)


http://www.vvsregiaavions.com/RegiaHTML/rz5111.htm

Another method of incorporating wheeled gear with floats would be to mount them using stub-wings that also
contain inward retracting gear ala the XC-31 or the Heston Phoenix.



http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3290