unconventional float planes or flying boats

[rickshaw]

Depends on if you want it to be amphibious or a pure seaplane.   If it's the former, can I suggest perhaps a set of 1/48 Catalina undercarriage.  IIRC Kitnut used them for his amphibious Dart powered Sunderland.  It would require some serious hull side cutting though, to make the bays for the undercarriage to retract into.   If it's a pure Seaplane, then just use the Sunderland's beaching gear or scratch build a trolley.

[wuzak]

Just received the book Schneider Trophy Seaplanes and Flying Boats: Victors, Vanquished and Visions.

Flicking through the pages I found a drawing of an aircraft, which was never completed, called the Pegna P.c.1.



This was a flying boat that sat low in the water, and tilted its engine to give prop clearance for take-off.

This is the only image I could find - obviously an artist's impression.

It seems that the designer, Pegna, also worked on the Piaggio P7.

[McColm]

You have a good point about the Cumberland combo of Connie and Sunderland .I might even go for the same scheme as used by the Boeing clipper sea plane .
On the reverse side of this topic I have the 1/72 Airfix RAF Launch ,a pair of period wings and aircraft engines .Looking a bit like the Walrus sea planes of yesteryear ,the original flying boat.

[Librarian]

Now this looks the biz....how about a B-58 alternative :

[McColm]

I believe that I have most of the parts for that build .1/72 B-58 kit, Airfix Short Sunderland already built and I could cut the fuselage down to below the the height of the forward turret, lose the wings and tail .The box junction will be useful on the C-97 build as I am moving the  wings to the shoulder position on  .

[royabulgaf]

I dunno, have to check the measurements.  I would start with a P6M for the hull, maybe F2Y stabilizing floats.  So far so good.  However,  I think that is an MyA Bounder.  Even if you could find a vac form, they don't give them away, and the Amodel is well into three figures.  Amodel does make the (Nikitin?) NK-1, which the small flying boat is based on.  It's relatively cheap.  And oh yes, lots and lots of Bondo.

[McColm]

I should be able to reduce some of my larger models in my stash for this build .Perhaps the monogram 1/72 B-1B grafted to a scratch built hull. Or a B-52 float plane ?

[Captain Canada]

Would it even get out of the water with a float that big ? I'd hate to see it try and change direction ! Still, very cool looking !

[Mossie]

Now this looks the biz....how about a B-58 alternative :

Have you got the book Convair Advanced Designs: Secret Projects from San Diego, 1923-1962?  There's at least two flying boat projects in there that resemble the Hustler, B-58 wing, hydro-ski and tilting engines.

If you're into flying boats/floatplanes then it's well worth getting as half the book is dedicated to flying boat projects, the other to bombers.  The sublime, the ridiculous and everything in between are covered.

[McColm]

Thanks Mossie I will keep an eye out for that.
The Italeri 1/72 B-58 Hustler doesn't sit too well on the Airfix Short Sunderland unlike the Connie .

[Mossie]

It's readilly available on Amazon, for a reasonable price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Convair-Advanced-Designs-Projects-1923-1962/dp/1580071333

There's a follow up volume due on fighters, attack aircraft and unique concepts.  It's on Amazon's not yet released list at least eighteen months, although it now has cover art so it's probably just a matter of waiting.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Convair-Advanced-Designs-II-1929-1973/dp/085979170X/ref=pd_sim_b_8

[McColm]

I've got a wreck of a 1/72 Consolidated Catalina that I could use with the B-58 sea plane idea .
I can cut the tail and reshape the front end .I have seen places inline where I can get the metal landing gear from .
Using this as a base most of my builds will fit as an alternative to a stand.
So don't be surprised if I start buying cheap Catalina kits.

[Mossie]

Here's one that's in the Convair book, an autogiro based on the XPB3Y-1, with a single bladed rotor that recesses into the upper fuselage.

[McColm]

Got a Revell 1:118 Martin PBM-5 Mariner in my stash .I could use that with a helicopter parts from my spares bin .
Thanks for the info .

[McColm]

Success,
As those of you that have access to my FaceBook page will know that I have managed to build a float plane version of the 1/72 Heller Lockheed Constellation C-69, known as the Connie Francis. I might exhibit this at the Hendon show in May if I can work out a way to transport it without breaking it.
As to the delemour of grafting the Short Sunderland to the Constellation,I've just added the triple fin tail to the Airfix Sunderland and used a thin piece of plastic card to hide the join.
The C-130 amphibian kitbash has problems with the new undercarriage. Looks too tall, a rethink is in order.