Flying boats...BIG ones!

[GTX_Admin]

Hi folks,

A thread for your Ideas and Inspiration for big flying boats.  We're talking Saro Princess:



or Hughes Hercules type beasts here:



Regards,

Greg

[elmayerle]

Hercules with T34s, or equivalent, replacing the R4360s?  A little later in time and use T57s instead?

[Daryl J.]

Adding several fuselage layers to the Saro Princess would make it look like a Flying Michelin Man if painted white

[kitnut617]

Hercules with T34s, or equivalent, replacing the R4360s?  A little later in time and use T57s instead?

My 1/72 project will have Northrop-Hendy T37's on it, just trying to figure out how the nacelle might have looked like after looking at the photos Jon posted of it on a test rig.

[elmayerle]

Hercules with T34s, or equivalent, replacing the R4360s?  A little later in time and use T57s instead?

My 1/72 project will have Northrop-Hendy T37's on it, just trying to figure out how the nacelle might have looked like after looking at the photos Jon posted of it on a test rig.

Converted to tractor propellers as opposed to the pusher propeller version developed for the B-35?  Be glad to work with you on the nacelles, I do have experience in that area.

[kitnut617]

Hercules with T34s, or equivalent, replacing the R4360s?  A little later in time and use T57s instead?

My 1/72 project will have Northrop-Hendy T37's on it, just trying to figure out how the nacelle might have looked like after looking at the photos Jon posted of it on a test rig.

Converted to tractor propellers as opposed to the pusher propeller version developed for the B-35?  Be glad to work with you on the nacelles, I do have experience in that area.

Yep! tractor propellers Evan, and I'd like to take you up on that help offer.  I'll take a couple of photos of what I've come up with so far, and see if it works in with what you might think it should go like.  This below looks like it's in 'tractor' configuration even though the caption says it's for the XB-35

[jcf]

One could do the Nuclear Princess using the big vac kit and the drawings that Scott Lowter sells:
http://www.up-ship.com/drawndoc/drawndocair.htm

The Princess drawings are about half way down the page, he also has drawings of big
Convair nuke powered flying boat projects.

[jcf]

Robert, don't read too much into the test stand configuration as the same engine/stand
was used to test the six-bladed pusher contra-prop for the twin XT-37 EB-35B.
The engine stand and propeller gearbox layout shown was probably chosen for reasons of
space and simplicity, as it was easier and safer, for test purposes, to drive the shaft from
the front of the engine than it would have been to drive it from the hot section, as planned
for the actual aircraft installation.

[kitnut617]

Thanks Jon.  The test configuration just gave me something to work with in respect to a tractor set-up.

[GTX_Admin]

One could do the Nuclear Princess using the big vac kit

Which kit would that be Jon?

[kitnut617]

One could do the Nuclear Princess using the big vac kit

Which kit would that be Jon?

The Execuform 1/72 one Greg --- plus A-Model is supposed to be bringing one out too IIRC, but that one would be horrendously expensive

[GTX_Admin]

Thanks Robert.  I would imagine Amodel's would be around the same price as their Hughes Hercules.

[kitnut617]

I think the Princess is about the size of the Martin Mars, which is about the size of a B-36 so I'm expecting the cost of the A-Model kit to be more in line with the An-22 they do (got one in the stash), mind you that was well over a hundred quid  ----- 

EDIT: just looked at the Big H site, An-22 is 240 GBP      I didn't pay that much though a couple of years ago, It was around 150 then.  Spruce Goose, 350 GBP ---  err say what !!

[The Big Gimper]

Source: FB The Greatest Planes That Never Were