I hope all are enjoying the Holiday Season so far! Myself, I've been pecking away at the main floats late at night here and there. What I have so far is the overall perspective while I work on the interior structures in detail. (Quite the Dinosaurs in there I must say, ....canvas bulkheads for one thing?!.) I am drawing these up as original in order to expose areas for improvement / re-design.
At this point, some issues are now apparent and I would like to elicit comments from those who may have float experience (I have none) as to the following items.
- It is immediately apparent that there is no step in this design. However, the short dimension and placement of the floats puts the aft end right about where a step should be. Comments as to the issue of "un-stick" and it's ramifications are encouraged.
- The 270 deg ash beading is clearly designed to protect the bottom for beaching / ground handling. What kind of spray pattern and it's effect on the prop can be anticipated? Suggestions for spray control while remaining true to original design?
There is much documentation as to the general unsuitability of these designs for rough water. However, I would not be deployed against enemy shipping / zeppelins in open ocean and so be restricted to inland bays, lakes,..... protected waters. Still....I look at this flat bottom and the three float configuration and wonder about nose over in an inadvertent oscillation (porpoising). So the following operational issues then come to mind.
-Take-off would appear to be straight forward. Allow the tail to come up at its leisure, come up on plane to flying speed and un-stick....correct?
-Landing is a question though. Main floats first and allow tail to settle,..... or three point? Simply curiosity at this point.
Thanks!