Possible vintage sea plane route being opened.

[PADDY]

A European Airline company are looking at flying their sea plane to the Lake District in NW England (Cumbria). They used to be a common site in the 30's landing on Windermere Lake.

But modern Health & Safety could just 'sink' their plans sadly [huh] As apparently (I just saw this on this morning's BBC News) the planes would take off and land at a speed of around 60mph. The speed limit on the lakes is 10mph these days [huh] And therefore this GREAT VINTAGE IDEA for bringing tourists into the Lake District could be sunk before it gets off the ground (gosh, this is bringing the old journalist out in me again!!).

 

[Fletch]

No idea for bringing more tourists to the Lake District is a good one. Not even if they dressed 'em up in full PIR kit and dumped 'em out of C-47s (altho that might be fun to see ).

Can't they find someplace else to land that seaplane? Lake Maggiore? Bodensee? Both are rated for flying boat traffic. Used to be, anyway.

 

[RAF Man]

A European Airline company are looking at flying their sea plane to the Lake District in NW England (Cumbria). They used to be a common site in the 30's landing on Windermere Lake.

But modern Health & Safety could just 'sink' their plans sadly [huh] As apparently (I just saw this on this morning's BBC News) the planes would take off and land at a speed of around 60mph. The speed limit on the lakes is 10mph these days [huh] And therefore this GREAT VINTAGE IDEA for bringing tourists into the Lake District could be sunk before it gets off the ground (gosh, this is bringing the old journalist out in me again!!).

I was hoping to see Short Sunderlands, or Short Solents, or maybe even a Boeing Clipper flying boat doing these, but alas it does look like the idea could be scuppered before it starts. If it did happen they would be flying with (modern) D-H Canada Twin Otter sea planes.....The dream was nice, while it lasted anyway.

 

[Story]

One word solution: Zeppelins!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I was hoping to see Short Sunderlands, or Short Solents, or maybe even a Boeing Clipper flying boat doing these, but alas it does look like the idea could be scuppered before it starts. If it did happen they would be flying with (modern) D-H Canada Twin Otter sea planes.....The dream was nice, while it lasted anyway.

All of the Boeing Clippers are gone, and the last large Sikorsky VS-44 is in a museum, leaving only the ex Howard Hughes Sikorsky VS-43, and the much smaller Sikorsky amphibians as the last of the old style 30s flying boats.


I believe the last really operational very large flying boats, may be the two Martin Mars that Flying Tankers Inc. operates. http://www.martinmars.com/

 

[RAF Man]

It would be truly amazing to see one of those machines fly...but as I said it was just a dream. A DHC Twin Otter just doesn't do it for me!

 

[dhermann1]

How about Grumman Widgens or Albatross? (Albatrosses?) (Albitri?) Isn't there a company in the Caribbean using them?

 

[RAF Man]

That would'nt be too bad. At least they look the part. Have flown on a Chalk's Grumman Mallard from Miami to Paradise Island Nassau, and it is was a great experience, back in 78.

 

[Diamondback]

You know, I think there are still a few sunken 314s on the seabed somewhere, but I don't know if a bird shot-up to "scuttle" it and underwater for 50 years can be restored to flight-status.

OTOH, if it can be done, there's gotta be someone at Boeing Commercial who'd love to do it, and I'd sign on to back 'em up. (For a "modest fee", like aseat aboard the first time it's flown, of course... )

 

[Fletch]

There's at least one operational 3-engine flying boat out there, a Dornier Do 24.

 

[RAF Man]

Likewise Diamondback :eusa_clap

 

[RAF Man]

There's at least one operational 3-engine flying boat out there, a Dornier Do 24.

That one would do too Fletch.

 

[Diamondback]

Likewise Diamondback :eusa_clap

By back up, I mean turning wrenches and other heavy labor. (My machine-shop skills are rusty, but I should be able to relearn 'em quick...)

But unlike y'all, I have several unfair advantages:

1. I live just down the highway from Boeing Renton (the 737 plant) and the Development Center (the original plant).
2. I have multiple "ins" with these things, between museum memberships, family and friends who work in the company.
3. I'm somewhat known around the company, every time they have a rollout party for a new model I "crash" it. (The party, not the plane, silly! )

Heck, given the blueprints and the supplies, it might be fun to try to scratchbuild one...

 

[dhermann1]

Well, there are so any 5/8 scale homebuilt warbird designs out there, why not a scaled down version of one of these larger craft As technology progresses, the making of things like castings and forgings has been somewhat simplified, hasn't it? I mean with computers and such? So maybe a small scale Short Sunderland or Solent isn't as crazy an idea as it seems. Or maybe it is. . .

 

[dhermann1]

There's at least one operational 3-engine flying boat out there, a Dornier Do 24.

What a gorgeous airplane! If a PBY is a goose, then the Do 24 is a swan!

 

[Diamondback]

Well, there are so any 5/8 scale homebuilt warbird designs out there, why not a scaled down version of one of these larger craft As technology progresses, the making of things like castings and forgings has been somewhat simplified, hasn't it? I mean with computers and such? So maybe a small scale Short Sunderland or Solent isn't as crazy an idea as it seems. Or maybe it is. . .

Who said anything about "scale"? I'm talking about a 12"=1', full-scale reconstruction. Wimp... lol Although modern CAD/CAM and CNC would make it much easier...

Why do people always think small? "If you're gonna build, build BIG," I always say...

 

[dhermann1]

Hey, if you think it's doable, let's do it. I was just thinking that one reason the scaled down versions work is the availability of the V6 motors. Where will you get the powerplants?

 

[Diamondback]

Where else, get the blueprints for them too... OTOH, I'd bet there are still some GR-2600 Twin Cyclones kicking around the Boneyard or some scrapyard somewhere... (We only need four of 'em, so it's not like we need to really reopen a production line. Refurb line, maybe...)

Then again, I probably watched too much MacGyver as a kid, and too much Monster Garage now.

 

[Mojave Jack]

What a gorgeous airplane! If a PBY is a goose, then the Do 24 is a swan!

A goose?! The PBY?! Why that's...well, I...a goose?! *sputter* *choke* Blasphemy! The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon!

I'm kidding, of course, dhermann! I just happen to love the PBY like no other plane. It wasn't too long ago (1989, I think) a crew took a Catalina from Cairo to Cape Horn along the old Imperial Airways route. They say in the film that they were considering reviving the route for the tourist trade, but were dissuaded by SAMs and other groundfire. If you can find a copy, check out The Last African Flying Boat. A great adventure.

 

[dhermann1]

The PB-Y was the most beautiful sight in the world to many many downed flyers. But my mother, who was in the Marines in WWII, always loved to sing (to the tune of "You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine"), "Oh, I'd rather be a Hellcat than a fat old PB-Y". Anyone know any more of this little ditty?