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Elroy13
PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:49 pm 
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This is the first time I've seen this. The center pontoon retracts as the bottom of the fuselage. What is this?

http://www.strangemilitary.com/content/item/130988.html

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shoki
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:32 pm 
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Blackburn B-20
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Russ Matthews
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:35 pm 
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What's the advantage? Prop clearance?
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mike furline
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:53 pm 
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TBDude wrote:
What's the advantage? Prop clearance?


Less drag while flying.

Regards,
Mike
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Joe Scheil
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:09 pm 
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Actually its designed to keep mechanics busy!
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Russ Matthews
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:52 pm 
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But why bother with the added weight and mechanical complexity of an enormous extending center pontoon -- rather than a conventional flying boat hull?
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tom d. friedman
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:08 pm 
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wacky looking thing. how many prototypes?? any additional pics?? or history??

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daveymac82c
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Seems ridiculous to me. I want to hear the rationale behind it.

A agree that the added weight of the contraption totally offset the gain in aerodynamics.

Cheers,

David
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shoki
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:55 pm 
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The Float was designed to keep the props clear of the water without excessive hull depth, and to obtain large angles of wing incidence on take-off without the penalty of an awkward nose-down . drag producing cruising attitude. Quoted from Putnam Blackburn Aircraft since 1909.
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Elroy13
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_B-20

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tom d. friedman
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:44 am 
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respectable speed with all that drag. the profile shot does it more justice.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!
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daveymac82c
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:40 am 
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Wow, I'm impressed. That is quite a decent speed for something like that.

-David
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Canso42
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Way to go Trae. Not many flying boats are totally new to me but that gobbler was a total surprise!

The B-20 came out in a time when number of flying boat designs were around, both good and bad. Wikipedia says two were built. The crew got scared of it and baled out. geez! It lost the competition to the Saunders-Roe Lerwick, which was a big enough turkey in its own right. Only 21 of those were delivered and withdrawn by mid '41 except for one short strength sqn. flying Arctic convoy patrol. The Lerwick was replaced by the CATALINA * (No I'm not biased at all.)

Canso42

* The Encylclopedia of Aircraft, Thunder Bay Press, 2004. p. 434.
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