Flywhale Amphibian certified as European UL

[crushed nuts]

I kept jumping forward trying to get a look at the plane, **** annoying. Modern MBA style marketing teaching has a lot to answer for.

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What ever happened about the ... plane you WERE making ?? what happen to that ?? ...

I still come back to Scotts wing thing with a light weight tunnel hull big enough for two and all its advantages of lifting flying body shapes ! Still have my pulmonary drawings and sketch's and calculations etc done by my Korean professional light plane designer !!

 

[harrisonaero]

I think Tunnels is back....!!

 

[Pilot-34]

I kept jumping forward trying to get a look at the plane, **** annoying. Modern MBA style marketing teaching has a lot to answer for.

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Whatever happened with that plane ? Did the really stupid marketing video kill it?
Did some college educated video producer use the word product?

I kept looking for those great flying directly over your shots and beautiful three-quarter forward shots with the bank and there wasn’t anything just annoying flying away from me a long ways in the distance shots

 

[malte]

Whatever happened with that plane ? Did the really stupid marketing video kill it?
Did some college educated video producer use the word product?

I kept looking for those great flying directly over your shots and beautiful three-quarter forward shots with the bank and there wasn’t anything just annoying flying away from me a long ways in the distance shots

They lack a market and the aircraft isn't really good, in my opinion. Their prototype crashed in an accident mainly based on neglect (the companies "contracted" flight instructor and flight school owner did not know about glassy water landings and on first encounter crashed the aircraft. Luckily, no persons injured.). Serial number two or three was overturned by waves while beaching the aircraft.

I have looked into this aircraft a little bit more intense during my master thesis work on the optimisation of flying boat hulls. They are not particular good in hydrodynamics and the engineer told me they had ballparked the design and iterated it once. Their "test pilot" had no experience in flying boats, just a seaplane rating, he gained on floats (so 8 hours float experience).

In Welzow, I found the forward hinged canopy not particular good for handling. Also, on my Lake I have seen my prop moving down 1,6 inches on a hard landing. I would not want to be seated with my head so close to the prop. Also, with it's 175,5 kg payload, it's not really useful.

Anyway, in 2020 the company filed for bankruptcy and apparently they have found a new investor.

 

[Pilot-34]

I have looked into this aircraft a little bit more intense during my master thesis work on the optimisation of flying boat hulls. They are not particular good in hydrodynamics

I’m assuming since you owned a lake you’re happy with their hydrodynamics but with all your research have you discovered any key points to the optimization of small (1200 payload 4seat or so)Hull type seaplanes ?

 

[malte]

I’m assuming since you owned a lake you’re happy with their hydrodynamics but with all your research have you discovered any key points to the optimization of small (1200 payload 4seat or so)Hull type seaplanes ?

I am okay with the lake, I would do some things different.

The aim of my thesis was to investigate if analytic formulae for hydrodynamic load calculations and handling predictions could be optimised and parameterised to include forming capabilities of todays materials, especially with regard to taylored stiffnesses of hydrodynamic structures. Short answer: Nope.

Anyway, I would have done some things different on the lake to gain more seaworthiness, but for my use it does what I want of it. (Flight Ops – AUFWIND) Perhaps sometimes I find a good Lake project to modify to my ideas.

Anyway, the Flywhale goes against some of the basic rules discovered by Theodore von Karman back in the 1920s and refined by nice engineers in Langley. Especially the position of the step can be optimised (i'd go stepless if i'd built a composite flying boat though). From what I have seen, the Flywhale has a hard time to get on the step, but then the crews that I have seen operating were overloading the aircraft quite well (namely that flight instructor who was caught off knowledge by a glassy water landing). When the aircraft was on the step following a landing, it tended to start porpoising. I haven't seen the Flywhale step-taxy though, whenever they tried to taxi faster, they were plowing through the water in displacement.

 

[Pilot-34]

Stepless ? That’s efficient?
I thought a step was required?

 

[malte]

Stepless ? That’s efficient?
I thought a step was required?

Yes, you need a discontinuity, not necessarily a step. They can reduce resistance by up to 20%. However, stepless planing tail hulls need much more attention to layout and design. Compared to that, the aftbody of a stepped hull is almost trivial to design.

 

[rv7charlie]

As I see it, there are only two OTHER ways to get the thrust line on a seaplane down closer tot he center of mass

Well, there is one other way, but not for us mere mortals.

When I first started flying, I thought of a great way to eliminate the hull step in a sea plane.Then I discovered that there really is nothing new under the sun...

 

[Biggles40]

I understand that hydrofoils don't work because of the cavitation problem but I never quite understood why a retractable ski designed to create a "step" would not work. Such a ski could be sprung to some extent to reduce impact effects and when retracted would form part of a laminar fuselage. The Shearwater in New Zealand appeared to be heading that way but the project never went any further. Can anyone shed any insight on this approach?

 

[rv7charlie]

Like this?
SkiGull – Burt Rutan

 

[Biggles40]

Not quite. Impressive plane and keen to see where he goes with it but think he went back to the drawing board on his landing gear system. Not a tandem fan either. I was more hoping to see a 4 place amphib with decent cruise speed/range (hence laminar fuselage) but docile landing characteristics.