I didn’t attend this year, but it sounds like this was the highlight of the weekend, apparently the only one of its kind in the world.

Love it!

I watched a video a few years ago about the floated DC-3. Supposedly there were some number of floats and fittings produced, like 25 sets. But, they were all scrapped at some point.

For when you want to get serious about floatplanes.

A Grumman Widgeon was involved in an accident at the fly in, don't know details, except plane is in 90 feet of water, pilot (only one in plane) is unhurt.

mtv wrote:For when you want to get serious about floatplanes.

A Grumman Widgeon was involved in an accident at the fly in, don't know details, except plane is in 90 feet of water, pilot (only one in plane) is unhurt.

Supposedly there is a video of the accident. My friend told me he was in a low altitude turn over glassy water and reached over to fiddle with the radios and dug a sponson, in flight. Glad he stayed conscious.

Amazing aircraft! I saw it many years ago and wonder what became of it. Looks like they really smoked the brakes/tires on landing
Any idea how big of lake this would require or the takeoff distance. Just curious.

Incredible ! Pretty sure that was flying from the seaplane base when I lived in Greenville for a summer. 1985 if memory serves.

Pete

WWhunter wrote:Amazing aircraft! I saw it many years ago and wonder what became of it. Looks like they really smoked the brakes/tires on landing
Any idea how big of lake this would require or the takeoff distance. Just curious.

I suspect it might surprise us all when empty. At gross weight, however.......probably takes a really, really big lake. Sorta like a Cessna 185 on early PeeKay 3500 amphibs.

That right there is a lot of airplane .

low rider wrote:That right there is a lot of airplane .

That means something coming from the guy who flew the Red Bull Albatross.

Never have driven a 3 before but it just looks like a handful on those giant floats. Would be interested to hear how it actually handles from someone who has some time in it. I wonder if being the only one out there tells the story that it is in fact a bit of a beast or if there is another reason it’s the only one ?

low rider wrote:Never have driven a 3 before but it just looks like a handful on those giant floats. Would be interested to hear how it actually handles from someone who has some time in it. I wonder if being the only one out there tells the story that it is in fact a bit of a beast or if there is another reason it’s the only one ?

I believe those floats are the only surviving set being the reason it is the "only one". Purpose designed during WWII to forward deploy cargo hence retrofitting the C-47 vs using the amphibious hulls/flying boats of the time. A quick search will bring up some articles on this bird and the backstory with the logic behind the development of the floats.

I would think its water handling qualities and maneuverability on the water match its appearance. Imagine being fully loaded having to land and/or taxi in ocean swells at some remote island in the Pacific. Can't argue with physics, there is a reason the hull designs (flying boats) are much more successful in open water, unfortunately they lack the cargo volume of the C-47.

TR