Couzinet 70 Float Plane

[kitflubber]

I've always loved this plane from the 1930s -- Couzinet was 23 when he designed it. The picture here is from 'Conquerors of the Air' -- I added floats quickly in Adobe Illustrator to give an idea.

[sequoiaranger]

Looks great, but you only have thirteen more days to get it built!! 

Since most floats had a little rudder on the back of them, you might make the Couzinet floats more closely mimic the fuselage/tail and have a rudder there, too!

[puddingwrestler]

What a nifty looking plane! Looks like a fixed wing flying banana helo. I've never heard of it before (which is not suprising really given my total indiference to research )

[kitflubber]

Puddingwrestler,

René Couzinet's story is very sad. He was repudiated and mocked by the aeronautical establishment (especially French), even after designing this plane (minus the floats, plus huge wheel spats). He committed suicide in 1956, along with his wife. His wife was the widow of one of his beloved test pilots.

http://aerostories.free.fr/constructeurs/couzinet/page3.html

His planes are really beautiful — he was obviously a fellow Whiffer, many years too soon!

[jcf]

Two 'dossier' on Couzinet and his 'Rainbows':
http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/arc-en-ciel_atlantique_vol1.pdf

http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/arc-en-ciel_atlantique_vol1.pdf

The text is French, however, they are wonderfully illustrated.

From this outstanding collection on Hydro-Retro:
http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/index.php

Jon

[Doc Yo]

Puddingwrestler,

René Couzinet's story is very sad. He was repudiated and mocked by the aeronautical establishment (especially French), even after designing this plane (minus the floats, plus huge wheel spats). He committed suicide in 1956, along with his wife. His wife was the widow of one of his beloved test pilots.

http://aerostories.free.fr/constructeurs/couzinet/page3.html

His planes are really beautiful — he was obviously a fellow Whiffer, many years too soon!

I couldn't agree more. The Arc-En-Ceil was one of the most beautiful airplanes to ever take wing. Couzinet also designed a 'flying saucer' in the 'fifties, but apart from a few photographs, I've have not seen much info on it.