avatar_kitflubber

Luxury Italian Flying Boat

Started by kitflubber, April 09, 2009, 10:44:48 AM

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kitflubber

I had posted this eons ago, back when Planeman was on here a lot (what happened to him?). It's a super-lux twin-hulled Italian flying boat from between the Wars I and II.


kitflubber

It definitely needs some tweaking -- I would be building it in Strata 3D.

PR19_Kit

So is that twin hulled like the SM55, but with the control cabin up at the high level? And does it have FIVE engines?

I like that idea, I bet Tophe does too!  :lol:
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

kitflubber

I decided that the previous design was too darn small... now it's 257 feet long, 84 feet keel to top of engines (all twelve), with a 471 foot span.

It has a restaurant, a casino, and a dance floor on the middle sponson (when docked). ;D

kitflubber

Oh and I stole the Piaggio hydrofoil plane's water prop...

PR19_Kit: Yeah, the Captain's quarters are in the top wing.

kitflubber

Oh goodness -- bigger than the Spruce Goose, per Wikipedia:

Specifications (H-4)

Performance specifications are projected.

General characteristics

    * Crew: 3
    * Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m)
    * Wingspan: 319 ft 11 in (97.54 m)
    * Height: 79 ft 4 in (24.18 m)

    * Fuselage height: 30 ft (9.1 m)

    * Loaded weight: 400,000 lb (180,000 kg)
    * Powerplant: 8× Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,000 hp (2,240 kW) each
    * Propellers: four-bladed Hamilton Standard, prop, 1 per engine
          o Propeller diameter: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)

Weaver

Cool - don't worry about the size: just keep adding engines......

Speaking of the engines, why not have them in oversized torpedo-shaped pods with an engine room between each pair, access being via a ladder up the inside of the pylon?

I hope those guard rails are retractable and the promenade decks closed in flight: even with the likely "stately" performace, the ladies will still lose their parasols and handerkerchiefs, and young gentlemen might be inclinded to put themselves at risk retrieving them... ;D
"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."
 - Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones

kitflubber

Weaver, I was debating about the engine pods -- maybe they should enclosed in fairings. I need to crack open my old 'Conquerors of the Air' to get better reference, especially for the paint.

kitflubber

I found this Frenchsite with three view drawings of various seaplanes:

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/j.s/hydravions/index2.htm

kitflubber

Been working on profile drawing for the flying boat... Does anyone have info on the insignias on 1930's Italian Flying Boats?




kitflubber

The Savoia Marchetti S-55 in the previous images were to show scale... The new plane is a bit bigger than the Dornier DO-X -- about 180 feet long.

I finished the engines here -- they are Fiat V-12s, producing about 1,000 H.P. each (there are nine now).


cthulhu77


glanini

... The hottest places in Hell are reserved for the ones who, in times of great moral crisis, stay neutral ..........

kitflubber

Thanks for the compliments! I have been building it with Strata now. Here are a couple of progress shots.


kitflubber

Major geometry worked out! Now need to apply paint and put in scene... My ambition exceeds my ability. I want a night time scene with revelers crowding the decks, and party lights strung on the plane.