Privateer twin boom light amphibian project

[hesham]

Hi,

http://psipunk.com/privateer-amphibious-plane/

 

[Tophe]

Nice & unknown, thanks a lot! ;D

 

[taildragger]

It's a pretty model, but it looks like the ducted propeller would get a lot of spray, maybe even green water (a nautical term for solid water, rather than spray/foam washing over a weather deck). Back in the seaplane era, it seemed spray was impossible to model reliably and acceptable results in this area were often obtained only after numerous modifications to prototypes. I doubt that water-tank testing has improved that much in the intervening years or that anyone has put the effort into developing CFD software to handle a waterborne seaplane. It makes me wonder whether this is a serious project - it must have occurred to the designers that the airscrew looks well placed to serve as a sprayscrew (I just copyrighted this word) and I doubt that the tools exist to demonstrate otherwise. Maybe you show a pretty model to investors and then build the prototype with the propeller in a less appealing but drier location.
I also question the rearward extent of the tailboom/floats. I can't think of any floatplane floats or seaplane planing hulls that extend that far aft. Generally a seaplane's fuselage sweeps upwards so that the after fuselage can descend into the trough behind the planing surface without dragging in the water during rotation.
The Privateer looks like it might have been unable to rotate.

 

[Grey Havoc]

According to the webpage linked above, the prototype is nearly complete, so we should be able to see soon what solution they came up with to the spray problem. I wonder if the Walter 601 engine they're using is new or a rebuild.

 

[TomS]

The company has a website, here:

http://www.privateerindustries.com/

Latest update on their development blog was in December 2010, when they seemed to be making good progress, aside from some interesting spelling/proof-reading issues (hydrolic vice hydraulic, for example).

As for the engine, they mention a September visit to Diemech Turbines in Florida to see their 601 engine run on a test stand. Diemech specializes in overhauls, so I'm guessing this is a rebuild. That seems sensible for a start-up aircraft builder on a fairly limited budget.

 

[Atlantis]

Hi,

http://psipunk.com/privateer-amphibious-plane/

Do you have 3D view or blueprints of this airplane?

 

[hesham]

Welcome aboard Atlantis,

sorry I don't have,but I will search in my books,maybe find
a drawing to it.

 

[riggerrob]

We have discussed this Privateer prototype extensively over on the www.hombuiltairplanes.com site. The chief designer was Bill Hulsa, who sadly passed away. The prototype airframe was essentially complete when it was moved to DeLand, Florida for completion.

Privateer roughly resembles the Canadian-built, Creative Flight/Auriga Design, Aerocat prototype which first flew in 2001 and flew to Oshkosh in 2003, but we have not heard much since. A unique feature was quick-detactable floats which left the tail booms and 4-wheel landing gear intact. They also projected a twin-engined version.