Hi Day
On (11 Sep 97) Day Brown wrote to Alec Cameron...
 DB> I've been wondering what a deisel seaplane that could land on any 
 DB> river might look and perform like.  If the 1/7 th hp of a man can 
 DB> get 200 lbs of aircraft flying, then a 200 hp deisel should be 
 DB> able to get 50 tons anyway airborn if you don't care too much 
 DB> about how fast you fly, say 100km/hr to be able to make headway 
 DB> against a cold front. 
I enjoy theorising about what is possible. Your comment is surely right.
But! then the logical people knock us down with hard facts.
Like, power to weight ratio [and indirectly, the consequent waste of fuel]
is pushed way up by-
* Statutory performance levels to allow safe take off when overloaded, one
engine having failed.
* Performance ability to handle extremes of wind, icing.
* Crashworthiness- structural strength of frame and doors etc.
* Ability to merge traffic- wise, with other [jet, gasoline] vehicles
flying in the same skies.
These pressures for "compatablity" have parallels with HOMEPOWER. Not eay to
run a HOMEPOWER home if one partner just hast have a 2 door auto defrost 
alk-
in refrigerator!
The diesel sailplane freighter will fly one day but I think, on dedicated
routes between dedicated terminals and at an altitude forbidden to all other
flights.
Cheers.....ALEC
.........NO life without imagination
... 
--- PPoint 1.92
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