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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0856.PDF
376 FLIGHT, 4 April 1952 SMALL FLYING-BOATS in AFRICA A Pilot's Proposals for Lake and River Services by Sealand By HOWARD FRY FROM 1937 to 1947 South Africans, Rhodesians and East Africans regarded the old Empire flying-boat as their own particular form of air transport. Later the Solents, while linking England and South Africa, brought air transport to Livingstone and Cape Maclear in Nyasaland. Now it seems that the day of the flying-boat is over—so far as the main trunk routes are concerned. Regardless of all the arguments advanced against the "old boats," South Africans and their northern neighbours still have a lot of affection for them. The purpose of this article is to consider whether there may not still be a place for the small feedeiline boat on Africa's miles of lakes and rivers. One of the drawbacks to flying-boat operation in Southern Africa used to be the size of the aircraft; 30- or 40-seat types were too large to fill on the East African coastal routes or on flights between the inland lakes. But Short Brothers and Harland, Ltd., have developed the Sealand Mk. 3 flying- boat, which is capable of carrying eight passengers, baggage and mail on stages of up to 550 miles. This little aircraft might well fit into the general transport picture in Africa, where suitable feederliners are scarce. The main charac teristics of the Sealand as the projected pure flying-boat version, as opposed to the amphibian—are summarized in tbe following table :— Engines: Two D.H. Gipsy Queen 70-3 (each 325/340 h.p.) Empty weight (inc. 8 seats and toilet)... Take-off weight Normal fuel capacity Consumption Cruising speed Take-off run Alighting run Maximum passenger load Maximum freight toad 6,500 lb 9,100 lb 115 gal 6 m.p.g. 127-170 m.p.h. 630 yd 400 yd 10 2,080 lb The Sealand is a small, easily handled aircraft for which a one-man crew is sufficient. It is fitted with V.H.F. R/T. and voice communication can be maintained with existing radio stations at airfields. On the water, reversible-pitch airscrews give an ease of control which was lacking on earlier boats. The pilot himself can moor the aircraft to a buoy without difficulty, and the Sealand's very high degree of manoeuvra bility enables it to be taxied directly into a U-shaped em barkation pier. In using Sealands for African feeder services, it would be essential to keep staff and equipment, on shore and water, to a minimum. The aircraft should operate only to and from stretches of water where motor launches can be hired. Thus the only equipment owned by the operators would be the V.H.F. radio set on the hired launch and the flying-boat's mooring buoy. The services of the launch and the coxswain THE author, an experienced airline pilot, believes that small flying-boats could be operated in Africa on profitable feeder-line and "sight-seeing" services. He suggests that the projected flying-boat version of the Sealand amphibian would be a suitable aircraft (over Soo lb lighter than the amphibian, a Sealand Mk 3 flying-boat could carry ten passengers over 300-mile stage- lengths, or fewer passengers on some of the longer routes pro posed by the author). Capt. Fry has suggested to us that a small jet unit might be fitted in the rear of each nacelle, thereby im proving take-off in high temperatures or from high-altitude lakes, and also increasing the one-engine-out safety factor. The idea, a little far-fetched at first sight, is supported by news of serious proposals to improve performance of Dakotas and certain other twins by the installation of small Turbomeca turbojets. would, of course, be required for only one hour to cover the landing and take-off. Naturally it would be necessary to engage a local business firm at each stop to act as commercial agents. The Sealand hull is a straightforward design planned for easy m?intenance. For example, all the control runs are grouped together in a single channel along the top of the hull. Inspection and lubrication are thus quick and easy. Similarly, the Gipsy engine is noted for its reliability. Run ning maintenance is simple and very similar to that required on a car. Pilots engaged to fly Sealands might, not unrea sonably, be asked to take Engineers' Licences for the air craft. Naturally, the home base for the small boats would have to be at some place where a slipway and hangar were available. These could be constructed easily and cheaply at the Huy- gani Dam, Salisbury, where the non-tidal water would be an advantage. The only points in Africa where slipways already exist are Kisumu, Mombasa and Durban, though it is possible that the launch slipway at Vaaldam might be strong enough. Whatever point was chosen for the main base, it would obviously be necessary to engage a really keen engin eering staff—well-qualified and correspondingly well-paid (preferably on a profit-sharing basis). Durban is the obvious centre for flying-boat operations in South Africa, but there would be advantages in running some services to Hartebeestepoortdam. The latter stretch of water is in attractive country about 20 miles from Pretoria. Possible services would be :—Durban—Hartebeestepoort; Durban—Port St. Johns (Umzimvubu River); Durban—St. Lucia Bay—Lourenco Marques; Durban—Loskop Game Reserve; Hartebeestepoort—Loskop Game Reserve. Until recently, the flying-boat was of little use for com munications in Rhodesia because no stretch of suitable water existed near Salisbury. Now a dam has been built on the Hungani River (12 miles from the city) and about T.\ miles of water is available for use as an airport. Future possibilities for the flying-boat in this area are widened by the construction of a big new hotel directly on the Zambezi at Victoria Falls. Thus a flying-boat link with Salisbury would enable citizens of the capital city to travel direct to the hotel, with no long bus ride such as that from the land airport to the Falls Hotel. The lake holiday resorts in Nyasaland can similarly be reached direct by flying- boat, whereas a landplane service involves a tedious bus ride. Possible services in Rhodesia and Nyasaland are:— Salisbury—Victoria Falls; Salisbury—Cape Maclear and other Lake Nyasa resorts; Salisbury—Lourenco Marques; Cape Maclear—Lindi or Mikindani—Dar-es-Salaam. A service linking Lake Nyasa with Dar-es-Salaam, Lindi The Short Sealand: as the author suggests, a flying-boat version of this versatile little amphibian would be 0 likely choice for the African feeder-line services proposed in his article.
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