Investgation of seaplanes

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Seaplanes within a Seabase Environment
Originally Presented at ASNE Seabasing
Conference 27-28 Jan 05
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Outline

• Seaplane Background
• Rough Water Operations
• Seaplane Integration in a Sea Base
• Summary

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(No Transcript)
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The Defense Science Boards report on Seabasing
identifies 12 issues that must be addressed to
make Seabasing a reality. The report
states Among the issues on the list, three
stand out as especially important that must be
developed ... 2) a heavy-lift aircraft (20 tons)
with theater wide range that can be based at
sea.
The bottom line future heavy lift aircraft
must be capable of operating in austere
environments and from the Seabase.
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Seaplane Background
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Types of Seaplanes
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Alternate Landing Systems
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Seaplanes Evolution
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Rich USN Seaplane Legacy

• Operated seaplanes 50 years
• Thousands in service
• PBY Catalina
• 217 - PB2Y Coronado
• 1,366 - PBM Mariner
• 284 - P5M Marlin
• 464 - HU-16 Albatross
• 6 - JMR Mars
• 11 - R3Y Tradewind

2,026 USN aircraft 1,255 non-USN
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Modern Seaplanes
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Rough Water Operation
Anatomy of an Aborted Take-off
Porpoising worst when stability limits close
together porpoising frequencies rate of
striking crests
Solent 82,000 lbs

• Perception consequences of loss of control are
  critical
• Plow-in
• Stall

Crash
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Operating Limits
80,000 lb Aircraft
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14
13
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Breaking Waves
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90
10
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SS 5 SS 4
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Wave height (ft)
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6
5
4
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Conventional Flying Boat
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1
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Wave length (ft)
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Operating Limits
80,000 lb Aircraft
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14
13
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Breaking Waves
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90
10
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SS 5 SS 4
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Wave height (ft)
7
6
5
4
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Conventional Flying Boat
2
1
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Wave length (ft)
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Operating Limits
Shin Meiwa US-1A - 79,000 lb Aircraft
US-1A
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(No Transcript)
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RANGE vs PAYLOAD
Goal
Technology
Princess
R3Y-1 Tradewind
JRM-2 Mars
R3Y-2 Bowloader
C-130J
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Seaplane Integration in a Sea Base
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Seabase issues required to support seaplanes as
Seabase connectors
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Mission Reconfiguration
Maintenance
Aircraft Safety Equipment
Docking/ Undocking
Seabase issues required to support seaplanes as
Seabase connectors
Terminal Facilities
Op Area Management
Loading/ Unloading
Mooring
Refuelling
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Docking/ Undocking
Seabase issues required to support seaplanes as
Seabase connectors
Op Area Management
Loading/ Unloading
Mooring
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Mooring and Docking
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• Payload transfer with the seaplane at the Seabase
  requires either
• Securing and interfacing with the aircraft in
  the water
• Removing the aircraft from the water via
  beaching or docking

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Early seaplane at sea mooring and interfacing
concepts
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Early seaplane out of the water docking and
interfacing concepts
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We propose expanding the ITS concept to be a
Seabase Seaplane interface
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(No Transcript)
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Seabase to Shore Connector
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Early seaplanes beaching concepts
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Op Area Management
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• Seabase operational area management for airstrip
• Control of pollution
• Control of intruders on airstrip (commercial or
  military traffic)
• Maintenance (or movement) or markers
• FOD and debris control and removal
• Aircraft crash, rescue, safety
• Sensors to measure sea state

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Conclusions
Inter-theater
Intra-theater

• Seaplanes can provide useful capabilities to the
  Sea Base
• Methods to integrate seaplanes in a Sea Base are
  known
• Safe efficient personnel/cargo transfer in
  rough seas is critical

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Questions
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Backup
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• Reliable rough water operation is crucial
• Take-off
• Landing
• Taxiing
• Load/unload
• Survival
• Demonstrated in gales
• Appropriate mooring systems
• Required operability is undefined
• Operations through SS 4 selected as target
• Good rough water performance data is scarce

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Characteristics MTOW (lbs) - sheltered water
94,800 - open ocean 79,400 Speed
(knots) 230 Range (nm)
2,300 Mission SAR
Technology 1967 delivery Hull - slender hull
- spray suppression systems - STOL - blown
flaps, rudder, elevator
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• Aircraft weights (lbs)
• MTOW 260,000

• Payload Cargo
• Payload weight 60,000 lbs
• Cargo 180 troops
• or 20 ISO containers

• Speed Range
• Cruise speed 325 kts
• Range 2000 nm

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2.5 Million lb. Gross Weight
Boeing 747
400 seat airliner
800,000 lbs
1 Million lb. Gross Weight
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• Conclusions
• Seaplanes can be effective Seabase connectors
  (either from intermediate base for force closure
  or to shore)
• The technology exists and has been demonstrated
  to interface seaplanes with the Seabase
• The ITS, when combined with existing concepts,
  will make an efficient seaplane-Seabase interface

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Comparison of conceptual design
C- 5
US-1A
C-17
C-130
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front
plan
side
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Primary

• Force closure
• Logistics delivery
• Refueling

Secondary

• Reconnaissance
• Search rescue
• Para - drop

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Rapid take-off landing is important -
awareness of sea surface and weather - exploit
benign patches of water - STOL technology -
power
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Cargo handling