Anybody for a 1/3 rd scale spruce goose powered by eight rotary engines.  It
would make a great flying boat motor home where you can take it all with
you.  It should have a 2000 mile range so you can tour the Pacific islands
in style and comfort.  Probably room for a small car and motor boat.

Carbon fiber will improve the empty weight to gross weight
ratio improving the range.


Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m)
Wingspan: 320 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,
4,000 hp (2,640 kW) each

Propellers: four-bladed Hamilton Standard, prop, 1 per engine
Propeller diameter: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)

Performance

Cruise speed: 250 mph (407.98 km/h)
Range: 3,000 mi (4,800 km)
Service ceiling: 20,900 ft (6,370 m)

Paul Lamar

Sounds like fun. Where can we buy the kit?
C. Smith

Rather do a PBY Catilina...scaled of course


ATP  Bill

You won't get as much in it :)

Paul Lamar

Yes...but....what a grand adventure it would be
ATP Bill


Will the darn thing be able to hold enough fuel to go anywhere?

jofarr
soddy daisy TN

The scale Catalina or the scale Spruce Goose?

Scale SG 80 foot wing span. 960 inches span.  Aspect ratio 6. Cord 160 inches average. Average thickness for tanks say 6 inches. 921,600 cubic inches.
231 cubic inches per gallon. 4,000 gallons.  Lets say we can only get
1000 gallons in the wing tanks.

Six burning 10 gallons an hour each. (2 shut down for cruise).  60 gallons per hour total fuel burn. 16 hours. 200 MPH. = 3200 miles range.

Take off weight of the fuel at 6.25 pounds per gallon 6250 pounds.

Wing loading 3000 / 175 = 17 pounds per square foot for a C182.

80 foot span by 13 foot cord avg = 17,000 pounds max gross take off weight
with the same wing loading as a C182.

8 Mazda engines at 400 pounds each FWF. 3200 pounds.

Payload to gross weight ration .5 empty weight = 8,500.

8500 minus 3200 for engines = 5300 for carbon structure.

Payload 8,500 minus 6250 pounds fuel = 2250 pounds for stuff
and people.

The carbon structure will add to that stuff carried number as it
will cut the empty weight.

Paul Lamar

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