Bird Innovator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Innovator | |
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| Type | Executive amphibian |
| Manufacturer | Bird Corporation |
| Designed by | Forrest Bird |
| Maiden flight | 1967 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | PBY Catalina |
The Bird Innovator was an American four-engined executive amphibious airplane modified from a PBY Catalina by the Bird Corporation.
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[edit] Design and development
During the late 1960s Dr Forrest Bird and his Bird Corporation developed a conversion for the PBY Catalina to improve performance. To get the maximum range and performance the aircraft was modified with an extra two 340hp (254kW) Avco Lycoming GSO-480-B2D6 engines positioned outboard of the original Pratt & Whitney radials. The wing was also strengthened, increased fuel capacity and greater fin and rudder area. The engineers controls were moved to allow single-pilot operation. The extra engines exceeded expectations and it is capable of a cruising speed of 152 mph (244 km/h) on four engines, it is also capable of maintaining 124 mph with one of the main engines feathered.
[edit] Operational history
Only one Innovator was converted, a former Royal Canadian Air Force PBY-5A, which was used by Dr. Bird as a flying classroom salesroom for medical equipment. Since 1977 the aircraft had a number of owners. In 1997 the latest owner restored the aircraft back to PBY-5A standard.
[edit] Specifications (Original PBY-5A)
Data from PBY Catalina
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 63 ft 10 in (19.46 m)
- Wingspan: 104 ft 0 in (31.70 m)
- Height: 20 ft 2 in (6.15 m)
- Wing area: 1,400 ft² (130 m²)
- Empty weight: 20,910 lb (9,485 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 35,420 lb (16,066 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0309
- Drag area: 43.26 ft² (4.02 m²)
- Aspect ratio: 7.73 Performance
- Maximum speed: 196 mph (314 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 125 mph (201 km/h)
- Range: 2,520 mi (4,030 km)
- Service ceiling 15,800 ft (4,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
- Wing loading: 25.3 lb/ft² (123.6 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.034 hp/lb (0.056 kW/kg)
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 11.9
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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