Japan - Shinmaywa UF-XS flying boat
Posted by richard7k@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 26 comments
Seen at the Kakamigahara Aerospace Science Museum (Gifu Prefecture) in January 2015. This unique four-engine flying boat with boundary layer control was based on the Grumman Albatross and began testing in 1962. The experimental prototype was successful and led to Shinmaywa building the PS-1/US-1A for the JMSDF (modern Japanese navy).
wallpapyrus@reddit
How come the outboard engines have two blade props while the inboard ones have 3 blades? Something to do with the boundary layer aerodynamics?
PhoenixFox@reddit
The inboard engines are the original ones from the Albatross and the outboard engines are a completely different model from a different manufacturer that were added during the conversion. Possible it's just to get the relative characteristics they needed?
It wasn't carried forward to the production versions which use four identical engines
wallpapyrus@reddit
From the 'pedia:
To support the development, the US Navy at Shin Meiwa's request provided a single Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat, which was extensively modified and then reassembled into a flying testbed aircraft, referred to as the UF-XS.[2] The converted flying boat featured numerous adaptations, including a novel boundary layer control system to provide enhanced Short Takeoff/Landing (STOL) performance. The Albatross's two 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) Wright R-1820 radial engines were supplemented by two 600 hp (450 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engines on the aircraft's modified wings, with an additional 1,250 shp (930 kW) General Electric T58 turboshaft inside the aircraft's hull to drive the boundary layer control system.[4] The UF-XS also featured a new T-tail arrangement which resembled that of the advanced variant of the Martin P5M-2 Marlin.
So apparently it had a T58 acting like an APU just for the boundary layer system, pretty cool but must have been a lot of added weight
fireinthesky7@reddit
The amount of lift added by the boundary layer system is far more than the weight of the engine powering it, it's actually an incredibly cool piece of engineering. The US-1 and US-2 have been in production for the better part of 50 years now and have been very successful.
Apexnanoman@reddit
Apparently the 2nd generation of it, the US-2 still have a turboshaft engine for boundary layer control. Pretty cool stuff.
Cambren1@reddit
The inboard engines are 1820s and can push the three bladed props. The outboard engines are 985s (about half the size) and are good with 2 blades.
54H60-77@reddit
Great question, others have answered for this airframe, but if you go look at the PB2Y Coronado, its inboard engines have 4 bladed props while the outboard have 3. This was done because the 4 bladed propellers allowed more aor to pass over the rudders giving more rudder authority...or so ive heard.
kittenfartastic@reddit
The albatross only had 2 engines, I would imagine it's for testing fowler flaps / blown wing / wing boundary layer.
The later Shinmaywa designs all have 4 engines, so could also be config related (testing closer to actual conditions).
PlanesOfFame@reddit
I got to see this thing!!!! Very very odd looking plane, lots of fascinating history behind it too
PhoenixFox@reddit
It's really cool of them to hang it sideways like that
an_older_meme@reddit
Hate when I have to screencap a photo and rotate it just to view it.
XCIXproblems@reddit
Is it Tailspin cuz it looks like Tailspin.
vonHindenburg@reddit
Boy did I love that series when I was a kid. The adventurous 1940sish Dieselpunk setting was great. I watched it through with my kid a couple years ago (minus the two banned episodes) and it holds up pretty well.
Snowdeo720@reddit
Banned episodes, I’m intrigued and have to ask if you have any more on this mention?
I know the last episode was… a bit spicy in its plot and concept which lead to it not airing more than once (intentionally).
What’s the other banned episode?
vonHindenburg@reddit
One where a nation of pandas in flying pagodas, who are some pretty bad East Asian stereotypes, invade Cape Suzette.
Snowdeo720@reddit
Oh wow, that’s… how did that make it to production?
vonHindenburg@reddit
It was the 90s. A lot of standard cartoon tropes and caricatures hadn't really been questioned yet.
Rk_1138@reddit
Yeah, like another good example would be “Carbombya” from the original Transformers, iirc that was one of the reasons why Casey Kasem quit
Snowdeo720@reddit
Incredibly well said.
I rewatched the rush hour movie series a couple of years ago around the holidays…
I was pretty blown away by how wild some of the jokes and inferences or references were in comparison to what gets made nowadays.
redde_rationem@reddit
Tailspin flew a catalina
daygloviking@reddit
If a Catalina had a high wing instead of a parasol, fixed floats at 3/4 span rather than floats that retract up to the wingtip, twin booms instead of a single tail…
Other than that, you’re bang on
vonHindenburg@reddit
How could you conflate a Catalina and a Conwing L-16?
FletcherCommaIrwin@reddit
Artistic-license-mishmash of a Packet, Albatross, and a Catalina.
Standard-Tension9550@reddit
It was called the Sea Duck
Obnoxious_Gamer@reddit
The Flying Clog II: Let's Get Cloggier
kittenfartastic@reddit
The albatross only had 2 engines, I would imagine it's for testing fowler flaps / blown wing / wing boundary layer.
The later Shinmaywa designs all have 4 engines, so could also be config related (testing closer to actual conditions).