zmiller4
Well-Known Member
Mods, sorry to keep th thread going, but...
You're correct that in any river you'd actually take off in, the added drag from the current will not prevent a floatplane from taking off.
However, this is a theoretical discussion, right? You do realize that there is a current speed at which the airplane isn' going to be able to get up to speed, right? (I'm not sure you could get a strong enough current for that in real life, although I'd bet that trying to take off a 150 upstream and downwnd in a strong tidal bore would be pretty interesting).
Just wanted to make sure you knew how different the drag is on a floatplane from anything with wheels, but I'm sure your hundreds of hours of seaplane time and "Cornell of the Skies" education taught you that.
yes. in fact, its exactly the same.
there will be some MINIMAL rolling/fluid friction from the "conveyor" or river.... but it will be easily overcome by the prop.
END OF STORY.
You're correct that in any river you'd actually take off in, the added drag from the current will not prevent a floatplane from taking off.
However, this is a theoretical discussion, right? You do realize that there is a current speed at which the airplane isn' going to be able to get up to speed, right? (I'm not sure you could get a strong enough current for that in real life, although I'd bet that trying to take off a 150 upstream and downwnd in a strong tidal bore would be pretty interesting).
Just wanted to make sure you knew how different the drag is on a floatplane from anything with wheels, but I'm sure your hundreds of hours of seaplane time and "Cornell of the Skies" education taught you that.