Seaplanes within a Seabase Environment

Originally Presented at ASNE Seabasing Conference27-28 Jan 05

• Seaplane Background

– Rough Water Operations

• Seaplane Integration in a Sea Base

• Summary

OutlineOutline

Sponsors/Mentors - ExternalSponsors/Mentors - External • Rear Admiral Jay Cohen, CNR• Rear Admiral Paul Sullivan, NAVSEA 05• Jeff Hough, NAVSEA 05D1• Sharon Beermann-Curtin, ONR, NNRNE

Mentors - NSWC CarderockMentors - NSWC Carderock

• Jack Offutt• Kelly Cooper• LCdr Russell Peters : Can Navy• Mark Selfridge : UK MoD

Industry & Academia ContactsIndustry & Academia Contacts• USN Museum at WNY• National Air & Space Museum• Shin Meiwa Industries• Beriev Aircraft Company• SNAME Panel SD-5• SAIC• Dr. Dan Savitsky, SIT

• Jessaji Odedra : UK MoD DESG• Geoff Hope : UK MoD DESG• Brent Lindon : US Acq. Intern • Dr Colen Kennell : NSWC-CD• Bill Horn : NAVAIR• August Bellanca : NAVAIR• Carey Matthews : NAVAIR

TeamTeam

The Defense Science Board’s 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.”

Seaplane Background

Flying boat

Float plane

Amphibian

Types of

Seaplanes

Alternate Landing Systems

Convair Seadart

De Havilland XC8a Buffalo

Bell ACLS

Stroukoff YC-123E HRV-1 Hydrofoil Amphibian

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

Curtiss HydroplaneWright Flyer PBY Catalina JMR MarsYankee Clipper Princess

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

A-42Tradewind

PS-1 Be-200

Seamaster

Seaplanes Evolution

• 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

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Nu

mb

er B

uil

t fo

r U

S N

avy

1935

1940

1945

Year of First Delivery

PBN-1PBY-6

PBY-5PBY-4

PBY-3PBY-2

PBY-1

2,026 USN aircraft & 1,255 non-USN

Rich USN Seaplane Legacy

A-40

CL-214USA-1

BE -200

Modern Seaplanes

Anatomy of an Aborted Take-off

“Porpoising worst when stability limits close together & porpoising frequencies = rate of striking crests”

Perception – consequences of loss of control are critical

•Plow-in•Stall

Crash

Rough Water Operation

Wat

er S

pee

d (

kn

ots)

0

40

80

15

0

0

5

10

605040302010

<3 sec

~10 deg

Time (sec)

Pit

ch (

deg

rees

)

Take-off abandoned

Pitch

Speed

Swell height 1.5-3 ft length 150 ftWind speed 2 knots

Solent82,000 lbs

Bre

akin

g W

aves

SS

5 SS

4

Conventional Flying Boat

0123456789

101112131415

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

Wave length (ft)

Wav

e h

eigh

t (f

t) ~90%

Operating Limits~ 80,000 lb Aircraft

Trials with Issues

Successful Trial

Bre

akin

g W

aves

SS

5 SS

4

Conventional Flying Boat

0123456789

101112131415

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

Wave length (ft)

Wav

e h

eigh

t (f

t) ~90%

Operating Limits~ 80,000 lb Aircraft

Trials with Issues

Successful Trial

Bre

akin

g W

aves

SS

5 SS

4

Conventional Flying Boat

0123456789

101112131415

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

Wave length (ft)

Wav

e h

eigh

t (f

t) ~90%

US-1A

Operating LimitsShin Meiwa US-1A - 79,000 lb Aircraft

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Range (miles)

Pay

load

(po

unds

)

R3Y-2

R3Y-1

JRM-2

C-130J

Princess

GoalTe

chno

logy

JRM-2 MarsC-130J

R3Y-1 Tradewind

R3Y-2 Bowloader

RANGE vs PAYLOAD

Princess

Seaplane Integration in a Sea Base

Seabase issues required to supportseaplanes as Seabase connectors

Loading/Unloading

Refuelling

MaintenanceAircraft Safety

Equipment

Mooring

Docking/Undocking

Terminal Facilities

Seabase issues required to supportseaplanes as Seabase connectors

Mission Reconfiguration

Op Area Management

Loading/Unloading

Mooring

Docking/Undocking

Seabase issues required to supportseaplanes as Seabase connectors

Op Area Management

Mooring and Docking

Payload transfer with the seaplane at the Seabase requires either:

(a) Securing and interfacing with the aircraft in the water(b) Removing the aircraft from the water via beaching or docking

Early seaplane at sea mooring and interfacing concepts

Early seaplane out of the water docking and interfacing concepts

We propose expanding the ITS concept to be a Seabase – Seaplane interface

Seabase to Shore Connector

Early seaplanes beaching concepts

Op Area Management

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

• 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

Conclusions

Intra-theater Inter-theater

Questions

Backup

• 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

0

25

50

75

100

0 5 10 15 20

Wave Height (ft)

Cum

mul

ativ

e P

erce

nt

45

WorldwideOpen Ocean

CharacteristicsMTOW (lbs) - sheltered water 94,800 - open ocean 79,400Speed (knots) 230Range (nm) 2,300Mission SAR

Technology1967 deliveryHull - slender hull - spray suppression systems - STOL - blown flaps, rudder, elevator

Over-wing blowing

High T-tail

Bow noseun/loading

Large fuselage x-sectional

area & volume

‘Doublechine’ hull Retractable

wingtip floats

Reverse thrustTurbo-props

Faired stepRear door

hatch

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

2.5 Million lb. Gross Weight

1 Million lb. Gross Weight

Boeing 747 400 seat airliner 800,000 lbs

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

Comparison of conceptual design

C-130

US-1A

C-17

C- 5

Shin Meiwa US-1A

C-130J Seaplane Design Concept

C-17 C- 5

MTOW (lbs) 94,800 155,000 260,000 585,000 840,000 Payload (lbs) 30,000 34,000 60,000 170,900 270,000 Empty weight (lbs) 56,200 79,291 127,000 278,000 337,935 Length / Height (ft) 110 / 33 98 / 39 144 / 47 174 / 55 247 / 65 Wing span, b, (ft) 109 132.6 163 171 223 Wing Area, S (ft2) 1,460 1,745 2,650 3,800 6,200 Range, (nm) (with payload)

2,300 1,600 2,000 4,741 6,320

Cruise Speed, (kts) 230 362 368 450 450

plan side

front

• Force closure

• Logistics delivery

• Refueling

SecondarySecondary

• Reconnaissance

• Search & rescue

• Para - drop

PrimaryPrimary

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0.120.140.160.18

Pow

er t

o W

eigh

t ra

tio

(lh

p/l

b)

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

Cargo handlingCargo handling