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Post by viperpilot on Mar 2, 2012 11:58:47 GMT -5
Howdy! I was watching an older movie last night called The Gallant Hours, and there was a flying boat shown early in the movie that I can't seem to ID... Anyone venture a guess as to its identity? Thanks! Alan
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Post by beana51 on Mar 2, 2012 13:33:30 GMT -5
1942 Martin MARS??.....
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Post by bhk on Mar 2, 2012 15:29:53 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure it is the Sikorsky VS-44. The nose is different to that of the Martin 'boat and it also has windows along the hull in places that the Mars doesn't. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_VS-44Bruce
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Post by leylandspurr on Mar 4, 2012 9:19:58 GMT -5
Think you have it right, Bruce. The float struts are very different from those on the "Mars". Here are some scans from an excellent booklet by Flying Machines Press, "Sikorsky VS-44 Flying Boat" by Harry Pember, which not only gives a brief history of the type, but also details the restoration project on "Excambian" (by some of the men who originally built her) which is the machine in the New England Air Museum at Windsor Locks, Connecticut (your link, above). I made the "pilgrimage" to see her last year and she - and the rest of the museum - are well worth a visit. The design originated as a development of the XPBS-1 (which never got beyond the prototype stage) and it was intended that military versions would be referred to as JR2S-1 although I'm not sure if that designation was ever used (the production contract was cancelled) and only original civilian VS-44s were used for "military" purposes during WW2. Profiles: The only photo I have of a "military" finish: Cover painting from the book: Incidentally "Excambian" was owned and operated by Avalon Air Transport, around the island of Catalina, and was known as "Mother Goose" as they also had a fleet of Grumman Geese. Later she belonged to Antilles Air Boats who were run by Charles Blair and, later still, his widow Maureen O'Hara. There is an FS2004 version by George Diemer and a portover that works OK in FSX, together with various paints. Lovely bird and a beautiful restoration. Leyland
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Post by beana51 on Mar 4, 2012 9:49:09 GMT -5
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Post by viperpilot on Mar 4, 2012 10:27:29 GMT -5
Thanks so kindly for all the research; I found the Excambian for FS 9 and will give her a try! Alan
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Post by leylandspurr on Mar 4, 2012 13:23:43 GMT -5
Vin, the wheels are just a 'beaching trolley' but in the simulator world, if you want to use them on a hard runway.................who cares! (ho, ho, ho) I use those trolleys to run up onto the beach when I land in a bay with no pontoon/pier. You can explore for days that way, just park on the beach and 'save' then return next day to carry on the flight. Leyland
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Post by beana51 on Mar 4, 2012 13:32:54 GMT -5
Thank you sir..one way to sleep on board , with out the surf's R@R......nice model in FS9......CHEERS ...Vin!!
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Post by viperpilot on Mar 4, 2012 18:26:43 GMT -5
Now if I could only find that USN paint job for this bird! Thanks, Leyland! Alan
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Post by intothewind on Mar 6, 2012 22:45:52 GMT -5
Great images! There is something so amazing about flying boats. Maybe is all because of the Tales of the Gold Monkey? That or Bill Lyons!
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Post by bhk on Mar 7, 2012 3:24:52 GMT -5
.....There is something so amazing about flying boats. Maybe is all because of the Tales of the Gold Monkey? That or Bill Lyons! For me it's because I was lucky enough to be a passenger aboard one of TEAL's Solents in 1953 and then on an Ansett Solent in the 1970s. Experiences like those get burned into the memory. Bruce
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Post by leylandspurr on Mar 7, 2012 7:52:02 GMT -5
Alan, Two military paints (one blue and one silver) were a seperate upload (can't remember where or by whom, sorry) that I combined with the two civilian ones into one aircraft folder. If you can't find the military ones at any of 'the usual suspects', send me a PM with your email address and I'll zip them up for you. Leyland
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Post by intothewind on Mar 7, 2012 10:52:40 GMT -5
.....There is something so amazing about flying boats. Maybe is all because of the Tales of the Gold Monkey? That or Bill Lyons! For me it's because I was lucky enough to be a passenger aboard one of TEAL's Solents in 1953 and then on an Ansett Solent in the 1970s. Experiences like those get burned into the memory. Bruce That is amazing. If only I had been alive then Maybe I will get around going for a ride in a flying boat some day. That would be so great.
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Post by bhk on Mar 8, 2012 1:40:24 GMT -5
For me it's because I was lucky enough to be a passenger aboard one of TEAL's Solents in 1953 and then on an Ansett Solent in the 1970s. Experiences like those get burned into the memory. Bruce That is amazing. If only I had been alive then Maybe I will get around going for a ride in a flying boat some day. That would be so great. My sister keeps telling me "Bruce, WRITE IT DOWN!" I really must do so before it's too late. Bruce
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Post by railrunner130 on Mar 8, 2012 18:51:38 GMT -5
Bruce please do!
I had a neigbor that used to tell me all kinds of stories about different adventures and different airplanes that he flew in the 70 or so years of flying he did. He passed away over a year ago. When he did, my only question was "What happened to his book?" Turns out his son got it and was planning on publishing it. Hopefully someday we'll read it.
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