A few stories by humble Seabee owners. If you would like to add one, e-mail it to us!
Cartoon of the week month!
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Seabee Hull Boat and Newspaper article...
Re:
Current Operating Plan (East Coast to West Coast in a Seabee)
(Ed
note: I received this e-mail from member Jim Poel. He got it from Mr.
Cris George and it is very interesting. A boat and a Seabee article
from an Australian newspaper. References to the "Wooden Chair" listed
below were not included with this e-mail. I have no idea what
that's all about.)
From: crisgeorge@bigpond.com CC: HJPoel@aol.com Sent: 10/22/2008 2:45:29 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: FW: Local Maritime Artifact- For the Attention of The Curator, Cc The Director. "Dear Graham, This follows up delivery of the boat and chair to the Lady Denman museum on Monday 20 Oct 08. The subject boat was built from the hull of a small amphibian aeroplane called the Republic Seabee built in 1947. You can obtain an overview of the aircraft here: http://republicseabee.com/About.html It is from one of 5 Seabees imported into Australia in the late 1950’s. The aircraft was imported from India where it was registered as VT CST. Its Republic serial number is 973 (a number stamped on the stem, partially obliterated by the installation of an eyebolt, but still recognisable). Mr Jim Poel of the International Republic Seabee Owners’ Club helped us immensely with establishing the identity of this Seabee. I will let Jim know of the new location of this member of his flock. If you visit the Seabee site you will see how active and vibrant the club is. The video clip I have linked below is of Jim’s aircraft I think. The attached article provides a history of the aircraft in Australia. The second attachment is a photograph of the boat. There are several clips of Seabee on You tube. Here is one of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fniKLhJ7Kmc&feature=related I also have a DVD of the WIN4 TV story of the Seabee boat at home if that is of any use to the museum.
(Click on images for larger view) I am a member of one of the work groups attached to the Naval Aviation Museum at HMAS Albatross (Mr Don Parkinson and Mr Ray Larder are the other two members of our group). We took the boat “under our wing” after Don collected it from the residence of the widow or friend of the original builder in 2000. Don recalls this lady, who donated the boat to the Naval Aviation museum, lived at Callala Bay. But unfortunately the details of her name and address are not known by us or the Naval Aviation Museum. A local media campaign has not turned up any useful and conclusive leads. But a gentleman who did not wish to be identified, told me that a Mr Les Hodge used to live at Callala Bay during the late 50’s and early 60’s. Les and his family apparently moved to Darwin before Cyclone Tracy destroyed their home when they moved back to Callala for a period while it was being repaired. Les was ex RAAF. And he apparently operated a panel-beating business just down the road from Bankstown airport in Sydney in the late 50’s and possibly early 60’s when the Seabee which provided the hull for this boat, was located there. Les Hodge also built boats as a hobby. So we think that the builder may have been Les. This seems worth following up through Lady Denman’s extended maritime network. Although this is guesswork, either Mrs Hodge may have eventually moved back to Callala from NT. Or more likely, the boat may have been gifted by the Hodge family to another resident of Callala who was the person-knowing a little of its history, on-presented it to the Naval Aviation Museum. There is no person of the name Hodge known to be residing at Callala. Nor do persons with the name Hodge in Darwin (in the phone book) know about the boat (I phoned them). But the significance of the boat is that it is an outstanding example of maritime improvisation undertaken by a local. It also must be one of the first “Tinnies”. As we think it was several years after 1960 or so that aluminium sheet was widespread in its private use as a boat building material. Students of metal-craft will perhaps be interested in the techniques and skill-of-hand evident in the hull’s construction. This possibly speaks a little of the parent company Republic’s capacity and contribution during WW2. Certainly the Seabee itself is a noteworthy aircraft in its own right. In summary, the boat is significant from a number of perspectives. And our group is happy to help Lady Denman with an appropriate “display story” should you wish. Unfortunately we started to strip some of the paint off before we understood what the word “provenance” meant in its museum context. But not too much damage has been done to the original condition. And we have not touched the hardware or fittings. We have always wondered if the registered fishing boat number on the side of the boat might be an actual official mark from an Australian Federal or State Govt authority. We have not done any useful homework on that possibility. The boat was rescued by our group as it had been marked for disposal because it had no known connection to Australian Naval Aviation. As I mentioned to you, should Lady Denman Museum be ever short of inside space to stow the boat please give me a call. I am willing to offer secure stowage again at my place where the atmosphere is perhaps a little kinder to aluminium. The wooden chair was salvaged by a Currarong fisherman well out to sea, two days after the collision between HMA Ships Voyager and Melbourne which occurred at 2056 on 10FEB64. The chair is identifiable as originating from the Aircraft Maintenance Control Office (AMCO) onboard Melbourne. The AMCO on Melbourne, as is the case on other British aircraft carriers of that era, was situated adjacent to and on the same level as the ship’s flight-deck. It was the main control point for aircraft maintenance and deck movement. Representatives from all embarked squadrons worked in AMCO-often “around the clock” while the ship was at sea. Aircrew signed for their aircraft before flying operations and then after returning from flying signed them back in again, in the AMCO. All of our group has spent many hours in Melboune’s AMCO. This chair is marked as belonging to 816 Squadron. 816 operated Fairey Gannet aircraft at that time (The unit now operates Sikorsky Seahawk helicopters) and the squadron was routinely embarked in Melbourne. We guess that in the events following the catastrophic collision perhaps the chair was cast over the side to make room for more pressing needs. We expect that a Navy veteran who was there on the night will eventually shed some light on this. Unfortunately we do not have the name of the local fisherman who retrieved the chair and who presented it to the Naval Aviation museum in 1999. To most RAN Fleet Air Arm people of Melbourne’s and Voyager’s era, the chair is likely to evoke strong memories. I will print this record and attach it to the donation records which I will complete and mail over the next couple of days. But I would be grateful if you would please acknowledge receipt of this note. Regards, Cris George 0244478 612 0400 612 ============================================================================= From:
COMBYSATRM@aol.comStart
Date:
Tue,
28 Mar 2006 21:17:42 EST(Ed note: This e-mail was eventually turned into a full-blown article above (East to West in a Seabee) due to its length. You will see that Galen was quite a character! He died a few years back and even though I didn't know him personally, I felt that I did. He truly had "Seabee" in his blood. (Ed Note: The following e-mails were (and are being) received by New Member Galen Tustison who is ferrying his newly acquired Seabee from New York to California. He bought it from Bob Stein and is working to get it flying. Good luck G, let us know how it goes and if you need any help...except being a co-pilot!) ==================================================================== 5 March 2006 Pete, I have weighed the SeaBee to determine the empty A/C weight and CG. After crunching the numbers, I find C/G WAY out of allowed window. UNFORTUNATELY, I didn’t know how much fuel the plane had in it at the time of weighing. I therefore wrote a spreadsheet program where the empty weight and CG are calculated based on the amount of fuel specified as a variable parameter. Thus when on my next visit to the dugly uckling and I fill it with fuel, I can determine the amount of fuel when I weighed it previously based on the tank capacity and the amount of fuel I will add to fill the tank. I will have my notebook computer with me so that I can plug in the exact fuel quantity and determine the empty weight and CG. Meanwhile, I have written a family of spread sheet programs for the assumed fuel conditions (at the time of weighing) of zero (an unlikely event because the engine ran), half full (most realistic scenario), and full (highly unlikely 'cuz the seller is cheap). For each of these scenarios, I then calculated CG for minimum passengers and load (probably the way I will fly it back to Cal) with zero fuel, half fuel, and full fuel (to make sure that during the entire flight the CG stays in the required range) and maximum passengers and load, again for zero, half, and full fuel. Interestingly, the worst case CG
situation is with min pax
and min fuel, exactly MY configuration with no passengers allowed by
the ferry permit and a bad fuel leak.. "Oh," he said, "I'm going to be busy that day." Any day, every day. So what do I do for ballast? The easiest answer is water ... in 1 gallon antifreeze plastic containers, strategically placed under the forward floorboards all the way up in the nose. There is an access hole in the copilot’s floor which provides easy access. There is a lot of room. Water is cheap and easy to get (especially for a seaplane) and easy to dispose of, and the plastic containers will tolerate frozen water (I hope). The thought of flying back to NY commercially with 135 lbs of lead or trying to procure it there turns me off. Ultimately, I can see a permanent tank located in the forward compartment and a transfer pump allowing easy loading or unloading of water ballast. But that is in the future. (Has anyone in the SeaBee world done that???) Come crunch time, I shall load the
plane per my
calculations, make several high speed taxi runs down the runway testing
elevator control effectiveness, and then attempt a takeoff if all has
gone well. Then climb like a home-sick
angel to at least 1000 ft AGL, just once around the pattern, land and
check everything for leaks, etc. I’m not real eager to be a test pilot but I’m not sure I have a choice. That first take-off has to be made eventually. Lou has suggested that I take the plane apart and trailer it to CA. (Where is his sense of adventure?) And if my calculations are correct, I’d rather make that first take-off from a 6,000 ft paved runway in very cold air than from the 2200 foot dirt strip here at the ranch in warm weather. I will review my calculations with my IA friend here in CA (that’s an A&P mechanic with an inspection authorization) who is familiar with SeaBees. When I told him earlier that I calculated that the plane needed about 135 lbs of ballast, he commented “That’s about right.” So I think I’m in the ballpark. Anyhow, should be an adventure. The Franklin engine has a bit of a reputation for unreliability and ... especially ... for throwing oil. In fact one magazine reviewer suggested that “While it may be more efficient simply to pour oil on the vertical fin and elevator, it should pass through the engine once.” GFT Encs. Endless
weight and balance calculations ad nauseu March 30, 2006: To Steve: Frank was very helpful. Good 20 minute conversation. I will continue to pursue the cable problem with him. I was back in NY Sullivan county airport for two weeks working on plane (it hasn't flown in 6 years following an accident). Fixed a lot of stuff. Made several adjustments, obtained ferry permit from FISDO. will forward trip report. No one on air port has SeaBee experience. So must teach myself to fly it. Question about C/G and ballast. I will fwd trip report. Galen Tustison
==================================== March
31, 2006:
To: smestler@pbtcomm.net, cjjf@silverstar.com Rodger, dodger. N60CB, a 1947 SeaBee, is mine. I spent 2 weeks back there freezing to death fixing things. The final day ... crunch day ..., with me all suited up ... long johns, xtra wool sweater, thermal gloves, no heater in a/c, lots of air leaks, doors bungee-corded closed 'cuz latches don't work too well, 18 gallons of auto antifreeze installed as ballast to get C/G into "window", I taxi over to gas pit for fuel. Put in 50 gal (at $4.25 per) and notice my feet are wet. Leak rate 1 gal per hour. Back to heated hangar, de-fuel plane, pull "rubber" bladder (a/c, not mine) and return to CA for repair. Local
mechanic on field who knew previous owner and condition of airplane
won't sign off an annual inspection. "There's not enough money",
he said. So the flight will be conducted under a special FAA
ferry permit.
==================================== The NEW
Current Operating Plan (About April 2, 2006)
Bladder now
repaired (two holes, no gaskets where there should have been... no
wonder it leaked), return to NY 5 Apr, install bladder, put fuel back
into a/c, teach myself how to fly the mutha (no one at field has
SeaBee experience, a/c has not flown since accident 6 years ago).
But then I won't be the first self-taught pilot. After all, who
taught Orville how to fly??? He learned by careful
experimentation. Me and Orville. What a thought!!!
So plan is
more high speed taxi runs down runway ( 6000 feet l x 200 feet w ) to
get feel of a/c and see if C/G is truly in the window. I've
already done this several times but with each attempt resulting in
brake failure, severe steering problems, inadequate takeoff power, or
some other calamity. The last attempt I glanced over to the left
and saw the crash truck standing by.
(I was later
told not to have a second thought about the crash truck. "Charlie
doesn't have a lot to do anyway." So I'm the local excitement.)
All this in
+10 to +20 deg. F wx. Uck!!!
Route of
flight is going to be straight south to warmer wx, missing P-40 (a.k.a.
Camp David) and the Washington ADIZ ( that's Air Defense
Indentification
Zone, wherein if you stray, you are intercepted by F-16's and become
famous immediately.) A bit of a navigational challenge 'cuz no
radios in plane. If I fly low enough I can follow an interstate
and read the road signs.
Straight
down toward Atlanta, then turn right missing the mountains, thence to
KADS (Dallas TX) and on to CA76. Co-pilot seat is empty.
Interested?
==================================== Apil 12, 2006 From: combysatrm@aol.com To: combysatrm@aol.com Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 21:01:03 -0400 Still
alive after two SeaBee takeoffs and landings.
Departure out of Sullivan County AP, NY memorable for
incrediby poor crosswind technique. Successfully missed all
runway lights and windsock, but close call with hangar roof.
(Turns out backward facing engine needs LEFT rudder on takeoff, not
right.)
Crash
trucks at TTN (Trenton Mercer County AP, New Jersey)
unnecessary. Wheels were down, but no green light. Since
fuel leak/bladder problem solved earlier, minimal risk of fire.
A/C following on approach to 24 did complain about oil mist clouding
windshields due to leaking SeaBee ahead,
Tomorrow,
Thur 13th (if Fri 13th probably would stay on
ground), depart for Frederick MD 120 miles to check for fuel/oil leaks
and have lunch with friend.
Thence
further southward, turn right just N of ATL toward
big D.
God
willing (and enough AeroShell 100) ...
GFT
==================================== April 16, 2006: Subject: SeaBee Trascontinnental Flight, Leg 14, phase 1 Easter Sun (2006) , Easley South Carolina ... still alive
... but
airplane (at Statesvill NC ) is not well ... severe excessive oil
consumption, now throwing 3-4 qts per hour. Virtually zero rate
of
climb out of Burlington NC (BUY). WOW!!!
Highly unlikely able to achieve min 5000 ft altitude
necessary to
cross continential divide near Benson AZ. If just taxi on I-10
westbound, will need clearance from AZ Highway Patrol.
Conference w/ mechanic at SVH Mon. Possible
application to AZ
Highway Dept to follow. Possible top O/H for plane (and pilot) to
follow.
More later.
G.
More later... ==================================== I'm
back at the ranch (CA76) after
massive oil leak (5 qts in 1 flight hour) caught my attention in
NC. A/C on final approach behind me reported IFR condx due to oil
mist.
Prop
went to shop for O/H today in
NC. Mech / IA at SVH ( Statesville, NC) delightful guy. I
told him I wouldn't charge him anything extra for him being allowed to
work on my SeaBee. And this guy has been around. He
actually has an O/H manual for Eiseman magnetos. But I question
his experience with them ... no dirty thumb prints on the manual
pages. But I can fix that. ( I will secretly make a
copy when I have a chance.)
SeaBee
generates a lot of interest
wherever I land. Secret Service, county Sheriff, FAA, plus a few
others. At FDK ( AOPA HDQ but Phil wasn't there ), a guy walks up
and tells me he worked on that airplane. Oh, I sez, u have CB
experience??? No, I worked on THAT airplane in 1988 at a
seaplane base in NY. Next thing I know, he gives me names of 4 or
5 CB pilots / mechs with knowledge / parts / etc. Perhaps there
is hope.
Prop O/H
nominal one week, if you
believe prop shop. I have planned for 2 weeks 'cuz I'm a
non-believer. Best laid plans of mice and men, etc.
I
will
contact friend at Hartzell
Prop, Kevin Ryan, yes that's right, Kevin, you !!! ... and I still
don't have FISDO approval for the Swift prop change after just 6 months
) for O/H manual for HC-D2-V20-3 with AV129 hub and blade model L8433H
S/N B68206 and 99554, clamp S/N E2079 and G(?)2212 so I can
provide extra quality control / quality assurance for prop shop.
I was VERY concerned that all 10-32 fillister head screws
around prop shaft packing gland were just too damned short and,
although safety-wired, not tight with mucho oil leaking.
Gunna dig in
my heels on this one, even if
it means my
changing out hardware after prop shop is done. (Damn it all, why
isn't Bernie here to help? What is the area code for
heaven???????????)
I will try to
find Franklin engine rocker box cover gaskets
/ push rod tube seals in meantime. I will change out ALL upon
return to NC. I have made outline of one good rocker box gasket
and will cut out new ones out of cork (a good cocktail hour
activity ) as necessary. Push rod tube gaskets more
problematical, but ACE Hardware has everything, or so I am
told. (If
anybody has any suggestions here, I would appreciate.).
Now that wx
is warming up,
engine baffeling is more
important. (In 20 deg F NY wx, who cared.) So will take
baffle tape and drill / pop rivets / back-up aluminum / sheet metal
cutters along for next leg of trans-con flight. Also, outside
VHF comm radio antenna works worse than rubber
duckie on hand-held transceiver. Perhaps time for new outside
antenna??? What is Chief Aircraft phone nbr? Suzanne, I
need you.
Garmin GTX320 xpndr and enc
altimeter seems to work
well. BIG black police helio (see earlier report ) was able to
find me easily when I apparently busted Washington ADIZ.
Seriously, though ...
I have now
survived 8 (let's say that
again, EIGHT ... one
more time ... EIGHT ) take-offs and landings. in CB. That
first T/O was tuff ... long talk with my omnipotent copilot before that
one. Crash trucks appeared on only the first two. T/O and
landings get better each time (fewer bounces, less frightened
pilot, crash trucks no longer expecting excitement ), probably
because now the ASI works and slow learning, semi-retarded ( retired ?
) pilot is beginning to realize where horizon should be on
windshield.
Poor guy
never got check out in CB,
never flown one before, all potential instructors in FL where it was
warm. He justified his lack of formal instruction by repeatedly
asking himself ... "Why taught Orville how to fly??? (Turns out
proper horizon position is just between to
bug splashes on windshield. I haven't let anyone wash the
windshield since I discovered this important ... essential ? ...
fact.)
Upon my
forthcoming return to NC and
N60CB, I plan is to
install prop, solve remaining oil leaks, clean up engine baffeling,
attempt to climb to at least 5000 feet (over suitably low terrain and
avoid all those damned high towers ) so that AZ highway dept permit for
taxiing on I-10 near Benson not necessary. If all that comes
together and oil consumption ( leakage ) is within realm that only
moderately wealthy Arab oil shiek can afford, then "Off we go, into the
wild blue yonder ..."
GFT
P.S. To all of you who
have taken out term life
insurance policies on me, I'd renew them for another month or so.
I intend to do same with FAA ferry ( fairy ??? ) permit.
But
I'll bet you lose !!! I hope.
G.
P.P.S. Darcy,
are you ready for your
flight test? I was in Detroit yesterday at DTW waiting for
you. To all others ...
copilot seat still not occupied by mere
mortal. Anyone interested?
===========================================================================7 May 2006 Yup,
I guess I'm a glutton for
punishment for buying the
SeaBee. But I've always wanted to land in the water ... in the
same aeroplane ... twice.
Prop
status: Disassembled
by H and H Prop Service,
Burlington, NC. Blades OK, clamps WAY under minimum
thickness, bearings tired, hub ancient.) Unable to find used
airworthy parts. So ... expect an order for new clamps, bearings
and hub from them first thing Monday morning. I'd appreciate it
if you could beat up Jim Brown and get me a special good-guy
price. ( This transcontinental ferry flight is turning into a
expensive affair.)
Pilot
status: I have
reservations on US Air San Diego
to Greensboro NC ( via Philly ... that's right Jan, Philly ... but just
to change planes) on Wed 10 May. ( US Air was just $500 cheaper
than American so no overnight at DFW, even with the voucher ... sorry
'bout that, Fred.)
Arrive prop
shop Thur to watch
assembly of beloved
prop. Renew ferry permit with local FISDO. Transport
prop to aeroplane Fri which is still parked at Statesville, NC
Regional airport, I hope. Install prop, chase remaining oil
leaks, install new VHF comm antenna. Depart Sat or Sun for Easley
SC. If successful, proceed cautiously to Athens GA and points
westward..
If
you need help beating up Big
Jim, let me know. I
know some folks in the Mexican Mafia.
"Preciate
your help."
Galen
F. Tustison
P.S.
For those of you who
have been following the oil
leak saga ... It dawned on me that the engine sits at a very
different angle to the horizontal whether the plane is sitting on the
ground or flying. Prob 'bout a 15 degree angle difference.
( Interesting that the engine oil dipstick is calibrated on one side
for "LAND" and on the other side for "WATER" to account for this
angular difference.)
==================================== May
8, 2006
At the suggestion of one the IRSOC members, I contacted REAL Gaskets in TN who purportedly makes gaskets for Franklins. "Oh, yes we make gaskets ... but not for the 215 HP engine". In the meantime however, when viewing a page on
their web site, I saw a pix of a rocker box gasket with a pressure
gauge on the rocker box allegedly showing that their gaskets hold up
under pressure.
WOW!!! what an idea! Does that mean that I
can pressurize the crankcase of the engine and look (listen) for oil
leaks? Sure would make sense if it works. This means I can
leak check without running the engine.
So that's my next step. I purchased a
natural-gas-pipe-test-pressure-gauge-and-pressurize-the-pipe-and-see-if-the-pressure-gauge-drops-so-there-must-be-a-leak
type instrument at Home Depot for the princely sum of $9.67.
I will buy pipe adapters on site in NC when I get
there. Perhaps I will take along a bicycle hand pump so I do not
OVER pressurize the crankcase and blow any seals.
I'll keep you posted as the leaks are plugged.
And now I must try to renew the special ferry permit.
GFT
====================================May 10, 2006
Just got off the phone with a very nice lady in the Portland (ME) FSDO to discuss my busting the Washington ADIZ. Min suspension that FSDO inspectors are allowed to recommend is 30 days, but FAA legal staff can reduce it from there. (I'm not holding my breath.) Next step: my preparation of a Statement. Then
FAA legal staff review, possible informal conference, FAA decision,
appeal to administrative law judge, appeal to NTSB, appeal to George,
followed by escape to foreign country. (With the Bee, I can
hide out on a remote lake in Canada.)
G.
==================================================================== May 10, 2006
Re: Seabee Ballast weights Great idea! A friend also suggested SCUBA diving weights. Both good permanent solutions. My temp solutionof auto antifreeze has, so far, worked out
well, is reusable, and I got a discount on the quantity buy because as
I reminded the store manager, it was at the end of the winter
antifreeze season and I was helping him reduce his inventory.
I leave for NC and the BEE in three hours.
G.
Sent: Mon, 29 May 2006 17:43:59 -0400 Subject: Hola Hola TTF,
Where are you????? Where
is the Seabee?????
Jan
Greetings
from Dallas. Spent 6 days in Cylacauga AL chasing oil
leaks. (Bet you
can't even find it on the map. Hint: 41 miles SE Birmingham on US
280.) Long, but successful chase. Flt from AL to Big
D was 8 hours
and used less than 1 quart of oil total. Found fundamental design
problem in fuel pump, of all things. $100 million class action
lawsuit
(against GM and AC Fuel Pump) to follow.
Plan to leave KADS
(Addison TX) crqck of dawn tomorrow Wed. Overnight El Paso or
Demming NM, on to so Cal Thur.
Also
found partial explanation of mediocre take-off performance. T/O
perf
now better, but no rocket ship. Still working on that.
Perhaps a
rocket or two might help.
Probably no need to
extend term life insurance policies beyond 15 June.
Co-pilot seat still
unoccupied.
G.
Chris, please fwd this to
Nathan 'cuz, once again, I have lost his address.
G.
20 May 2006 Saturday 20 May
On the ground at Pikens County A/P SC. Minimum oil
leak ... will
trace tomorrow. Severe TST watch right now. Prop still
leaks oil.
Kevin, more O-rings??? Another prop shop???
Sorry I didn't make it to AL SeaBee fly-in.
I can not say enough good things about the folks at
Statesville
airport/ Iredell Air Care / especially and emphatically Jones
Barnes.
Truly a gentleman, generous and hospitable in the best,
finest Southern
tradition.
But Jones, I'm gunna get even with Jack.
GFT
***********************************************************************************
C B P R O P E L L E R
______________________________________________________________________________
There once was a Sea Bee propeller,
That leaked out oil all over this feller.
A little drip
here, another drip there,There just wasn’t any oil left to spare.
“Whoa”, he said, as he grounded his Bee,
For a small bag of gold, so I am told,
“Nary a drip”, the FSDO man said, “Good for flight wherever your destination may be,
- composed at an airport somewhere in North Carolina
during moments of
despondency and despair
while, hopefully, awaiting
the parts to rebuild
his notoriously leaky prop.
(actually I’m beginning to worry about this guy ...
mental soundness, and all
that)
==================================================== 30 May 2006 Kevin,
Thanks for the info and drawing. After a week on the
ground in
AL, I am convinced, and my fix seems to bear me out, that while
the
prop might leak a bit of oil, along with the servo valve, the VAST
MAJORITY OF OIL IS COMING FROM THE INCOMPETENTLY DESIGNED AC FUEL
PUMPS. There is simply nothing positively compressing the gaskets
in
the pump housing. Any compression acheived depends on the
body casting
flange to not bend under stress, a risky, inadequate, uncertain
assumption. And guess what ... the flange bends. Everyone
in AL
thought I was crazy, but I installed my hand-machined spacers
(supports) and oil leak has dropped from 5 quarts per flight hour
to 1
quatr per eight hours.
Subsequent to installing my spacers I just happened to see a
newer
AC fuel pump lying on a workbench. Guess what? The more
recent body
casting incorporated my "spacers" in the body casting. My, my, my!
Of course AC didn't bother to tell anyone about the design
change. I'll fix that upon return to CA.
I think Franklin engines and Hartzell propellers have taken
a lot
of heat and abuse over the years for oil leaks that were not their
fault.
Personally ... yes I was on my last legs. Nothing I
did seemed to
improve the situstion. I cured a lot of little leaks, but the
gusher
remained. The mental and physical stress ... and add some good
old
summertime heat ... working outside w/o any shade for 8 hours one
day.
Yup, the end of the line.
Then the fuel pump spacer solution. People looked at
me as though I was crazy when I said ... My fuel pump is leaking oil.
I have been very grateful for my rest stop here in big
D. Arrived
7 pm Sun eve, slept fitfully, two naps on Mon, just 12 hours sleep last
night, one nap so far today. Finally getting fluid to pass
through my
body, regained a bit of appetite, rested and ready for bear (no
not
that Baer in Denver ... need even more energy for that!).
So off I go into the wild blue yonder tomorrow very early
AM.
Westbound, hopefully over the next big challange ... the continentinal
divide. Would like to get to El Paso of Demming NM (good motel w/
excllent Mex restaurant near the a/p) tomorrow, on to so CA Thur, again
very early takeoff.
Thanks again for your patience and help, young man. I
think I now owe you TWO big steak dinners.
Galen Tustison
========================================================================= June 4, 2006 The SeaBee Is Home
After 31 flights totaling 41 flying
hours, SeaBee N60CB has landed at the Flying T Ranch (CA76) just east
of Ramona, CA. The aircraft departed Sullivan County airport NY
(KMSV) on 11 April and arrived at its CA destination on 4 June.
The 60 year old Republic SeaBee
Model RC-3 consumed just over 600 gallons of aviation fuel and 21
quarts of oil. Major oil leaks were solved in Statesville NC,
where the prop was overhauled, and Sylacauga AL. From Sylacauga
AL westward to its California destination, the Franklin engine used
only three of the 21 quarts.
The aircraft achieved a maximum
altitude of 5200 ft AMSL crossing the continental divide in southern
New Mexico and a minimum altitude of 54 feet below sea level at
Imperial CA where it landed for fuel.
Enroute the air speed indicator, the
wet magnetic compass, the oil pressure gauge, the oil temperature
gauge, and the hydraulic system for raising and lowering the landing
gear and flaps failed.
The pilot would again like to thank
all those folks along the route who were so helpful and
hospitable. Without your help and support it would not nave
happened.
The flight was conducted
in memory of Jerome E. "Jerry" Hoke, perhaps the world's best
flight instructor.
To honor this old bird and its
successful flight, a ceremony will be held at the ranch at 10 AM, July
4th to christen her "Queen of The Oceans". President Bush,
Administrator Blakely, and Governor Schwarzenagger have been
invited. All recipients of this announcement are also invited.
GFT
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From: Bob Peterman
Subject: Seabee Restoration Update Date: October 18, 2005 Hi
Steve & Jim:
 Thought I would send you a little update on the
progress of our retoration project and to let you know I haven't really
fell off the planet (yet). We have been
very busy here at Evergreen Aviation Museum. New aircraft are always
arriving either for immediate display or into our restoration area
for what work needs to be done. Serial 736 is
now completely stripped down and engine removed. We have a lot of
cleaning to do and some minor repairs, but we have a good airframe to
work with. Steve Lantz and Paul Shepherd
stopped by for a look
see and they thought we have an excellent conditioned aircraft. I
took that as a great compliment coming from two real pros. I want to thank you and all the Seabee people
that jumped in and gave me some very good advise and contact
leads. We are well on our way in locating some really hard to
find items. Still haven't come up the interior design we would
like to install. Taking a lot of before photos so we can put
things back together some time in the future
---- sure helped with that
complex tail wheel. When I get some good progress photos I'll
pass them along. The Seabee is a new world for me and I am really
enjoying it. I've been in this business since 1943 (and
still kicking ???), but this aircraft has gotten my full attention.
Once again thanks to all you Seabee people, your quite a
club.
Bob Peterman
McMinnville, Oregon
(Ed note: I want to thank ALL the IRSOC members that helped and are helping Bob with his project. Most of you know how hard it is to find parts and reliable help so, thanks! - Steve, IRSOC) |
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From: Peter Annis
Subject: Twin Bee test pilot Date: June 8, 2004 Hello,
I just happened across your web site with the pictures of the Twin Bee
serial #15 having it's first flight after a rebuild in the Philippines.
It prompted me to look in my log books for the original first flight. I
made that first flight on April 16,1974 when it was registered as N9506U
at the Norwood Massachusetts airport. The flight was 35 minutes long.
The first water landing was on April 24,1974. I was the test pilot who
performed the experimental flights toward the initial FAA
type certification and made all of the production first
flights and FAA acceptance flights for all 23 Twin Bees that were
built. The last serial number was #24. Number 13 was not built.
Best Regards Peter Annis Halifax Massachusetts (Ed. Note: I wonder why they didn't build #13?) |
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From: Henry Chapeskie
Subject: LS6 Corvette Engine Date: September 29, 2003 Greetings Steve from Canada, We now have
180 hours on our bee(#965) with the GM engine. We figured out the programming in the computer
module and had to remove the oxygen sensors from the loop. Our fuel burn at 24" and 3300 rpm on the engine
is 10.3 US gal per hour! With 80 gallons in the tank we have 7 hours
range plus reserve - simply
remarkable.
We cruise at about 105-110mph. At gross weight and 60 degrees
temperature outside it will climb at1400-1500fpm. Throttle can be left wide open as long
as you like for climb as it is liquid cooled. We usually throttle back
once at 500-1000 feet above ground.
I had the upholstry re-done this spring and so it is a bit better
dressed up.
We have done about 5 or 6
fishing trips up into Quebec and have had a very good summer eating
speckled and lake trout. I'm
looking at putting a Century I autopilot into it this spring just to
have the wing leveller.
You can
change
the notation below our photo in the members list to reflect out present
stats. Brian Robinson's
conversion
is simply working beyond our expectations. I have a 350 gal tank
at
my airstrip for auto fuel as does my dad at his airstrip and so we
fly only using
auto gas for the most
part. Cost = $20.00/hr for fuel! We get the road tax back
as it is
not a licenced vehicle for the road.
Hope all is well. Many
thanks for keeping the web site up and running.
Henry Chapeskie
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From: Les Coleman
Subject: Restoration update for S/N 668 Date: June 15, 2003 Les writes: G'Day Jim, Just a few lines to let you
know how
the restoringof 668 is going.
We purchsed an
engine advertised in your web site from France. As it had no log
book it was a bit of a gamble.
We had it shipped to Australia and were surprised to
find it was complete with all accessories, engine mounts and everything
but the generator. We
had
it stripped and test run and it is in perfect condition. I won't
tell you how we overcame the log book situation !!
At this stage we have installed
the engine and now have to connect everything. A few other jobs
will have to be done but with a bit of luck we hope to have it flying
by the end of the year.
It would be interesting to find
out how this engine got to France. I would think that as we got it was
exactly as it was removed from the airframe.
Serial of the engine is 23542.
It is a 6AB215B9F.
The original Australian
Registration VH-KNA has been allocated to another aircraft but we are
trying to get VH-CBZ.
Keep up the good work on the
web site,
it is great.
Best regards,
Les Coleman
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From: Don Engel
Subject: Seabee Rescue August 1949 Date: January 25, 2003 Don writes: A pilot with a Seabee from Warroad, Minnesota picked me up off Oak Island on August 23, 1949 and flew me back to the Warroad hospital. The next day three different pilots in relays got me back to Sioux Falls, SD. I had polio & sleeping sickness. The Seabee pilot picked me up at dusk and in rough water, and it was dark when we landed in Warroad. I think of that man often, even this much later. Don writes more about his adventure... I was on Oak
Island in Lake of the Woods. The mail boat came to the island
only once a week so it could not be used to get me off, plus I was
too sick for a long boat ride. I was in Canada with four of
my high school buddies for some fishing. We'd been there in
1948, also. Anyway, they found somebody on one of the many
islands in that area who had a ham radio and he called Warroad, Minn.
and got the message to the Seabee pilot. The sleeping
sickness caused
me to drift in and out but I recall some parts of the rescue and relay
back to Sioux Falls. On the take off from Oak Island the pilot
had me loosen the seat belt and push my butt off the seat because it
was rough due to high waves. I remember the landing at
Warroad. There was a light on the railroad tressle and he said
that once over that it was open water, and dark as the inside of a
shoe. He felt his way down, then, using the house lights on
shore as
a reference, taxied to what he thought was close to his dock,
shut down the engine, jumped out into water chest deep and pulled
the plane around until he found the dock. Quite some guy!
Not the kind of person one would forget. The Seabee is a big
part of my memories, too.
6509 S. Kit Carson St. Littleton, CO 80121 P.S. I don't use my email address because it can't be relied upon to always work, so I don't check the box for incoming. (Editor's Note: I knew these Seabees were good for something! Glad to see Mr. Engel made it out okay. Steve for the IRSOC) From: Robert M. Reckinger Sr. Subject: Seabees Date: Sunday, April 12, 1998 HELLO SEABEE LOVERS! THE FOLLOWING FROM DARRELL DAVEY
John, I have been a Seabee owner for about 10 years. I
initially had a Franklin powered Bee, flew it for a few years and had a
Simuflite Lycoming conversion done. Took it to Alaska twice. It burned
up when an engine fire developed on final approach. I got it on the
field, but it was a total loss. BOUGHT ANOTHER-just restored and
overhauled Franklin . Threw a rod. Landed in a mountain meadow. Now
have my third Seabee. Ken Thompson at Sonoma CA is just finishing up a
ground up restoration Lycoming IGSO-480. Can you tell I like Seabees?
How do I join ?
Darrell Davey "GREATER LOVE HATH NO BEE OWNER"! John From: Bolton, John B To: jhooper@bhip.infi.net Subject: thanks Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 John Bolton MODEL SEABEE: Just wanted to let all the Seabee fanatics out
there know there's a model kit of the Republic Seabee by Glenco Models.
It's a plastic model that does require painting and assembly. It has
about a 12" wingspan when assembled. Without painting the model would
take about 1/2 hour to build. Problem is the kit is made of clear
plastic and must be painted. This could add quite a bit of time to the
project. The art work on the box is exceptional. If you can't find one
localy, contact me and I'll try to help you out. I can be reached at,
E-mail: rrpromo@ameritech.net
Editor: I bought a couple off of Ebay.com. They were about $30 (ouch!) a piece. Steve for IRSOC. From: Barry C. Lawrence To: jhooper@bhip.infi.net Date: Friday, April 10, 1998 1:28 PM Subject: Associate member Dear John: Sincerely, BARRY John JUST ONE OF IRSOC's SERVICES: A few days ago we
received
email from a Mr. Craig Green who stated "I am planning on importing
a Super Seabee and need proof of where it was manufactured". I supplied
that info and asked what the serial of the planes was and he replied
it was # 871. Due to the fine work of Bill Williams on our Seabee
database,
I was able to send Mr Green the following message:
Subject: #871 Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 15:45:02 -0500 Hi Craig: How's the weather in Big Lake, Alaska? Florida is OK. I am pleased and proud of the work
Bill Williams and Donn Booth are doing. This is a case in point. As
you can see below, not only locating your plane but a recap of the
condition of the plane itself including price. The seller of this plane
must have the papers which enabled him to import the plane in the first
place and are the proof you need to re-import the plane to the states.
I
hope this report will enable you to see the value of affiliation with
IRSOC
when you become an owner.
Best wishes from IRSOC John. Donn & John - Seabee #871 is C-FFSC from
Canada. This is the one that belongs to Mr. Gagnon, that is being sold
by that fellow that offered to have us come up and use his cabin to go
fishing. Please note, this aircraft is one of the Bees I recently sent
you the accident reports on. It was a very strange accident, where the
pilot chose a partially submerged sandbar to land on because the gear
would not lock down. There was minor damage to the wing, and one float.
Gagnon had the Lycoming motor and the rest of the conversion completed.
He had it listed for $77,000.00 Canadian. Sounds like a hell of a
Seabee. - Bill Williams
PS: I hope this message proved to be of
considerable value to Mr. Green. We were happy to be of service in this
instance. J Hooper for "IRSOC"
SPECIAL! JUST IN! March 10,1999: CRAIG GREEN BOUGHT THE SEABEE AND WILL BE OPERATING N82283 THIS SPRING AT BIG LAKE, ALASKA. CONGRATULATIONS CRAIG!  Dear Mr. Hooper, My name is Barnett Frankel. I am not a pilot,
yet. At 38 I'm just about ready to start my 2nd childhood and have been
lobbying my wife for flight lesson's. I did, however, spend eight years
in the USN in aviation, so I do have a background. I was surfing the
net the other day and came upon your site. Imagine, web site
devoted to what has to be the funniest, ugliest, cutest, beautiful
floatplane I've ever seen. Oh, I know about the Goose, Mallard, Mars,
etc. But the Seabee is truly in a class by itself. I described it to my
friend as a rugby ball (like a football only not as pointy) with wings
and a pusherprop, a broomstick coming out of the back and an empanage
assembly at the other end. Even after reading about Guy's
(mis-)adventure in purchasing his SeaBee, I want one. Yes, I'd like an
Aerospatiale Tampico or Tobago, but if
I had my druther's, I'd want a Seabee to be my first plane. It is a
shame that this craft is so limited in it's availability. Water or
land-based, nice range and payload (it looks fairly roomy inside), it
would be perfect. Living near the Raritan River in New Jersey, my wife
and I (with or without the kids) could fly to Montauk Point, Long
Island (one of her favorite places) on a whim. Well, it's the stuff of
fantasy. Thank you for bringing a smile to me.
Sincerely, Barnett "Barney" Frankel bfrankel@home.com Thanks for forwarding Barney's letter. I, too,
am a frustrated pilot of sorts. The Twinbee will be the first airplane
I own and this is the culmination of my chilhood dreams of having my
own aircraft and being able to fly just about anywhere. Inasmuch as the
Philippines is an archipelago of 7100 islands and I have not been able
to see quite a lot of them, an amphibian plane would give me the
opportunity to explore them without the painful expense of owning ang
maintaining a helicopter. For your info, I still have to get my flying
lessons finished, though I have had some ground schooling already.
Owning a multi engine is a long term goal and perhaps in the meantime,
I will have to ask a pilot friend to go toFlorida to get rated on the
Twinbee while I get my pilot's licence. I have flown an
ultralight in 1984 without an instructor and proper guidance, which
resulted in a spectacular crash (which was filmed on video)
that ended my shortlived ultralight career. I have several broken bones
as remembrance of that July 4th debacle. By the way, the
accident happened a couple of weeks after I have been proficient enough
in flying the Waspair Tomcat, which was one of the earliest
ultralight models at that time. Due to a lack of a rated instructor, I
proceeded to do crowhops in our airport until I was able to fly the
length of our 2500 meter runway without touching down. The successful
flights in the coming days emboldened me to fly higher and longer.
A crosswind ended my ambitions that day. However, 14 years after, I
have renewed my ambition to fly again and the Twinbee's unique
qualities not only intrigued me but strengthened my resolve to pursue
an aviation related business. My cable TV and restaurant business is
relatively stable at this point and it wouldn't hurt if I tried my hand
in aviation.
When I saw the newspaper ad about a knocked down aircraft last year,
I visited the Customs warehouse plainly out of curiosity and when I
saw the Bee (I've never seen one before!), it sparked my Walter Mitty
aspirations and one thing led to another. Now I am about to start the
rebuild and I am eagerly awaiting for the engines which I purchased
from US Aircraft salvage in Tennessee. I hope to also get a Cessna 172
in the future and a single engine Simuflite Super seabee is not far
away from my mind. I am also interested in contacting anybody who has
built the Spencer Amphibian from plans since it may just be feasible to
build new Seabees from modern materials. Thanks again and please
forward this letter to all the seabee enthusiasts out there.
Elpie Paras The Philippines From: EGWW To: jhooper@bhip.infi.net Subject: resorting to art in those moments Date: Sunday, May 10, 1998 2:45 AM From: Julie Bayless To: John P. Hooper Subject: RE: http://www.jetplane.com/cgi-bin/jetplane/jetmain/forsale_respond-L?item=1720 Date: Thursday, June 25, 1998 9:07 AM Thank you John! This is my dad's Bee! I can't tell you how
thrilled I am to have found it, and that it's less than 40K. Still a
little out of my realm, but a
lot closer to possible than anything else I've been seeing. You may
come across the name George Pomeroy on occasion in your
Seabee involvement....he was fairly well known as one of
the experts on the plane, and did a lot of rebuilding for
people. One of the Bees he rebuilt was on the cover of Flying magazine,
back in 91 or 92.
Thanks
for remembering my request!Best Wishes, Julie Julie Bayless Enterprise Support Representative Email filmgirl@rocketmail.com EDITOR'S NOTE: Julie the picture and info on your father's,
(George Pomeroy's) Seabee was located by our "Internet Detective"
Bill Williams and we are pleased to have located it. If any of you
remember the GEORGE POMEROY who operated Seabees between St.Ignace
and Mackinac Island, Michigan and any anecdotes about him, I am sure
Julie would like to hear from you.
John
for IRSOC
To: jhooper@bhip.infi.net Subject: SeaBee stuff, of course..!! From Member Don Anderson Hi John... I've been checking the web site daily
to see if you've gotten back to "work". Missed you're presence during
August, but have been keeping busywith my partner, John Kosir, in
getting
our Bee ready for it's launch sometime soon...(we're hoping..). We've
been rebuilding EVERY componenton the ship, from tail to bow. All new
wiring, plumbing, fuel cell, pumps overhauled, rebuilt gear, brakes,
panel, instruments..and on and on..! It's become much more of a project
than we expected, but we'll have as new a Bee as there can be when we
finish.
Since we've missed the summer, and going into the fall, I guess there's
no rush anymore. Still waiting for the new Hartzell 3 blade prop for
the
GO-480, but it's given us time to renew all the engine components,
exhaust,
cables, etc. We have the overhead engine controls STC reinstalled, and
working on new seats right now. We went down to Florida last month and
spent a day with Henry Ruzakowski ( What a great guy he is..!!!), who
had a wealth of info and advice for us. He truly is a SeaBee guru..!!
We
expect to hang the wings and tail group on within a few weeks, will
need
to do an FAA compliance inspection ( since we brought it back "home"
from
Canada), and hopfully be in the air within 90 days or less. By then
we'll
probably need to be looking for a set of snow skis for it (just
joking). Anyway, that's the status on S/n 672, N672CB at this time. We
still have the first Bee we bought, N6323K in storage, and plan to be
able to do something with it in the next year or so. We're hoping the
new diesel engines will be forthcoming by then, and we can move forward
with something like that. I just turned 70 end of August, but figure
good living and a beautiful wife of 50 years will keep me on track for
at least another 25 or so. John Kosir is only 41, so he plans to be at
this game for another 50-75 years or
so. Between us that ought to give us enough time time to get at least
another 3 or 4 Bees back in the air. Hope you're summer in Michigan was
enjoyable, and that you're still running on all cylinders. My bride of
50 years and I are planning to spend a week or two up
in Travewrse City/Charlevoix area towards the end of this month, and
catch some fall colors and relax a bit. Our summer here in Ohio was
really beautiful, but I still miss the old home state, even after
32 years being a Buckeye. Take care of yourself, and if I have the
chance to be in you're neighborhood, be certain we'll be looking you
up..!
Best regards, Don E mail: dander@.ptcom.net
To: John Hooper From: "Ken Butti" Subject: Update
DR. ANDY CHAPESKI WRITES: I saw your add in the
august issue of Canadian Flight. I've owned my Seabee CF-GAD Serial no.
965 since 1967. When I bought it the air frame time was 915 hours Total
time now is 2846 hours most of which I put on myself. I flew it with
the
Franklin engine for over ten years and 500+ hours and never
had a real problem once I learned about the engine. I burned it out
within the first year of ownership with overzealous leaning and once I
was willing to put up with the gas hog it was (22 US gal per hour) I
never had another bit of trouble with the old Franklinstein. However it
remained grossly under powered especially with an empty weight of 2450
lbs. came from. My basic airplane was never added to except for a metal
2 blade prop. At any rate to
make the airplane functional with the old engine I used to remove
the landing gear which weighs 130 lbs. it was of no value to me going
north in the 60's and 70's. However it lost it's amphib capability. In
any event I always flew the old Franklin with tongue in cheek
and threatened to get rid of it and go to a float plane. I even looked
at the lake amphib but declined that because of its small engine size
and very light construction. It's not made for bush flying like the
Bee is and only weighs 1800 lbs. In the late 70's a group in Seattle
came up with a Lycoming engine conversion and as I had a bit of extra
coin at the time decided to go for it and have never looked back.
I installed the
GO-480-B1A6 of 270 hp because it burned 80-87 octane which was all that
was available in northern Canada at that time. It has made the Bee
truly a working airplane and I can even put in the proverbial kitchen
sink. On northern trips basic baggage weighs 200 lbs and we usually
take off with 85 US gallons and often throw in an extra 12 gallons in 2
cans-(insurance on a 500 mile leg). The new engine burns only 15 gal an
hour and I can now enjoy all summer the fish camp in Quebec which is
only an hour away from here and on a lake less then a mile long and
with 100 foot pine trees on either end. Speed with the
old engine was 90-95 and with the new engine it is more the 100
when heavy. This goes up to 105-110 when light. I once had an airspeed
indicator that did much better the this. You can thank the Clark Y
airfoil for this as much as all the garbage that hangs out in the
breeze. However the big advantage of the Clark Y is the fact that I
have never
had a problem getting off the water no matter how heavy, hot, or which
engine. You sure can't say the same about the Cessna float planes. They
may be faster than the Bee but the high speed wing has a poorer lifting
capability at slow speeds and doesn't like air that's hot or high. I
once left a friend of mine stranded this way on James Bay at sea level
in northern Ontario and he had a Cessna 172 with a Lycoming 180
conversion
and constant speed prop. He spent the night on the dock and was not
able
to get off until the next morning when the air was cool. I had the
Franklin
at the time. My Bee and I have been all over Canada's Arctic from
Whitehorse in the ukon to Yellowknife, NWT, on to Inuvik to Cambridge
Bay on Victoria Island, Hudson's Bay to Frobisher on Baffin Island.
We've also been to Fort Chimo in northern Quebec plus northern Labrador
and Newfoundland.
We still have a trip to do.
We plan to do the West Coast on up to Alaska and back via the Alaskan
Highway if my pilot son
can ever take the month off we need to do that from where I live in
southern Ontario near Ottawa. It will involve about 100 hrs of flying
at about 100 MPH. Many badmouth the Bee, particularly that it takes two
hours of maintenance for every hour of flight. I'm sure that these are
owners that rarely fly their planes which suffer from disuse. A few
years ago, my son and I spent a couple of weeks in the Arctic and the
only work the plane needed was an oil change in the 66 hours of flight.
I fly my bird from 50-100 hours a year. I think this is the secret!
Dr. Andy Chapeski
John, I would just like to let you know
the response from numerous members of the group has been tremendous in
my search for a Seabee. Their help and unqualified support is most
appreciated. Being in Australia, with only one Seabee on the entire
continent makes my search a bit of an
international expedition. I have learned the old lesson of
"There is nothing that time or money will not fix - if you don't
have one you can fix it with the other". With a couple of planes
offered I will have to win the lottery or live to be 150. Having said
that, a couple of seemingly good aircraft are out there with
pretty straight sounding owners and I hope to look at them in USA
shortly. Keep up the good work.
Regards Lang Kidby
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Updated April 21, 2023 (Added Jim and Dete's Seabee article, Added logbook article, Changed cartoon, Added "Marty B II", Added Spencer: "Man behind the Seabee")
