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Bill Shaver and Uncle
Wally are going to be
"at it again" on May 17th, 2008!
(As he
would say, "Y'all come!")
Bluegrass
Music included!
Republic SeaBee Makes Hard Landing In Southern California
(SoCal)
Loses Propeller Mid-Flight Over San Diego County
The propeller from a
vintage Republic RC-3 SeaBee
amphibian
fell off about half an hour after it took off from a public
airfield 10 miles east of San Diego, California Friday, according to
FAA
spokesman Ian Gregor. The plane was en route to Lake Mead, NV, and
made a hard landing in a rural area. Neither of the two men on board
was injured, he added, although
the passenger was taken to a hospital for a precautionary
evaluation.
Gregor reported that
just
after 11:30 am, the pilot cut power at
an unknown altitude and glided to the ground in a field near
Julian, 60 miles northeast of San Diego. "It's pretty unusual for that
to happen," he said to the
Associated Press. The airplane suffered substantial damage in the
forced landing.
An FAA investigator was
on
site to determine why the propeller
fell off. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department had not received
any
calls regarding injuries or damage from the falling propeller, said
emergency services dispatch supervisor Shannon Powers.
One of the few
amphibious
light aircraft to be produced in any
sort of numbers, the Republic Seabee was built by the same company
responsible for the legendary P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The Seabee
(file photo of type, above right) was conceived
during the latter stages of the war when Republic began looking
beyond its massive wartime contracts to a foundation for sustained
peacetime production. The original concept was one quite popular
during the 1940s -- to provide a four-seat, light aircraft costing
little more to purchase and operate than a family car. More than
1,000 Seabees were built in just one year of production.
Seabee production began
in mid
1946, but lasted only until
October 1947, when Republic opted to concentrate on its more
lucrative military business, in spite of healthy Seabee sales.
(Reprinted from Aero-News.net 2-8-2007)
Bill Shaver's Crowd
Splashing-In again!
May 19, 2007
(Click on FLyers above for full size
image)
Steve
Lantz' Seabee makes the cover of CONTACT!
February 2006 - Steve Lantz and his
famous "Tahoe Special" have made the cover of CONTACT! Magazine. One of
the contributor's to the magazine, Mr. Anthony J. Liberator, has
been following the "Special" through the IRSOC website and the editor
decided to put it on the cover. Way to go (again) Steve! If anyone is
interested in CONTACT!
magazine - Experimental
Aircraft and Powerplant Newsforum for Designers and Builders,
you can check them out here.
(Photo by Ian - I think)
Glen Curtiss Museum Fly
(Splash)-in
Hammondsport, NY- The Glen Curtiss museum
is having it's fourth annual Seaplane Homecoming. This is the event
where Jim Poel flew the Curtiss "A-1 Triad" and will, weather
permitting, fly it again this year. It takes place September 15-17, 2006.
For more information call the museum at (607) 569-2160 or Jim Poel at (386) 405-6447.
You can see the brochure here or visit the museum website at http://www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org/
Steve Lantz's "Lake Tahoe
Special" is taking shape done!
Takes Grand Champion Seaplane at Airventure 2005!
Update: June 2005 -
Steve's "Lake Tahoe Special" is finally completed! See below!
May 28, 2004
- Here is shot of the "Lake Tahoe Special". An amateur biult aircraft
based on the RC-3 Seabee fuselage, being constructed by Steve Lantz and
Paul Shepherd of Carson City NV. The engine is the Robinson Conversion
LS-6 Corvette with 405 HP swinging a four bladed, reversable, scimitar
MT propeller. It features the corvette airconditioning and heater
system .The Robinson conversion is a beautifully engineered system and
has been easy to install. It can be installed under the original engine
cowl. The aircraft features gull wing doors, 110 gallons of fuel,
and extended wing tips. I will send more pics as progress proceeds.
UPDATE!
July 1, 2004- Progress is good but it doesn't look
like the aircraft will be ready for Oshkosh. Im hoping for the Clear
Lake splash in. The MT propeller is now hung and in the process of
being rigged. The reverse system as it comes from MT was designed
originally for Airship Ind. Blimps and would only go from forward
thrust to full reverse position. Brian Robinson designed a system that
allows for intermediate reverse positions and works very similar to the
orignal Seabee system.
 
(Click on image to see full size)
Tuesday,
July 12, 2005- (A date that will live in infamy!) - Steve
Lantz writes, "On Tuesday, June 12
the FAA certified the aircraft as Experimental Amateur Built. So far I
have flown 23 of the required 40 hours (more by now I am sure!) and I
can say it is everything I had hoped it would be. Brian Robinsons
conversion is a wonderful thing. I have been operating off Lake
Tahoe at density altitudes of over 7900 ft on the water and we are
airborne in 20 seconds. Yesterday at the South Lake Tahoe Airport with
a density altitude of 9050 ft we were off the runway in under 500 ft.
It is a fantastic flying machine.
Fuel burn in cruise with the Corvette running at 3300 RPM is
about 9 gallons per hour. This aircraft carries 115 gallons with
two 20 gallon wing tanks and the main tank. The Corvette air
conditioning system works great, pumping 45F air into the cockpit.
<>Paul Shepherd and I have put over 4200
hours into the construction. I should have the 40 hours local flying
completed prior to the Arlington fly in so I am planning on being
there. After that Paul and I will be going to Oshkosh in late July. "
Steve continues later...
"...I agree with you that
we are all lucky to be Seabee owners. I think I personally I owe
my luck to two people, the first is Brian Robinson for
having the courage to engineer and then invest personally in the V8
conversion, and secondly to my friend (for over 40 years) and
hangar neighbor Paul Shepherd for spending countless hours working out
the details of the Construction and
restoration for this aircraft. I think that I am also fortunate to have
been associated with an FAA inspector that knows the FARs and realized
that this was a true amateur built aircraft. I think we would all agree
that this conversion makes the Seabee a state of the art amphibian, not
only safer but more versatile and easier to maintain."
July 3, 2005 - "I now have 43 hours on the aircraft. The engine has been
completely trouble free. I am getting off Lake Tahoe in 18 seconds and
made a short field takeoff at Tahoe airport and was airborne in under
400 feet of roll at a density altitude of 9050 ft. Pretty incredible. A lot of people have ask about the paint job. We all know
that the Seabee was not in the Navy and was not in Vietnam, but I was
so what the hell, that qualifies for a Navy paint job. I was a pilot in Patrol Squadron 48 during the Vietnam
conflict and spent a lot of time operating out of NAF Cam Ranh Bay
flying P-3 aircraft. I believe VP-48 was the last Navy squadron to
transition from the P5 Marlin to the P-3. I have dedicated my plane to
good old VP-48, long since decommissioned."
August 4, 2005 - "Im proud to say that the Lake Tahoe Special was
awarded the Grand Champion Seaplane trophy at Oshkosh."
(Ed
note: We at the IRSOC are very proud of Steve and all his
helpers. (Too numerous to mention I am sure) It is a wonderful feeling
knowing that Seabees will undoubtedly live forever! If you are
interested in the LS-6 V8 engine Steve used, see Brian Robertson's update here!)
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Bob
Peterman and the "Spruce Goose" Museum are making great progress with
their Seabee!
 
 
Thanks to Jeremy Brown, Bob
Peterman has found his original gas cap! Thanks Jeremy. Good progress
is being made on the "Spruce Bee". When it is completed the Seabee
above will be located next to the Spruce Goose. Yup, the real thing!
What an honor and these guys are doing a fantastic job. Great work! You
can see the museum website at http://www.sprucegoose.org/.
Thanks Bob and keep us updated.
Steve for the IRSOC
December
2006: Update! The "Spruce Bee" is done! At least Bob Peterman
says he doesn't need any more parts. That's a good thing.
Don
Anderson makes page 32 of Flying Magazine!
May 2006- ...if you haven't already seen it, a painting of our
SeaBee, N681CB made page 32 of the June 2006 ussue of Flying magazine.
The
painting (shown above) was done by a close friend of John's (Kosir),
Felix Mocilnikar (don't try to pronounce it), who is a very
accomplished artist, living in the Dallas area. He is also a
Technician (still a mechanic to me) for American Airlines. The
location was the shore of beatiful Lake Erie, here in Willoughby, OH.
That's John and his squeeze, at the time, in the pic.
The
other pics were taken last Fall, a few miles East of here. The looney
in the Decathlon took the CB pics (Capt. Chris Megan, American
Airlines).
Thought
you might want to post this on the web site.
Hope
life has been treating you both well. Things are good at this end.
Our
best to you.
Click on images for larger view
New Seabee Project Started by
Jeremy and Tania Brown
AFTER
Update!
August 2006-
Steve,
Thanks for your help.
Here is some pictures
of our Seabee 612. Things are going well with the project.
We have done everything to it. Overhauled all Main/Tail Landing gear
and all Hydraulic Cylinders. There was all new control cables with the paint
job that is close to the original style. We are quite excided to get it
together. Now down to the interior and final installation of the dash panel.
It will be nice to send you more photos of C-FGPY when it is in the air.
Cheers, Jeremy
(Ed note: Looks great Jeremy and Tania!)
==================================
BEFORE
January 2004- An e-mail recieved by
the club shows a major restoration started by Jeremy and Tania Brown
(S/N 612). Below is the e-mail. Keep us posted JEremy!! Good Luck.
"We are in the middle of
our project of rebuilding our SeaBee
from the ground up. I have completed all of the components and we are
just
waiting for the paint to be finished. We are putting our SeaBee back to
its
original color. It will be a green metallic bottom with the strips to
match and
the main color to be silver metallic. I have attached some shot so you
can post
them on your site. The main paint should be completed mid December.
Thanks, Jeremy & Tania"
Ben
and Melody are at it
again!
(no-no, not that...this!)
December
14, 2004 - The IRSOC received the following e-mail from Melody and
Ben Coleman...
"...going to pick up a Seabee, S/N 581,
in
Maryland, that has been sitting in the woods for 15 years. Local
kids
started using it for target practice. The trip is being dubbed
"Operation Seabee Target Extraction". Will provide a visual
memo after Christmas.....
Happy Holidays to all....we will be in D.C. (with a 24 foot
enclosed trailer).
Love, Ben and Mel"
Then...December 15th e-mail...
"Here is a
composite page of pics.....pretty sad. If we collect all the
orphaned Seabees in the land, will we get to go to Seabee heaven?"
Notice
the bullet holes.
(Ed
Note:Way to go Ben and Melody!!! I'll send a little note to St. Peter!)
Fly-In at Killarney, Ontario!
March
10, 2004-Brian Robinson writes:
Hi Jim,
The V-8 Seabee group is planning a get-together at Killarney
Mountain Lodge on 25 June to 27 June. The details are outlined below.
Please post a notice on the Seabee club web site inviting all Seabees
to join us.
There is excellent water access, as well as an airstrip close to the
Lodge.
If people need further information, they can contact me at (705) 340-2408.
Date:
25 June to 27 June 2004
Coordinates: See Killarney
Mountain Lodge Web Site (Airport Info)
Group name: Seabee
Contact person: Bonnie Sharp
Telephone Number: 1 (800) 461-1117
Procedure: Participants to call Bonnie directly and
reserve their own room. Register under the group name of Seabee.
Participants to send me an e-mail, or phone me, so I know how many
people will be attending.
Jim, I need to call Bonnie on March 22 to confirm how many
rooms they will hold for us.
Regards, Brian
Ben Coleman Update!
February
16, 2004-The "Jungle Bee" has moved indoors to begin the
extensive restoration project, rivet by rivet....
If you will
notice in the photo, N87515 has
sidled up to another project in the hangar....a P40 Warhawk....(she
thinks
it will make her fly faster.....)
The other photo is of the parts
donors.....both the aircraft and the operator !
Will keep
you advised with a wish list of bits and pieces.
Regards,
Ben R.
Coleman
President
Coleman
Aeromarine, Inc. and
Melody L.
Coleman
Supreme
Ruler
Coleman
Aeromarine, Inc.
(Ed. note: See the previous article about the "Jungle Bee" here.)
(Click on image for full size view)
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