Anyone Ever Make a .......

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
Anyone ever make a small boat out of an aircraft fuselage??

Have a Beech A23 I am scrapping and was wondering if it is feasible to make a small boat out of the fuselage. I have a 2hp 2stroke boat motor that I would like to use.

Would like to be able to put boat into the back of my pickup or use a small trailer to transport to and from a small lake close to my house. Payload would be 2 people and small cooler, fishing rods and stuff. Purpose of boat is fishing.

Thinking about cutting the fuselage in half, lengthways. Bulk heads and skin should make a strong frame. Make a plywood floor adding supports to bulk heads. Might need to add a small pontoon set up to help with roll stability. Figured that could be a piece of 4 inch schedule 80 PCV pipe that lays across the boat and secured with clamps. The pontoons would be fixed to the pipe.

All said and done a 6 pack, half a gallon or gas, couple of fishing rods makes for a good day.

Comments..........
 
I've seen some "boats" made from airplane fusalages but they were a bit more elaborate. They involved attaching hydrofoils, wings of a sort or pontoons to the wing root spar fittings and using the original engine/propeller for propulsion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle
Alexander Lippisch did some really neat stuff and so have some of the russians.

As for your idea I would be more likely to cut the fuselage behind the seats at a bulkhead rather than cutting through the middle of the primary structure. For the type of structure you're working with you don't need lots of strength but you are still dealing with stressed skin so cut in a manner that will use the strengths and not defeat them.

Good luck
Frank
 
BiffJ said:
I've seen some "boats" made from airplane fusalages but they were a bit more elaborate. They involved attaching hydrofoils, wings of a sort or pontoons to the wing root spar fittings and using the original engine/propeller for propulsion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle
Alexander Lippisch did some really neat stuff and so have some of the russians.

As for your idea I would be more likely to cut the fuselage behind the seats at a bulkhead rather than cutting through the middle of the primary structure. For the type of structure you're working with you don't need lots of strength but you are still dealing with stressed skin so cut in a manner that will use the strengths and not defeat them.

Good luck
Frank
Click to expand...


That was my thoughts use back half of fuselage cut around the rear seat. Tail becomes front of boat.
 
You will need a lot of this...

flexseal1.png
 
Or use the fuselage halves to plant flowers in, or keep it whole and make a play house for the kids, or stand up the fuselage and have a very unusual outside shower or outhouse.... or a smoke house.... many possibilities.
 
Put it on a pole in the front yard, take one wing off and have your mail carrier put your mail in the door.

Or

Bury the nose in the front yard and put a sign out front that says "They lived."
 
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