Trident Trigull

[Castorero]

Happy New Year All!

This thread was prompted by the Seawind update next door.

I didnt think too much of this machine for reasons that are pretty obvious.
This got me thinking again about a useful amphibian single engine, that could be within reach of us mere mortals, if that were even possible today with fuel at $2.35/ L as we speak.

Anyway, without a radical reinvention of the wheel, I remember seeing one of the Trigull prototypes stored at Viking Air some years ago and the fact that I thought it a shame that it never made it to the production line.

Viking has the Type certificate and the deep pockets to dust this machine off if the market was there for it.

I wonder what it would take to get that ball rolling?

Any thoughts?

[single_swine_herder]

Back in the era when man was in the latter stages of the evolutionary process of shedding gills and I worked at YVR, the Trigull was sometimes seen doing test flights and water work in the Fraser River. At that stage, it was still in it's green zinc chromate.

Seemed like an OK plane to me at the time, and it was stored in the hangar next door so I got a chance to climb over it several times but I don't recall much of significance except it struck me as being just a slightly re-engineered and updated Seabee.

Always wanted to have a crack at a Seabee, they looked like a fun personal 2 passenger airplane if you lived in an area with nice beaches. However, conventional docking must have been a bit of a handful from time to time.

http://republicseabee.com/Buyseabee.html#Seabeeforsale

[Castorero]

S_S_H , It sure looks like a Seabee doesn't it?

To me this configuration of the airframe looks right for a flying boat.
Looking at the link you provided tells a lot about the market potential for such an aircraft.
A lot of planes for sale at seemingly good prices for some of them.

I don't know anything about the Bee, but given the average year of manufacture it could probably benefit from some improvements in the airfoil/engine to bring it up to date.

I would think that it would be a lot more cost effective to overhaul one of those airframes than to do otherwise.

If I were in the market for an amphibian, this would be an attractive option at first blush.
I would be interested to hear about something about the Bee's character from some of the knowledgeable 'characters' on this site...

On a more depressing note, twenty five years ago I counted 23 floatplanes around the lake, now that number has dwindled to no more than 5 or 6, including commercial machines.

This does not bode well for the future of floating aircraft, I think.

[xsbank]

I never flew it, but we had a Twin Bee in our company. The kid who flew it generally functioned somewhat north of the average plank. While passing Queen Charlotte City, his passenger, interested in the aircraft, said innocently, "will it fly on one?"

Our hero immediately grabbed a handful of levers and feathered one. The Bee hit the water before the engine could be unfeathered - the answer to the question was "no." The pilot never told us what was said in that plane after the takeoff in the Hecate Straits...

The Twin Bee was a good performer on and off the water but it was a 4 seater with no place to even put the journey log.

Another, a paintless Seabee, straight-boat-no-gear from Alaska arrived in Seal Cove and as I was on the dock attempting to fool a scum-sucker into volunteering to be my supper, I put down my fishing rod to give the guy a hand with docking. He seemed to be approaching the dock quite quickly and as I began to sidle away from his contact point, suddenly the engine roared! The nose rose up in the water and, me in full retreat now, was stopped in my tracks as the prop slipped into reverse. The Bee stopped not a foot from the dock in a large swirl of foam and spray, the engine stopped, the door on the bow opened and the ghost of Sam McGee stepped out on the dock with a smile and a rope and tied her up!

Apparently that prop needed oil pressure to get it into reverse and the engine only provided sufficient same with lots of throttle. He was on his way to 'Frisco and I could imagine him frightening dock denizens all down the coast, until he mistimed it, that is.

It never occurred to me to ask him why he didn't just shut off the engine and drift like a "real" float plane.

[Bulawrench]

While the previous owner of Viking was still alive, I worked on the Trigull for many months in the hope that is would go back into production again. It was his baby. A new 550 continental along with redesigned cowlings and leather interior. unfortunately, he passed away just after the prototype was finished. He told me it needs to look like a Lexus inside and it did. I don't think Viking would ever entertain the re-birth of the aircraft.

[Castorero]

Bulawrench,

In big strokes, what could be some of the obstacles in Viking's path, from your perspective?

It's nice to hear from someone who was there in the trenches...

[Bulawrench]

Some of the hick-ups could be the unproven cowling and experimental pusher 550 but all could be done with a big pot of money.
I have to say the little guy took off like a scalded cat. There was a pile of raw material and all the forms and jigs but there is a new manufacturing hangar in it's place now.

[Indanao]

There is a Twin Bee in the Philippines still Flying, Mindanao - Cagayan I believe.

I heard that there were two Trigull prototypes, one at YVR and one at Victoria?
It seems there would be a market for them.

[duCapo]

I was training at Harrison Airways when it was test flying, it set some climb records for type or something I think. It was a pretty cool looking amphib, but Ben Ginter's Widgeon in that hanger was more interesting to me at the time.

[Indanao]

Mallard with a Turbine Conversion and the new Spar. It will be arround for a long time. 1.6M

[single_swine_herder]

I used to sit in that Widgeon and lust after the possibility of flying it.

Also a Harrison Airways guy .... it was an interesting place.

[duCapo]

Were you there when Buzz ran the school?

[single_swine_herder]

Yes .... I was there for about 2 years doing my PPL training period, and I later came back and worked for/with him as a line instructor and teaching ground schools for about 18 months or so.

I really, really liked him and had a great deal of personal respect for him.

After a recommendation from my initial instructor Mike O'Hanlon, Buzz sent me solo from Pitt Meadows in Cessna 150 CF-XNL...... I was number 9 on downwind to land on 26 Right. That's a number that stuck with me because I could hear the Beatles tune "Revolution Number 9" from their White Album saying "Number 9, number 9, number 9" .... funny how things stick with you.

I just did a search for Cessna 150J "XNL," and located this forlorn picture of the old girl ....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23870098@N04/7613120214/