SPLASH DOWN!
After many months in the engineering department, careful tropicalisaiton and adaptation to local conditions and several test flights to establish land-to-land operations, the weather was perfect for the final tests and this beautiful Rotax 912 powered X-Air, 9G-ZAD amphibian aircraft, carried out a series of successful splash down tests - and here are the first pictures - just for you!
The plane handled perfectly, exactly as planned. The series of 'splash downs' and 'splash offs' were carried out to establish the planes suitability for training - and she passed with flying (and floating) colours. She settles into the water cleanly, rides up onto the 'step' as she should with ease, 'pops' out of the water at the right speed and angle, and behaves with the manners expected of a WAASPS selected 'Built in Ghana' engineered aircraft.
In tests porpoising (which can be a major problem with float planes) was easily counteracted, air-rudder steering clean, water rudder steering effective, etc - and the 'splash down' safety team got some great shots. Their biggest impression was the sound of the floats contacting the water - with a whoooosh - which we cannot reproduce here, yet!
SPLASH-DOWN Trial flights will soon be available as a 'Gift of Flight', but in the meantime you should book your tickets for the Air Show 2009 in November (21st and 22nd) where AD will be flying as part of a five ship formation (see Stars of the Show) - and she is BEAUTIFUL to watch in the skies - just like all of our 'girls' from the hangar (the winged ones, that is!).
The WAASPS engineering team extend
their thanks to Ghana Civil Aviation
Authority, the Rotax Aircraft Engines team
in Austria, the Raj-Hamsa Airframe team in India and the
Puddlejumper floats team in Canada for their contributions
and encouragement towards the success of this exciting plane - hopefully the
first of many float planes to grace our waterways and provide practical solutions
to everyday problems in our region.
(There is already interest in a float plane for medical missions on the Volta
lake next year).
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Engineering
and safety team. From
left to right: |
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Due
to an extensive education programme, the fishermen stayed out of the
away and were completely un-phased by the new activity upon the water.
|
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In
the water AD performed like a gem. |
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Ready to 'Splash-off'....
...as the power flows from the reliable Rotax 912 80Hp engine (running on TOTAL Super Effimax fuel) the bow-waves grew and bubbled as if a cauldron was boiling under the floats... |
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...as
she started to move a little back pressure was applied and the 'plough'
phase initiated... |
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...at the right time and speed a small shift in controls allowed AD
to slip gracefully onto the step where she balanced perfectly... |
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...and
then at the right speed a small amount of back pressure allowed her
to be 'pop-ed' out of the water... |
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...before she climbed away to grace the skies of Ghana as she flew back to Kpong Airfield...
BEAUTIFUL! |
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...
then she lowered and locked her gear before settling onto the land again,
whereupon engineer and pilot Patricia gave AD a 'Pat' on the nose after
her baptism in the Volta. Krobo Mountain can be seen in the background. |
To find out more about learning to fly with WAASPS Flight Training School click here