Dornier Seastar CD2 amphibious aircraft makes its first flight in Germany

In Germany, the first flight tests of a new generation Seastar CD2 amphibious aircraft passed. The aircraft was created by the German company Dornier Seawings on the basis of a basic model developed back in the 80s of the last century. It is reported by Flightglobal.

Tests of the new aircraft with a tandem engine arrangement took place on March 28 this year. The plane taking off from the airport of Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany), spent 31 minutes in the air. According to the developers, the tests are recognized as successful.

The twin-engine multi-purpose turboprop amphibious aircraft Dornier Seastar was developed in the 80s of the last century under the leadership of Claude Dornier Jr. (son of the famous German aircraft designer). It was assumed that this aircraft will be able to revive the former glory of Dornier flying boats, but due to bankruptcy of the company, it was not possible to launch it in mass production. In total, two aircraft were assembled.

The design of the Dornier Seastar was in many respects similar to the traditional Dornier flying boats of the 1920-1940s, with wide sponson fuselage floats and an elytron arrangement of a combination of engines with pulling and pushing propellers.

The aircraft has a length of 12,7 meters and a wingspan of 17,7 meters, with a maximum take-off weight of 5,1 tons. Dornier Seastar CD2 is partly different from its predecessors of the 80s. Composite materials, new airborne systems and a glass cockpit with the Honeywell Primus Epic 2.0 avionics system, fully digital equipment, etc. are widely used on the aircraft.

The crew is one or two people, with a capacity of up to 12 passengers. Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A-478A turboprop engines with a takeoff power of 650 hp were installed. with four-blade propellers McCauley 4HFR34C760 / 95DA, retractable chassis Sumitomo. A water jet is installed in the tail section.

Declared cruising speed - 333 km / h, maximum range - 1670 km. In economic mode, with one engine turned off, it can patrol over the sea for up to 11 hours.

Comments

[Insurgent]

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A-478A turboprop engines with a takeoff power of 650 hp were installed. with four-blade propellers McCauley 4HFR34C760 / 95DA, retractable chassis Sumitomo. A water jet is installed in the rear.

Does this mean that there is also a third, not mentioned, auxiliary engine for driving a water jet?

[Rzzz]

Hardly overweight. Most likely there is a hydraulic motor driven from the main hydraulic system.

[Mik13]

Quote: Insurgent

Does this mean that there is also a third, not mentioned, auxiliary engine for driving a water jet?

Well, the APU in any case is. A water cannon can be electric.

[Rzzz]

Quote: Mik13

Well, the APU, in any case, is

Is not a fact. The airplane is small, it doesn't need a lot of electricity. Enough generators on motors. Vaughn, slightly larger PW-127 motors can operate in "Hotel mode", with a braked power turbine, but providing the generator and hydraulics.
Maybe these motors can do so.

[Mik13]

Quote: rzzz

Quote: Mik13

Well, the APU, in any case, is

Is not a fact. The airplane is small, it doesn't need a lot of electricity. Enough generators on motors. Vaughn, slightly larger PW-127 motors can operate in "Hotel mode", with a braked power turbine, but providing the generator and hydraulics.
Maybe these motors can do so.

May be. But EMNIP, such a solution was applied only once - and did not take root due to difficulties in operation.
In addition, the engines must somehow start. It is much easier to start the APU from the battery, and only then from the APU everything else than to start the main engines from the battery. In addition, in flight mode over the sea on a common engine, it is often possible to fall into icing. Here, one engine may not be enough (it may fail, by the way) - so the APU would be just right.

[venik]

Quote: Insurgent

Does this mean that there is also a third, not mentioned, auxiliary engine for driving a water jet?

========
Uh-huh! The drive is "bicycle", the navigator turns the pedals ....
PS But seriously, there is most likely an electric drive (for steering), powered by a generator ... But in general, the machine is nothing - cool ... True, the scope (market niche) is absolutely incomprehensible ... Oh, hardly whether he will find his "eternal niche" ...

[Lipchanin]

What a beautiful car.

In economic mode, with one engine turned off, it can patrol over the sea for up to 11 hours.

Solidly

[Marxal2020]

Quote: Lipchanin

Solidly

This plane is painfully similar to the Ka-52.

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Marxal2020

This plane is painfully similar to the Ka-52.

Really similar. What a similarity

[Marxal2020]

Quote: Lipchanin

Really similar. What a similarity

Along the way, German designers do not breathe evenly towards the design of the Ka52 helicopter or in fact the design is technically very well created :)

[Lipchanin]

Quote: Marxal2020

or actually the design is technically very well created :)

Or maybe they needed the same aerodynamics

[Hog]

Rather, the Ka-50.

[Izotovp]

In our geographical conditions, the development of small aircraft must be done with a bias specifically in the hydroaviation.

[ProkletyiPirat]

Quote: Izotovp

In our geographical conditions, the development of small aircraft must be done with a bias specifically in the hydroaviation.

In our conditions, the use of rivers and lakes is limited and therefore in most cases is not profitable due to the winter. In general, we need a manned aircraft-like aircraft with vertical take-off, landing and hovering. Ideally, one that could deliver wheeled vehicles weighing 10 tons or more.

[BREAKTHROUGH READY]

You can still understand why they tried to sculpt tandems at the dawn of aviation, in the 20-30s, but now there are no problems with the engines. Where is the whim?

[Oleg1263]

Most likely, the second is auxiliary, and it works for a short time. The declared flight time - 11 hours - for one engine only.

[Rzzz]

For a quiet flight does not need a lot of power, one engine is extinguished. But for take-off from water, a lot of power is needed, more than for take-off from the ground.
The tandem turns out to be a logical solution, because with one engine turned off there will be no traction asymmetry. Yes, and in the plan of aerodynamics win when one engine nacelle.

[askort154]

The article was one day late. The first of April was yesterday.

[askort154]

askort154 ....Article late for a day. The first of April was yesterday.

Got excited! There is such a miracle yudo-plane. Himself once flew a hydro,
but they were more like a plane, and this is some kind of scolopendra cuttlefish.

[prior]

With such a center of gravity, you can land on the water and take off only in full calm.

[Klingon]

Quote: prior

With such a center of gravity, you can land on the water and take off only in full calm.

I like these unexpected conclusions from the sofa after dinner:
te.you work in Dornier, experienced it and know all the nuances? Do you have a laser meter in your eye or an x-ray?

[cost]

amphibious aircraft Seastar CD2

cockpit and cabin

Technical characteristics of Dornier Seastar CD2:
Crew: 1-2 person;
Passenger: 12 people;
aircraft Length: 12,46 m .;
Wingspan: 15,5 m .;
Plane Height: 4,6 m .;
Weight of empty aircraft: 2400 kg .;
Payload: 1800 kg .;
Maximum takeoff weight: 4200 kg .;
Cruising speed: 340 km \ h .;
Maximum flight speed: 375 km \ h .;
Maximum flight distance: 1850 km .;
Maximum flight height: 8530 m .;
aircraft engine Type: Turboprop;
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-112;
Power: 2 × 500 hp

[knn54]

All the "pull-ups" (I think Dornier too) had a problem - overheating of the rear engine, especially in the heat.
I wonder how he solved it.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: knn54

All the "pull-ups" (I think Dornier too) had a problem - overheating of the rear engine, especially in the heat.
I wonder how he solved it.

For gas turbines this is not a problem at all, there would be air supply.

[Piramidon]

What's the problem? Airflow from the front engine screw cools the rear.

[Romanenko]

Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev did something similar in 1931, called MDR-3 (marine long-range reconnaissance)
The speed was, however, less than 210 cruising, and there was no possibility of landing on land, only rolling out on a TV set, but the MDR-3 was longer than 21,9 m, and in a range of 32,2, it flew on a BMW-IV engine with a load 5 tons per 1600 km.

Despite the good pedigree - Dornier, the new German airplane looks a little awkward, something has been done in a hurry, and even about the thick interweaving of braces and racks in the center section and it’s even awkward to say that it sounds like home-made.
Although it may have been conceived.

[Piramidon]

Quote: Romanenko

The new German airplane, despite its good pedigree - Dornier, looks a little wobbly

At one time, "Catalina" looked good. And it's not bad now.

[Snail N9]

Hurray, the new Dornier! I have always liked the aircraft of this company, it is good that the company does not forget the direction of "seaplanes", continuing the traditions of the famous "Dornier-Val".

[Fishery]

the first thought is on the photo 2 aircraft)))))))))))

[Angelo Provolone]

Where are the floats?

[Saxahorse]

It looks very funny. It feels like a white, twin-engine drone is dragging an airplane without wings.