Avid Catalina for sale on ebay


29 posts in this topic

Posted

+on Jack's comments, I found the hard surface vs water landing most challenging in the beginning. I nearly ground looped a couple times.....found the best way out if this happens, hit full power (it will straighten the catalina instantly) and go again. From your point of 'nearly ground looping' to flying again is very quick (maybe a second or two).

My 2 cents

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Posted

Here are a couple pictures of the Catalina. We did an 18 hour whirlwind trip to pick it up. Two of the pics are at a rest area on the way back home. The third is the fuse sitting safely at home in Richland Wa. The bearded guy is not me. It's my friend Jeromie.

Can't wait to get started bringing this thing to life!

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Posted

Hey Chris,

 

welcome to the avid 'water bird' club. Your Catalina seems to be a nice build. I have a few items I have questions about....

First I noticed that you have two lower struts on each side of the horizontal stab....originally and per plan there is only one on each side. The Catalina is very long and each ounce is  bad when installed in the very back. The Catalina is tail heavy....

I saw there are cover plates between the horizontal and vertical stab, can you tel us how these are installed. I'd like to install some on mine too.

I would like to know your empty weight and empty C of G please.

Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance to get you in the air.

Flywise

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Posted

When I was building mine, I was worried about the canopy brace (which you don't have to, it seems- you have gull wings), and moved my rudder pedals forward, which dropped my knees, and made more room for the stick.  I'm 6', and 195, and I fit ok, but the passenger side seems to have less room.. and you can darn well forget the back.  I fit the floor in the back, and then took it back out- easier to check for water, and after squeezing myself into the back, once, knew that I would NEVER have anyone back there, so no need for a floor. 

Water is an issue- the step is pretty shallow, and  any water in the cabin area can QUICKLY migrate aft into the tail at a not-so-steep climbout, and do all sorts of nasty things to your weight and balance.  I have an automatic/manual bilge pump, and an indicator light that tells me when it's operative.  On approach to water landings- it's on automatic, and stays there until takeoff, when it goes to manual (after insuring that it's not currently running- did I mention that I have the floor out in back so I can check for water?).  I do a shallow climb with the pump ON, and then switch to auto, checking for water ( light still on) before I try and increase my climb angle (light off).

Why so picky? 

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/accident-analysis/featured-accidents/amphib-carwheels-on-takeoff

I knew Jim, and had land-taxied in his catalina with him.  His had modified landing gear, which didn't leave him much clearance between the step and the ground- any little bump, and he'd drag, especially with both of us in the plane- something to check for.  He was also fighting water incursions- and from all accounts, tried to yank it off the water, and the water jumped the step..  Recommendation?  Do a few high-speed taxis on the water, stop, and check for leaks (you do NOT need that rear floor...).  If it seems dry, still be cautious.  Before heading out to a lake for landing, I actually mowed a path and rigged a ramp into a stock tanks (acre-sized pond), and drove around in that a bit, and found a significant leak around one axle.  I made a packing bearing for the inside axles, and filled the outside gap (?)  with 3m 5200 sealant.  I still get a bit of a weep, but I can live with it.. especially with that light...

The only concern I had when looking at the pics of the plane on ebay were about the "f1" mods to the engine shroud. While having that one big radiator out on one side of the plane is draggy, if you look at the standard 582 installation, the engine shroud is pretty aerodynamic, which gives you a smoother flow into the propeller, allowing it more of a bite(power) and less noise.  If you find that you don't seem to have much power, and have a really coarse setting on your prop, that's where I'd look first.  Look at the open area behind the firewall on your plane, and mine.  I've even streamlined the push-rods for the flaperons since, just to clean up the air into the prop, and smoothed out some of the extraneous stuff on the forward cowling designed for other engines.

Have fun!  But.. don't expect to be in a hurry to get there- it's a pretty draggy airplane.   

Jack- Austin, TX

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Is this your plane? Is that a hirth engine?

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