Float-plane Tested On Speeding Truck

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 14

Float-plane Tested On Speeding Truck

A Piper Supercub aircraft, convert®! to a * float-plane, caused considerable interest when giyen flight stability tests travelling at speed : on the deck of a large truck up and down the ■ /runway? at Christchurch Airport yesterday. <

Mr W. K. Wakeman. a wellknown Canterbury pilot, has converted the aircraft to a float-plane to evaluate the use of float-planes’ as a means of reaching tourist-attraction areas such as fishing lakes, not readijy accessible by car or by conventional aircraft. The aircraft has been converted at the workshops of Airwork (New Zealand), Ltd. The floats were built by the Edo company, leading float manufacturers in America.

The chief flying instructor of the Christchurch Flying School (Mr J. Reid) and Mr Wakeman tested the reactions of the aircraft when it was travelling bn the truck at speeds: of between 50 and 60 miles an hour.

The tests were successfully co-ordinated throughout by radio communication with air traffic control at the airport. The large articulator truck was driven by Mr I. Wails, of Kaiapoi. This morning Mr Wakeman intends to launch the aircraft from the truck travelling between 50 and 60 miles an hour on the runway, provided there is a suitable head wind of about 10 knots. This will be the first time a floatplane has. been launched from a wheeled vehicle in New Zealand.

After the launching, the aircraft will be landed on the Estuary or at Lake Forsyth or Lake Elleumere. It will

then be given further tests i flight and landing capabil ties.