Colonial Skimmer

C-1 Skimmer
General information
Type	two/three-seat amphibian
Manufacturer	Colonial Aircraft Corporation
Designer	David Thurston
Primary user	private owner pilots
Number built	43
History
First flight	1948
Variants	Lake Buccaneer

The Colonial Model C-1 Skimmer was an American small single-engined amphibian flying boat built by the Colonial Aircraft Corporation. It was the start of a line of very similar aircraft designed by David Thurston.

Design and development

In 1946 David Thurston established the Colonial Aircraft Corporation at Sanford Maine to build his design for a small amphibian flying boat, the Skimmer.

The resulting design was an all-metal shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with a single-step hull and stabilizing floats fitted under each wing. A retractable tricycle landing gear allowed land operation. The Avco Lycoming engine with a pusher propeller was pylon-mounted above and aft of the enclosed cockpit.

The cabin had side-by-side seating for a pilot and passenger with room behind for another passenger.

1957-built C-1 Skimmer at Teterboro Airport New Jersey in 1970.

The prototype XC-1 Skimmer first flew on July 17, 1948, powered by a 115 hp (86 kW) Lycoming O-235 engine, but was later re-engined with a 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming O-290 engine. ^{[1] [2]}

24 examples of the C-1 Skimmer were built and these were followed by 18 examples of the higher powered four-seat variant known as the C-2 Skimmer IV, ^[3] which through a succession of companies became the Lake Buccaneer.

Specifications (C-1)

Data fromJane's All The World's Aircraft 1956–1957, ^[4] Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59 ^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
• Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
• Wing area: 150.6 sq ft (13.99 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,450 lb (658 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,150 lb (975 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 30 US gal (110 L; 25 imp gal) normal ; 39 US gal (150 L; 32 imp gal) overload
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-320 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 150 hp (110 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) diameter constant-speed pusher propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 109 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
• Cruise speed: 112–123 mph (180–198 km/h, 97–107 kn)
• Stall speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
• Range: 500–600 mi (800–970 km, 430–520 nmi)
• Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.6 m/s)
• Wing loading: 14.27 lb/sq ft (69.7 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.0698 hp/lb (0.1148 kW/kg)
  
• Take-off run: 1,500 ft (457 m) on water in still air
• Take-off run: 550 ft (168 m) on land in still air

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Grumman G-65 Tadpole

Related lists

• List of flying boats and floatplanes

References

1. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1951). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1951-52. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. p. 216c.
2. "American airplanes: Cl – Cr: Colonial". Aerofiles. Retrieved September 13, 2013..
3. Simpson, Rod (2005). The General Aviation Handbook. Midland Publishing. pp. 172–173. ISBN   1-85780-222-5.
4. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1956). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1956-57. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. pp. 252–253.
5. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1958). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59. London: Jane's All the World's Aircraft Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 280.

Further reading

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.