Bird Innovator

infobox Aircraft
name = Innovator
type = Executive amphibian
manufacturer = Bird Corporation



caption =
designer = Forrest Bird
first flight = 1967
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 1
unit cost =
developed from = PBY Catalina
variants with their own articles =

The Bird Innovator was an American four-engined executive amphibious airplane modified from a PBY Catalina by the Bird Corporation.

Design and development

During the late 1960s Dr Forrest Bird and his Bird Corporation developed a conversion for the PBY Catalina to improve performance. To get the maximum range and performance the aircraft was modified with an extra two 340hp (254kW) Avco Lycoming GSO-480-B2D6 engines positioned outboard of the original Pratt & Whitney radials. The wing was also strengthened, increased fuel capacity and greater fin and rudder area. The engineers controls were moved to allow single-pilot operation. The extra engines exceeded expectations and it is capable of a cruising speed of 152 mph (244 km/h) on four engines, it is also capable of maintaining 124 mph with one of the main engines feathered.

Operational history

Only one Innovator was converted, a former Royal Canadian Air Force PBY-5A, which was used by Dr. Bird as a flying classroom salesroom for medical equipment. Since 1977 the aircraft had a number of owners. In 1997 the latest owner restored the aircraft back to PBY-5A standard.

pecifications (Original PBY-5A)

aircraft specification

ref=PBY Catalina
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1
span main=104 ft 0 in
span alt=31.70 m
length main=63 ft 10 in
length alt=19.46 m
height main=20 ft 2 in
height alt=6.15 m
area main=1,400 ft²
area alt=130 m²
empty weight main=20,910 lb
empty weight alt=9,485 kg
max takeoff weight main= 35,420 lb
max takeoff weight alt=16,066 kg
more general=

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0309

Drag area: 43.26 ft² (4.02 m²)

Aspect ratio: 7.73
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp
type of prop=radial engines
number of props=2
power main=1,200 hp
power alt=895 kW
max speed main=196 mph
max speed alt=314 km/h
cruise speed main=125 mph
cruise speed alt=201 km/h
climb rate main=1,000 ft/min
climb rate alt=5.1 m/s
ceiling main=15,800 ft
ceiling alt=4,000 m
range main=2,520 mi
range alt=4,030 km
loading main=25.3 lb/ft²
loading alt=123.6 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.034 hp/lb
power/mass alt=0.056 kW/kg
more performance=

Lift-to-drag ratio: 11.9
armament=

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=

External links

ee also

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