Colonial Skimmer

C-1 Skimmer
Role	two/three-seat amphibian
Manufacturer	Colonial Aircraft Corporation
Designer	David Thurston
First flight	1948
Variants	Lake Buccaneer

The Colonial Model C-1 Skimmer is 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.

Development

In 1946 David Thurston established the Colonial Aircraft Corporation 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 allows land operation. The Avco Lycoming engine with a pusher propeller is pylon-mounted above and aft of the enclosed cockpit.

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

History

The prototype first flew on 17 July 1948.

An improved four-seat variant was the C-2 Skimmer IV which through a succession of companies became the Lake Buccaneer.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot
• 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 ft² (14 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,425 lb (646 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,150 lb (975 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Avco Lycoming O-320 horizontally-opposed four-cylinder piston engine, 150 hp (112 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 125 mph (201 km/h)
• Range: 500 miles (805 km)

See also

Related lists

• List of seaplanes and flying boats
  

References

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