Ramsey Flying Bathtub...

[aboots]

Hey, I purchased the EAA reprints of the flying and glider manuals recently, and have taken an interest in the story on the Ramsey flying bathtub.

When I got in touch with Vicky at the EAA, she directed me here, said this was the place to come with my questions.

So, I was just wondering if anyone on here has any info on the Ramsey?

I have the manual, with it's plans, and I found a PDF story about a bloke who brought one to Oshkosh back in '78 on this forum...

Does anyone else have details about any that have been built (and flown), or contact details for anyone else with an interest in them?

And does anyone know if there are some other plans available, or whether those in the manual are it?

Cheers for your help,
aaron.

[FunInAviation]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAMSEY-FLYING-BATHTUB-EXPERIMENTAL-AIRCRAFT-PLANS-CD-/380443097470

[JamesGyore]

Hey, I purchased the EAA reprints of the flying and glider manuals recently, and have taken an interest in the story on the Ramsey flying bathtub.

When I got in touch with Vicky at the EAA, she directed me here, said this was the place to come with my questions.

So, I was just wondering if anyone on here has any info on the Ramsey?

I have the manual, with it's plans, and I found a PDF story about a bloke who brought one to Oshkosh back in '78 on this forum...

Does anyone else have details about any that have been built (and flown), or contact details for anyone else with an interest in them?

And does anyone know if there are some other plans available, or whether those in the manual are it?

Cheers for your help,
aaron.

The thread is rather old and stale, but I would rather like to revive it. I too have the 1932 magazine reprint. There does not seem to be a great deal of information about Ramsey or his aircraft, nor of any examples constructed. Curious, given the aircamper has been built in considerable numbers, even now.

Most everything is quite adequately covered, save for the engine mount/pylon design and where the centre of gravity might be/should be.

Limited modern engine options require due consideration to C.G, as these engines are considerably lighter than engines back in the day. I have sufficient faculty to appreciate that the engine will need to be moved forward a little, but by how much exactly, for any given engine weight.

Perhaps some cleaver people might offer their thoughts and considered opinions on the matter.

Spruce will be the hassle for me here, so I'm on the hunt for appropriate alternatives.

[JamesGyore]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAMSEY-FLYING-BATHTUB-EXPERIMENTAL-AIRCRAFT-PLANS-CD-/380443097470

I'm inclined to think this guy is just gouging for the freely available pdf's that can be readily found on the net.

[JamesGyore]

Now... What to do about this little monster?

7334

Hmmm, the E-107 is a 26Hp engine according to wiki and 30Hp according to the Building the Ramsey Flying Bathtub article. Which to believe, as it can't have been the bigger E-113, as that engine came out well after the publication date of the Ramsey Flying Bathtub article.

Not too many, if any, small suitable four stroke engines options. Verner had two, but they sold off their small flat twin engine designs to the communist chinese years ago... Pity.

Though I must confide, except for its outrageous price tag, the Verner 3VW radial engine is very cool and rather era-appropriate. I wager it sounds like a real aircraft engine too.

I'm not fond of the idea of cutting up and bastardising a Volkswagen engine. I'll just leave that well alone.

Two stroke wise, I'm scratching my head. Compact Radial has been sold off to the communist chinese too... Go figure. Rotax just humours the big-ass engine market these days, so that just about leaves me with Simonini engines.

The smaller Victor model from Simonini has my fleeting attention, lest I find something else.

[JamesGyore]

Curious. If this is a contemporary photograph of the Oshkosh 78 Ramsay Flying Bathtub, then there are some very interesting things to observe.


7335


Fuel tank has been relocated from the centre upper wing surface... But to where and why? And how did it effect weights and balance?

Wire bracing in the truss has been replaced by welded tubing... Makes sense, but how did it effect weights and balance?

Wing struts appear to have an extra "bit"... Hmmm, to cope with wing loads and a higher gross weight maybe? On this singular matter I'd have enough questions to require a case of beer. I'd give a testicle to know if an extra 90kg (and how exactly) could be safely added to gross weight.

Engine is a rather substantial 4 cylinder thing... A VW conversion indicative of the 70's or some other engine type of convenient availability? What did the engine weigh, what was its placement/moment? Where did they place CG? Where did they set datum?

Headroom is about as limited for the tall pilot as the original plans show. Interesting, that given the many other changes made, that the wing was not raised a few inches. Or did they, and reflects a still cramped headroom for a tall pilot?

Pilot seems to be quite centrally located in the cockpit suggestive of harness and pilot location... Useful load nor cockpit width, is truely useful for two people, unless both are malnourished (kinda like the Janowski J-2 design, impossible for a westerner to fit into). Did they concede the issue and just go with a single-place schema?

I wonder whatever became of this aircraft or Mr Irvin Mahugh or his son Jimmy... I'd have so many questions. For that matter their construction notes and recollections would be well worth preserving.

Sad that we only start valuing such things when that history is lost.

[cluttonfred]

I seem to remember a detailed article on this plane, perhaps in EAA Experimenter rather than Sport Aviation, but I cannot seem to track it down. In the meantime, here's the Ron Wier Draggin' Fly, a neat interpretation of the basic flying bathtub concept in an original design from 1973. It is VW-powered, though I think the plane above uses a small Continental. Cheers, Matthew

[JamesGyore]

I seem to remember a detailed article on this plane, perhaps in EAA Experimenter rather than Sport Aviation, but I cannot seem to track it down. In the meantime, here's the Ron Wier Draggin' Fly, a neat interpretation of the basic flying bathtub concept in an original design from 1973. It is VW-powered, though I think the plane above uses a small Continental. Cheers, Matthew

Thanks! That was a really interesting read.

My research continues before I order the first group of construction materials and put a shout-out to a structures genius who can satisfy a few questions.

I'll keep posting the answers and solutions so the same questions need not be asked again.

James.