Does any one have or know someone who has flight experience in the Osprey II Amphibian. I'm hoping to learn something about the aircraft's flight characteristics.
Thanks
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Does any one have or know someone who has flight experience in the Osprey II Amphibian. I'm hoping to learn something about the aircraft's flight characteristics.
Thanks
Had a friend who built one. Fixed pitch prop was the biggest issue; he couldn't find the right combination that would give him decent performance off the water while giving him good cruise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobh
Ron Wanttaja
Have you tried the Osprey II yahoo group? Good bunch of guys and lots of pictures. My friend was building the long wing version and it seems like a nice amphib. It is designed and built well.
Good Luck,
Ken Pavlou
I have 20 hours in an Osprey II, all land, no water. I was allowed to fly the Osprey in exchange for flying the aircraft to Oshkosh in 1989 for display and sale. It didn't sell, and I flew it home. I was then allowed to fly it as often as I wished for the next four months, at which time the builder decided to disassemble it because it hadn't sold.
The model I flew had a 160 HP IO320. It became airborne at 85 mph, cruised at 100 mph, and had a max speed of 110 mph at full throttle.
Controls were light and responsive... you fly with your fingertips on the stick.
The landing gear was electro-hydraulic... the system came out of a Cessna Cardinal. A three position toggle switch on the instrument panel controlled the power pack. You pushed the switch in the direction you wanted the gear to go... down to extend, up to retract. The switch was held in the appropriate position while monitoring the ammeter. As soon as the ammeter registered and increase, the switch was released. There was a manual uplock release that required manipulation before the gear could be lowered.
I am 6'2", so I had to slouch in the seat to keep my headset headband from contacting the canopy. This also lead to some contorting of my hand and wrist to manipulate the throttle and mixture controls between the seats for starting. By experimenting a couple times, I discovered the trick to getting a consistent, immediate engine start.
As to water landings... the builder could never get it on the water because of porposing. Another Osprey II builder in the area was successful in achieving water landings and takeoffs by extending the step rearward by eight inches more than the plans called for.
It was fun to fly. The one I flew had an instrument panel like those found on a helicopter... it was in the center and had only the minimum required for flight.
I had no problem landing and taking off from a sitting position with my butt nine inches off the ground.
Let me know if you have more, specific questions and I will try to answer them.
I have 400+ hours flying the Osprey 2 on and off the water. The Osprey that Ed refers to is non-typical for an Osprey 2. The landing gear on most Ospreys is not as he describes and this may actually account for his high take-off speed (excess weight). My Osprey is the long wing version and it has a rotation speed on land or water of 60 MPH. I have the 160 HP engine and it will cruise at 110 MPH at 2300 rpm or 120 mph at 2500 rpm. I have a two blade Prince wood prop. The airplane is a delight to fly, but it is not like most of the other airplanes you may have flown. It is a rudder airplane. The ailerons are effective but you really drive it around with your feet. Push a pedal and the airplane will roll into a nice turn. Very little aileron is needed. The elevator is very sensitive and you will learn to love that. The Osprey is a fun little airplane and iss probably the least expensive seaplane out there.
The porpoise that Ed mentions is typically due to the hull bottom not being shaped properly as per the plans. My Osprey planes very nicely and if I should get a porpoise, slight back pressure on the stick eliminates it immediately. My step location is as stated in the plans and works beautifully. You can see a video of my Osprey 2 doing a water take-off on You Tube, just search for Osprey 2 water take-off. My airplane is red and white, so you can't miss it.Anyone interested in the Osprey 2 should join the group on Yahoo.
Best regards,
Bill Wuorinen
Osprey 2 s.n. 1144
Resurrecting an old thread. I'm interested in the Osprey II. It seems to fit my mission profile so am curious about it. I found it via a search on kitplanes.com. I'd love to have a further conversation with a builder or someone who has experience with one. I've never built before, so interested in opinions on build difficulty, etc. I'm pretty handy, but this would be my first go-round. Also, it's probably a couple years off before I would consider starting a project.
Interested in the idea of potential float/amphibs that are an alternative to this one with similar characteristics (range, load, speed, amphib floats, etc.) also if anyone has any pointers.