The MMAG Seeking to Bring The Russian Tupolev "AS-2" Aerosleigh Amphibian To Miami

With an already established business, technical and personal relationship with the Beriev Design Bureau of Russia, the world leader in Hydro-Aviation, the MMAG is seeking to establish yet another relationship with the Russian aerospace manufacture known as Tupolev, which has developed a product known as the "AS-2" that could have great potential here within the South Florida / Miami Market.

AS-2 airsleigh-amphibian is the third generation of the airsleigh built by TUPOLEV DB. When creating the AS-2, Tupolev utilized their rich experience of designing and operation of previous sleighs. This has allowed Tupolev to create a unique vehicle which meets all current requirements to the vehicles of such class. The MMAG has begun preliminary dialog with Tupolev via channels which have been established by Beriev.

With a 1st quarter 2008 planned visit to Moscow, the MMAG anticipates having face to face conversation with the Tupolev Design Bureau to both demonstrate and introduce the business potential of such waterborne-land vehicles with capabilites in recreational, law-enforcement search & rescue and enviromental control and monitoring.

Miami, The Key Consideration For The Italian Job Into Latin America In The 1940's, The CANT Z.511

The Cantz 511 Long Range Cargo Hydroplane was first designed by Fillipo Zappata. The first flight took place in Monfalcone (Trieste, north-eastern Italy) in October 1940. It's first operational start took place in February 1942 (Italian territory).
The phase of study for the construction of this huge four-engined, double-floated hydroplane (the largest of its category in the world) started at the end of September 1937, when the technical department of CRDA accepted the order of Compagnia Ala Littoria, who requested a long range hydroplane for mail, cargo and passengers link with Latin America via and with stop over into Miami, Florida. After two years of hard work, the project manager Filippo Zappata and his team were ready with the first prototype.

On January 1942, the hydroplane had to be employed on different long range routes, as the war against the United States prevented the civil use of CANTZ511.

Miami and the Grumman F4F-3S "Wild CatFish" Project

MMAG Research: Due to the successful use of fighter seaplanes by Japanese forces in the Pacific, in 1942 Grumman experimented with a new development of its F4F-3 Wildcat, in the creation of a floatplane version of this fighter. The conversion of a standard production aircraft was undertaken by Edo Corporation in the space of three months from the Navy request being made; the floats themselves were specially designed for the "Wild Catfish", as this prototype became known, and the entire airframe was subjected to stress analysis and some strengthening.

To compensate for the decreased yaw stability resulting from the extra side area of the floats forward of the aircraft center of gravity, additional rudder area was required, and this was provided by fitting small additional surfaces at the tips of the tailplane, with an interconnection with the main rudder. The F4F-3 floatplane, sometimes referred to as the F4F-3S, first flew on February 28, 1943. With the Grumman Factory being located in Long Island, New York and subjected to the winter month conditions of the Northeast, the U.S. Navy sent the sole F4F-3S prototype to Miami, Florida for continued year around water testing.

The F4F-3S arrived into the Watson Island Sea Plane base in March of 1943, were numerous test flights were undertaken and waterborne operational techniques were established, but the changing nature of the war in the Pacific made it unnecessary to proceed with further floatplane conversions, and the project was canceled. Subsequently, the aircraft was trucked from the Watson Island Sea Plane base to Naval Air Station "Miami", present day Opa Locka Airport, were it was stored for a short while and then dismantled and trucked back to Long Island, New York.

Wipaire, Home of The Floats, MMAG 2007 Visit

MMAG Report: During the Summer of 2007, the MMAG had the exclusive pleasure of visiting the Wipaire facility located at Fleming feild Airport (KSGS) in South St. Paul, MN. Having been able to fully tour the facility and meet with key indiviuals, we obtained a very detailed and informative two day introduction to the creation, maintenance and support of aircraft floats, as well as the rich history of Wipaire, Inc., a highly specialized aviation company.

Ben Wiplinger founded Wipline, Inc., (now known as Wipaire, Inc.) in 1960. Ben began working in aviation in the 1940’s converting military aircraft to civilian executive aircraft at Fleming Field. This modification and repair business, known as “Wiplinger Aircraft Service” brought him into contact with floatplanes. After seeing room for improvement in existing aircraft floats, and being denied a dealership for the existing brand, he was compelled to design his own. He designed and built his first set of floats in 1960 and “Wipline” was born.

Ben sold his first set of floats to Ontario Central Airlines in 1962. Many innovative ideas went into these new floats including a patented process for replacing large quantities of rivets with a structural film adhesive greatly reducing water drag and assembly time. He eventually designed a landing gear retraction system that remains the standard of the float industry to this day.

Ben’s son, Bob, eventually joined in the effort, recognizing the need to provide quality maintenance for customers’ floats and aircraft alike. As an aeronautical engineer, he also made contributions to continuing the quality design reputation of Wipline. In 1974, all float manufacturing and aircraft servicing operations came together as Wipaire Inc.

Over the years, Wipaire has developed a full line of aircraft floats for all sizes of aircraft from a Piper Cub to a DeHavilland Twin Otter as well as over 100 Supplemental Type Certificates for a variety of useful aircraft modifications.

Miami Company Adds Life To A North Carolina Group Remanufacturing The Famed Grumman G-21 "Goose"

The idea for the Goose came in 1936, when a group of wealthy industrialists, wanted an easier way to commute from their homes on Long Island to the financial district of Wall Street. They commissioned Roy Grumman to build ten airplanes that could take off from their private air strips and land on the water near the financial district. By the end of World War Two, nearly 350 Gooses (they are never referred to as Geese) had been built.
After the war, most of the G-21’s were absorbed into the civilian market. The Goose saw widespread service with small passenger airlines in the Caribbean , California , Alaska , and around the world. Until 1970, there were enough Gooses to meet market demand. By the early eighties however, the supply of Gooses had begun to dry up due to a lack of spare parts and people experienced with seaplane maintenance and operations. By 1990, only a small number of G-21 aircraft remain. While the number of Gooses declined, the market for seaplanes that can operate from land or water has increased with time. Antilles Seaplanes, LLC has seized this lucrative opportunity and is the only company in the world that can satisfy the demand for this unique airplane.
When Grumman Aircraft stopped providing spare parts and technical support for the Goose, Dean Franklin Aviation Enterprises in Miami bought the existing spare parts inventory from Grumman. For more than 50 years, that company had a monopoly on Goose parts and expertise. Now, Antilles Seaplanes has obtained from Dean Franklin all of the remaining spare parts and complete technical and engineering documentation for the Goose and is poised to hatch a whole new generation of this venerable classic.

Once Miami Based Aircraft Fly's On As The Worlds Only Airworthy DC-3 On Floats

This DC-3 example above is construction number (c/n) 11761 and was delivered to the USAAF in July of 1943. Now registration N130Q, a DC-3A/C-53D-DO (was 41-68834) of Folsoms Air Service based in Maine, USA. It is one of the only DC-3 on floats still flying today. The floats are the original EDO (28) Corporation type. She flew for Eastern Airlines as NC86562 mainly based out of Miami until 1952. It was converted to a float plane by Dick Folsom in 1976. The experimental type certificate for this aircraft was awarded in September 1990 and the first flight took place at Greenville airport at that time.

The Edo Corporation, of College Point, N.Y. designed, and built twin, 1-ton floats, (the largest floats ever built). Each float was 42 feet long, five feet, eight inches wide, and displaced 29,000 pounds of water. The cellular construction of each float had 14 separate water-tight compartments. Each float also had a 325 gallon fuel tank. The floats had fully retractable, hydraulic wheels, and could land on water, snow or land. The float rudders were connected to the air rudder.

The MMAG To Bring It From Down Under in 2008

With our constant International expansion and solicitation efforts to make the City of Miami the capital of the seaplane / amphibian world aircraft industry sales, the MMAG in dialog with X-Air of Australia anticipates in being a U.S. representative for X-Air, thus establishing an X-Air market presence for the South Florida, Caribbean and Latin American markets based here in Miami by 2nd quater of 2008.