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News
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SeaStorm is
about to make its mark in U.S.
J. Douglas Hinton
7/21/2000
BROAD BROOK, Connecticut — Just when you thought
the tally of SeaEverythings had peaked (SeaRey, SeaStar,
Seafire, Seafury, Seawolf and Seawind), there is yet another
to add to the list: the SeaStorm.
Born in Italy, this
svelte, slinky lady immigrated to these shores about a year
ago. And more are on the way from the plant in Sabaudia, just
south of Rome. S.G. Aviation, the kit manufacturer, has a
stable of five models, both land and amphibious. The aircraft
are distributed in the United States and Canada by Eden
Technologies International at Skylark Airport in Broad Brook,
Connecticut.
At the helm in the states is Eric Dixon, a
displaced Brit who came to the colonies in 1968 via Lucas
Aerospace and Westland Helicopters, mechanical engineering his
discipline and fluid dynamics his specialty. Right now he is a
one-man band, but he emphasizes that his role for the present
is importing the kits, taking care of the paperwork and
passing the merchandise on to his dealers in California and
Wisconsin. Ultimately, his goal is to have seven to eight
dealers in America.
At present, 19 SeaStorms are flying
in Europe, though in a slightly different version (they have
wing struts) to comply with European regulations. Some are
kit-built; most are completed at the factory (no 51% rule in
Europe). And three kits have been sold so far in the United
States. When completed, Dixon will have access to them as
demonstrators.
The SeaStorm is available as a two-place
(kit price $38,822) or a four-place ($41,322) airplane. Both
kits are quick-build (estimated time: 400 hours, plus engine
and prop installation, wiring, landing-gear rigging, avionics,
etc.). At the end of the day, a completed SeaStorm Zeta 2 (two
seats) with paint, basic radios and standard options will cost
about $60,000 with a Rotax 912S engine and AVTEC composite
three-blade prop (air adjustable). The Zeta 4, using a
Lycoming O-360 engine, will fetch some $10,000
more.
The size of the fuselage on both aircraft is
identical, so picking your Zeta will depend on your needs. The
two-seater has a payload of 438 pounds and will take two
people 1,056 statute miles (no reserve) at 127 mph (75% power)
on 37 gallons of gas, which is stored in the
wings.
Select the Zeta 4 and its 870-pound payload, and
you can transport four people 620 statute miles (no reserve)
at 144 mph. Auxiliary fuel of 52 gallons is
optional.
Since the air rudder is in the water with the
aircraft in displacement, no water rudder is needed. And both
Zetas incorporate a double-step design, with the rear step
consisting of a concave groove in the hull that breaks water
suction on takeoff.
Hull-mounted sponsons serve a
number of functions. They house the wheels when retracted;
they act as hydrofoils on a water takeoff to get the hull on
the step; they act as a canard in the air, providing extra
lift and benign stall characteristics; they replace the need
for underwing floats when maneuvering on the water; and,
finally, they provide a convenient step for getting into and
out of the aircraft, as well as furnishing the ideal platform
for fishing.
Construction is a combination of carbon,
Kevlar and e-glass with no wet layup required. The hull is
complete when delivered. The buyer only needs to bond in the
wingspar carry-through box and install the internal bulkheads.
That substantially reduces the build time.
Climb rates
are virtually identical: 1,500 and 1,600 feet per minute. For
the Zeta 2 versus the 4, the takeoff distance is 590 feet
versus722 feet. Landing is 656 feet versus 820 feet. Add about
20% for water operations.
Though a customer build
center is still in the future, Dixon has set up a series of
“orientation weekends” at Skylark Airport. Attendees will get
a full briefing on the airplane, a construction manual, an
operating procedures handbook, and a demonstration flight. It
will cost $100 to attend, but the fee (plus up to $400 in
travel and accommodation expenses) will be refunded if you
order a kit. Nice incentive.
Lest anyone think the
Italians don’t know much about building seaplanes, it was a
Macchi M.C 72 that broke the world sea and land plane speed
record at 423.82 mph in 1934. The seaplane record still
stands. Only 35 years later did Darrell Greenamyer break the
land plane record in his F8F-2 Bearcat, clocking 477.98
mph.
So with its good looks, respectable performance
and affordable price, this writer thinks the SeaStorm has an
excellent chance of getting its market share in North
America.
For more information, contact Eden
Technologies International LLC, Skylark Airport, Broad Brook,
CT 06016; phone/fax: 860-668-5474; E-mail:
edentech@worldnet.att.net; Web:
Storm-Sg.it.
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