LIFE photo of Convair SKATE seaplane models

[Orionblamblam]

LIFE's photo archive is being dumped online. This one was pointed out to me:

full size: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=seaplane+models+source:life&imgurl=179a639ba198489e

And this one:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=Aircraft+Models+source:life&imgurl=c3215d5463f02497

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Nice finds Scott - here's another one:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=Aircraft+source:life&imgurl=df452a7e770536bb

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[Triton]

The photographs appear in an article titled "Test Planes Without Test Pilots", Life magazine, March 17, 1952.

Link to article on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=x1QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&dq=Convair+Skate&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=Test%20Planes%20Without%20Test%20Pilots&f=false

 

[alfakilo]

Convair Maybe?

Saw this on the rec.aviation.military newsgroup...no info available. Anyone recognize it?

 

[Triton]

Re: Convair Maybe?

Yes, Convair. Photograph comes from Life magazine from an article about radio-controlled test planes.

Additional photographs and a link to the article can be found at:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5708.msg46034.html#msg46034

 

[alfakilo]

Re: Convair Maybe?

Thanks much...those are some neat looking models! I wonder how they flew!!

 

[Apteryx]

Re: Convair Maybe?

The picture reminds me of something my dad related to me when I was a kid. This would have been circa 1972. Dad worked at Convair in San Diego as a production tool designer, and one of his friends was working on projects. He was eager to test out a model he'd been making--so eager that he dragged it, and my dad, out to a nearby golf course one night and readied the thing for a secret maiden flight. "Flight" may not be exactly the right word; my dad's description of the thing sounded like a WIG arrangement. So anyway, they pulled it out of the back of the station wagon, fired up its Cox.049 motor and let it go. It lit out over the grass and across a pond at an inspiring rate of speed, and disappeared into the darkness. They never did find it.
I assume there was a posse organized first thing next morning to recover it, but if so my friend had the sense not to involve my dad further in that particular secret project.

--Ian

 

[Steve Pace]

Re: Convair Maybe?

The big seaplane reminds me of the Convair R3Y Tradewind.

 

[Triton]

Re: Convair Maybe?

The big seaplane reminds me of the Convair R3Y Tradewind.

It reminds you of the Convair R3Y Tradewind because it is. The article "Test Planes Without Test Pilots", Life magazine, March 17, 1952, identifies the propeller-driven seaplane as the XP5Y-1 the US Navy prototype designation of the Convair R3Y Tradewind.

 

[Matej]

merged

 

[alfakilo]

The photographs appear in an article titled "Test Planes Without Test Pilots", Life magazine, March 17, 1952.

Link to article on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=x1QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&dq=Convair+Skate&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=Test%20Planes%20Without%20Test%20Pilots&f=false

Good article!

It was also very interesting to scroll down and see how life was back in those days!