A huge osprey filled the windscreen—six feet of wings spread full, yellow eyes glaring and the catch-of-the-day in its talons. Quickly yanking the yoke full back avoided disaster—a distinct thud was audible along with the feeling of impact below, but we were able to keep flying. Apparently, so was the brown and white raptor, which quickly disappeared below.
The bi-wing Navy N3N mono-float design has been extinct for a long time, but the author couldn’t help but wonder what it was all about. Did this unusual configuration serve some useful purpose in former times? How does it behave on the water? Is there a particular reason it was pruned from the evolutionary tree of seaplane design? The more he thought about the mystery, the more he wanted to get to
the bottom of it.
My name is NC7427H, and I’m the genuine, pedigreed Piper J-3 Cub you may have spotted at the Wexford County Airport in Cadillac, Michigan, during the winter months. In the summer, I retreat to the lake for some wellearned fun on floats. It was suggested that you pilots might appreciate my story, straight from the propeller’s mouth.
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