Sealand/RED A-03 powered DHC-2 Beaver

[Pilot DAR]

Some nice photos (credit to: Robert Kobzey) of yesterday's air to air of the Sealand/RED A-03 diesel powered DHC-2 Beaver. This is an excellent conversion, which I have test flown for six hours this week. Very simple in flight operation, with reassuring redundancy! Yesterday, I climb tested at a 6000 pound gross weight, with a rate of climb of 600 FPM going through 16,000! Not obvious in the photo, but in addition to full fuel tanks (including tips) and two of us, I was carrying two and a half 208 liter drums full of water in the cabin! This will be a revolutionary product improvement, for a great legacy airplane!

[megan]

Why the vertical pieces on the stabiliser DAR? For floatplane conversion or altered aerodynamics due new engine?

[Pilot DAR]

The "finlets" on the horizontal stabilizer, and forward ventral fin are elements of the float kit for the airplane. Sealand will be reconfiguring the plane as an amphibian this spring, for more developmental flying. In the mean time, I asked for these, as there is a 100 HP power increase, so there is increased torque. Not knowing how much torque effect to expect, I wanted that little extra vertical surface. It turns out that the airplane handles the additional torque just fine. You can feel it with rapid power application, but it's easily controllable. The ventral fin is riveted on, so will remain. The finlets are bolt on, but there is no plan to remove them. I did some crosswind runway work today, with lots of directional control.

[340drvr]

Nice photos, for sure. That would be a game changer for far North ops, requiring only Jet A instead of 2 kinds of fuel (100LL and JetA) at various bases. Just curious, what is the proposed cost differential vs. turbine conversion? (I assume substantially less?)

[Pilot DAR]

The cost as a modification is outside my scope to comment on. I can say that the operating cost for fuel will around half!

[Sea Plane Driver]

Why a V-12?
Is it a marine engine converted to work with an air cooled radiator, OR a new design made to fly?
12 cylinders seems complex and heavy when 8 would work..

[Pilot DAR]

The RED A-03 is an EASA type certified, purpose built, airplane engine. I won't speculate on the design philosophy, but it sure works well!

[India Four Two]

Details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RED_A03

The diesel-powered Beaver looks remarkably similar to the original Beaver design, which was to have a Gipsy Queen engine: