Page 7 - Nov2016TNT Vol 20 No 11

Royal GullFlairThe available examples of twin-engine general aviation amphibian airplanes make a very short list, and their marketing success has been quite limited, foraspect of aviation, and his unique airplane, a Piaggio P.136 Royal Gull. The beautiful Gulls were designed and built in the 1950s (the prototype flew in 1949, using 215- hp Franklin engines similar to the Republic SeaBee’s), a creation of the Piaggio company in Genoa, Italy. It was obvious that more horsepower was needed than that offered by the Franklins, so Piaggio turned to the most powerful small engines available at the time, the geared GO-series from Lycoming. Used in Aero Commanders and Twin Bonanzas of the era, the Piaggio’s engines were given flanged crankshafts in place of the normal splined shafts, in order to mount reversing propellers.The Gull is a pusher design, with the wing built in an arched seagull shape to keep the engines high during water operations. This places the cabin well forward of engine and prop noise, and it also allows for easy nose-in beaching, made easier by a swing-open windshield as well as two large side doors. It’s an impressively large airplane when sitting on an airport ramp, with a heightvarious reasons. To build a rugged airframe for water use, light enough to be powered by relatively small piston engines, at a cost within reach of primarily recreational users, is a difficult set of tasks. And then there are the hurdles of trainingand insuring low-experience pilots...Even so, there’s a universal appeal engendered by the freedom and utility of aerial yachting. To be able to land friends and family on both water and runways, visiting remote beaches and urban airports alike, opens up worlds beyond that of normal flying.Captain John Mohr, who pilots Boeing 767s for Delta Airlines, is uniquely qualified to talk about this distinctiveNOVEMBER 2016TWIN & TURBINE • 5