Aviation News Item: 09239

2nd Jun 2010

Source: flightglobal.com

Tigerfish Aviation is seeking investors to apply its patented retracting amphibious pontoon technology to the Beechcraft King Air B200, a conversion the company says will make the twin-turboprop the only pressurised high-speed executive seaplane on the market.

The South Australian company has also proposed a similar retrofit, which includes floats and wheels that retract and morph into a streamlined pannier below the fuselage, for the Bombardier Dash 8 series turboprops.

The design reduces drag compared with traditional pontoon aircraft by concealing the floats from the airstream, reducing surface area exposed.

Tigerfish says its floatplanes see drag reduced by roughly 20%, resulting in a 20% improvement in fuel consumption with a corresponding increase in range, payload and speed.

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