Amphibian aircraft have seen a rise
in popularity in the recreational and utility sectors due to their ability to
take off and land on both land and water, thus serving a myriad of purposes,
such as aerobatics, surveillance, and firefighting. Such seaplanes must be
aerodynamically and hydrodynamically efficient, particularly during the takeoff
phase. Naval architects have long employed innovative techniques to optimize
the performance of marine vessels, including incorporating spray rails on
hulls. This research paper is dedicated to a comprehensive investigation into
the potential utilization of spray rails to enhance the takeoff performance of
amphibian aircraft. Several spray rail configurations obtained from naval
research were simulated on a bare Seamax M22 amphibian hull to observe an
approximate 10% -25% decrease in water resistance at high speeds alongside a 3% reduction
in the takeoff time. This study serves as a motivation to improve the design of
the reference airplane hull and a platform for detailed investigations in the
future to improve modern amphibian design.
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https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-09-2020-0196
