LAKE LA-4

LAKE LA-4
AMERICAN AMPHIBIANS
In the 4th issue of last year's edition of our magazine, we published the amphibian "Riviera" of the Italian company Siai - Marchetti. Another successful type in this group, apart from the previously produced Republic Seabee, is the Lake La-4 type. It is an amphibious vehicle with a wide range of uses - for tourism, sports and police service. Amphibian is advantageous wherever it is necessary to alternate landing areas, i.e. it has found its place especially in coastal and lake areas.

The creation of the La-4 actually dates back to 1946 with a two-seater Colonial Skymer C-l with a 150 hp Lycoming 0-320 engine, which was later converted to a C-2 chipper with a 180 hp Lycoming 0-360 engine. Colonial merged with LAKE Aircraft in 1959, where production of the Skymmer C-2 type also moved. The LA-4 prototype was flown that same year in November, and serial production began in August 1960. In 1962, LAKE Aircraft merged with Aeronautic Inc.
Compared to the Skymmer C-2 type, the LA-4 was modified by lengthening the hull, improving water characteristics and increasing the span. The LA-4 is a true amphibious vehicle with a low fuselage, wide undercarriage gauge and two auxiliary floats, which guarantees safe take-offs and landings, both from land and from water.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The LA-4 is a four-seat all-metal mid-wing amphibian with a pusher engine located on a pylon behind the cabin.
The wing is a self-supporting single-beam structure with an auxiliary beam for hanging ailerons and flaps. The trailing edge breaks at the fuselage and forms a significant transition that also overlaps the landing flap. The wings and flaps are also all metal. The flaps are quite large, they occupy 80% of the span and are therefore hydraulically extendable. Wing taper is 8.65, profile at fuselage NACA 4418, at tip NACA 4412; adjustment angle + 3.75°.
The hull has a boat-shaped lower part including steps (on the 5-5 section). The construction is lattice-work with stringers. The spacious cabin with four seats has access from both sides forward through a hinged front door. The steering is steering wheel, double, in addition it is upro
center between the front seats as well as manual rudder control. The dashboard is richly equipped even for conditions of flight without vision. Only the compass is placed above the board on the middle crossbar.
The tailplanes are self-supporting, with the horizontal tailplane set quite high. The setting angle is —4.5°. In the case of a horizontal tail surface, only the inner part serves as a rudder, the outer rear parts serve as balancing surfaces, controlled hydraulically. The rudder folds out from the bottom of the rudder for cruising on the water. The profiles of the tail surfaces are symmetrical.
Landing gear. On the water, it is the lower boat-shaped part of the hull and two auxiliary floats under the wing, for operation on the ground a three-wheeled retractable landing gear with oil-pneumatic suspension is used. The 6.00 X 6 main wheels have Goodyear disc brakes, the nose wheel is 5.00 X 4. The main landing gear folds into the wing and remains uncovered, the nose landing gear, which swivels 30°, retracts forward and the covers close.
Engine group. A four-cylinder, air-cooled, flat engine, type Lycoming O-36O-A1A of 180 к at 2,700 rpm, drives a 0 1.83 m Hartzell-type automatic adjustable thrust propeller. The engine is in a nacelle above the fuselage only on a symmetrically profiled pylon, which is reinforced with simple struts. The engine axis is inclined to the fuselage axis by 7.5°. Fuel tanks hold 1501.
The coloring is quite distinct and colorful, with stripes painted on the basic white color in a combination of red - yellow - black or red - blue - green - black, etc. Only the black tip and the black inscription on the keel on both sides remain the standard: LAKE LA-4 .
Technical data and performances: span 11.58, length 7.60, height 2.84 m; wing area 15.8 m²; empty weight 714, max. flight weight 1,090 kg; surface load 68.8 kg/m². Speeds - maximum 235, travel at 75% power 211, economy 201, minimum 82 km/h. Ascent 244 m/min, practical access 4,270 m, range 1,010 km. Launch length on land 198 m, on water 343 m; range length when landing on land 145 m, on water 183 m.

A new international record was created on June 26, 1966 by the famous American record holder Maynard L. Hill. At Westover Air Force Base, he improved the previous speed record for R/C models from 204 km/h to 226 km/h. He flew the 200 m long track a total of ten times, the highest speed reached was over 240 km/h.
The record model weighed 1.6 kg and had a span of 900 mm. Super Tigre • 60 (ie 10cc) engine, unmodified, spinning a Top Flite speed propeller. The model had control of the engine, elevator and ailerons. Dee Bee Quadruplex 21 proportional kits were used.
The record has been submitted to the FAI for approval. Now Maynard L. Hill is preparing to attempt to break the height record.
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