FSXA Looking for a landing gear

[Tejal Bernardo]

I am investigating what Kind of landing gear could be this, the airplane is a Savoia Marchetti S 62 P (p stand for Passengers). A passenger versión of the S62. were constructed very few of them not his military versión. I understand that this could be retracted vertically problably but I have no idea, because haven't found any thing similar. There was a versión earlier, the S 52 which can be deduced how this work. (see pic.)
The last one correspond to the s 52, and can be guessed how it was but it is not the same that this of the S62 P, is very difficult by photos to see what Kind of landing gear it was. Maybe for some aviation historian would be easy.

 

[hairyspin]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say these are bolt-on beaching wheels, used to bring the aircraft ashore. You're more likely to get a definitive answer from Lefty and co. at SOH's Historic Aircraft forum.

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

Right, could be as the military versión of this aircraft have that system as can be seen in the photos, but this one I "think" landed with this landing gear (according always by the photos and his scenery) though I guess it no matter, there is an american versión which are practically identical but no have Wheels at all. Anyway if difficult to find the answer I will look in that website, I remember now that there is a good website too for this matter, the WWW2aircraft if I remember well that could help

 

[Paul Domingue]

The gear looks very similar to that used on the 1922 Vickers Viking Amphibian which I believe was hand cranked from outside the aircraft while in the water.

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

Yes and even are almost identical but the vickers have a kind of "rail" ? I guess it served as a guide to position the Wheel. it is similar to the Savoia s52 but is this of S64 which I can't find anything similar. or the photo is cheating a Little. I could think as Hairyspin said that it was fixed in order to transport to somewhere. having the peculiarity to be detached when working as flying boat. for the life of mine that this bird have not tail Wheel of any kind, really hard to say.

 

[lionheart]

There are tons of vintage aviation videos on YouTube. You might look around in there and find what you need.

 

[hairyspin]

It's not just that there's no tail wheel or skid; look at the ground clearance under/behind those wheels: the smallest misjudgement at touchdown and SCRUNCH, big holes in that hull and glug glug glug next time on the water. Also the gear legs aren't braced for landing stresses, whereas the neat raising mechanism in your last photo is braced when fully down.

I found that photo of the SM.62P on the net and the text with it says it was paired with a Ford Trimotor on the Madrid to Las Palmas route in the 1930s, the SM.62P doing the sea legs. If the SM.62P was truly amphibious, it would make more sense to use one type for the whole route?

 

[Roy Holmes]

If the SM.62P was truly amphibious, why is it described as a flying boat? The S.62 bis flown in 1930 was sold to Russia and license built there with many being equipped with skis for operation from ice, but no wheels are mentioned in my "Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft".
Roy

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

Yes Hairspin that is the story and why become interested on this bird.,according to the international rules of aviation. the last leg which involved to cross the atlantic from cape Juby, should be made by a flying boat be amphibian or not. The Ford trimotor as many other types of aircraft must have to make the route in legs, can remember exactly but could be Casablanca. Agadir, Cabo Juby. and Las Palmas. Passenger didn't like this aircraft and thinking which aircraft could be safer, a "trimotor" ford or this one single engine aircraft the choice was for sure Ford, so the hydroplane was always "under repair", or "out of order" so the Ford had to make the route entirely.
If I remember the S62 was moored in the sea.
Yes they were constructed by Russian Spain and North America under license, but not the passenger versión, though there is a photo where American Aircraft Corporation have one, this without Wheels at all.
Anyway all this is confusing enough. here a pic. of the military versión. and a pic. of the Vickers viking landing gear similar to the S 52

 

[delivery guy]

Manually retractable landing gear is what i read!

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

Damned landing gear, I consider this bird have not tail Wheel or skid, by the photo, so it can't be a landing gear properly, but I saw those Wheels as too sophisticated to be a fake landing gear, It is what was confusing.I think it will float in the Fsx blue oceans and enough.
the most similar thing I found whas this Norman Thompson NT2B from the first world war age. and they are detached too.