R3Y Tradewind

Convair R3Y Tradewind flying boat model. In 1945, the Navy approached Convair to see what could be done and Convair came up with the Model 117. It was a very sleek, high wing boat with a single-step hull, four Allison T-40 turboprop engines with six blade, contra-rotating props. Each engine developed 5,100 shaft hp (3,806 kW) and 830 pounds (376 kg) of jet thrust. The stabilizing floats were fixed, as there was no room to stow them in the thin, laminar-flow wing. The boat was named the "Tradewind". It first flew in 1950 after a delay of some months because of trouble with the Allison engines. The Navy received it first Tradewind in 1954. Mahogany wood. Scale: 1/100. Wingspan 17 1/2 inches, Length 17 1/2 inches.