
History and stats for the Gulf Breeze's floatplanes.
Crew: one pilot, one co pilot, one engineer, three total
observers or passengers or gunners (as needed)
Length: 68 ft 5 1/2 in (20.8 m)
Wingspan: (38.40 m)
Height: 24 ft 5 1/8 in (7.40 m)
Wing area: 2,380 ft� (221 m�)
Empty weight: 15,874 lb (7,260 kg)
Loaded weight: 28,000 lbs (12,700 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 27,386 lb (12,422 kg)
Power: 4 x Cummings V8 water cooled Diesel Truck Engines, 400 hp
(298 kW) each configured as a left and right outboard single
engine tractor unit and a center line pusher tractor combo unit.
Maximum speed: 94 knots
Stall speed: 54 knots (62 mph, 100 km/h)
Range: 800 miles, 1,252 km
Service ceiling: 4,500 feet (1,370 m)
Wing loading: 11.5 lb/ft� (56.3 kg/m�)
Power/mass: 0.06 hp/lb (0.01 kW/kg)
Notes: The Aircraft is built with canvas covered wings over an Oak and Mahogany skeleton. The Fuselage float area is also an Oak skeleton wrapped in canvas and liberally sealed with carpenters dope. The curing process takes 3 weeks, but when finished the skin has a strength and texture of pressed aluminum. Each aircraft has a ring mount in the forward and aft observation pits for a single or dual mount MG. None are presently installed, but instillation takes 30 minutes per location. Any weapon up to a single mount M2HB can be installed per location. Aircraft # 3 (the Decatur) has been ingeniously outfitted with an installed WW2 vintage NORDEN Bombsight found in the same hanger where the NC 4 was stored. The bombsight is not nearly as accurate as it was in its original configuration on the B-17 (as there is no autopilot to link up to) but for low level bombing, it is proving to be astonishingly accurate just the same. Bombs used at present are actually copies of 60mm mortar rounds produced locally with a simple contact fuse and a black powder charge. Although they are inefficient, they are light and up to 60 can be carried slung under the massive wings. They are arranged in clutches of 15 (30 per wing) and can only be dropped in groups. Damage per bomb is half of a game 60mm HE round, with half the fragmentation and a 10% chance per bomb of a dud.