I just found this video after searching a while for info on what this thing was. When I was in A+P school back in 91 this thing came onto the ramp (the white one) and I got to wander around the inside of it for a few minutes. I fell in love immediately, it had such a weird construction with that space frame and fabric. It was huge inside!
One of the coolest looking air...ships I've ever seen. Unparalleled as a homebuilt. I believe that the designer/creator built himself a scaled-down single-engined version.
I remember this as a conceptin aviation magazines in the early '80s. The idea then was for this bird to carry an ultralight "Avid Flyer" as far north as possible, disgorge the Flyer which would then overfly the North Pole and return, meeting and folding up inside the Explorer for the trip south. To see how capable this amphibian turned out as a reality is amazing! I could live in one in a bathing suit!
This perfectly fits into my category of aircraft to fly the earth, having adventures and doing good deeds. An AN2 on amphibious floats was my previous number one.
My dad worked both this one and the previous one. The first was built in Caldwell, Id and this one was built in Grangeville, Id. He was one of the A&Ps, working mostly wiring, plumbing, engines and props. The designer (Dean, I can’t remember his last name) wanted the airframe as light as possible, so there were no zip ties or adel clamps on any wiring, my dad used string tie for all of it.
The plans were all in Deans head. As far as I can recall, since the airplane was going to be registered as either Experimental or Restricted, at the time the FAA didn’t really need any drawings. This was many years ago (maybe 25 or so), so Dean could get away with much more than today. I do recall my dad being one of maybe 2 or 3 Airframe and Powerplant mechanics, and Dean had his IA, so Dean had the ability to do numerous things on his own. If I remember correctly (I was deploying a lot at the time these were being built) the N numbers were based off the Hughes Spruce Goose and were only for testing purposes. The owner was a Frenchman and would probably have registered the aircraft there.
Very mixed and interesting history. Designed and constructed by Dean Wilson in Boise Idaho USA. In Avid Aircraft facilities. I had the pleasure of flying it with Dean there once . Handled very well. Mr Wilson latter built the private explorer, a single engine version and latter another party built a mini version to fit recreation- sport regulations. For some reason none reached production. Always seemed like great designs to me.
Couldnt agree more a great exploration and sport design with the ability to haul outsize loads in almost any environment. The Geodesic structures reminiscent of Barns Wallaces work on the WW2 Wellington twin bomber. The lower hull was a single piece fiberglass moulding. One unfortunately got damaged or the skin caught fire.. the metal frame and composite hull was going to be rebuilt by a French aero museum. Given modern composite materials the complex maintainance issue could be overcome . With improvements in strength and performance including economy. It would make a great aircraft for exploration, sport flying and servicing remote areas as it was able to carry a prodigious amount of equipment ..including overlarge items like folded microlight or auto giro.
Des personnes sur Rotaryeng net ont envisagé de faire une version de cette merveille volante 'l'Avion', avec des Moteurs Rotatifs Wankel Mazda modifiés, la possibilité d'une utilisation amphibie leur a été particulièrement attirante. Bonne chance, + Salut
salut, je suis un des pilotes de cet avion. L'explorer 2 ne s'est pas crashé et il se trouve dans un hangar à Lognes, près de Paris après un ferry en vol depuis l'Australie. Il a été, abandonné par canal + car trop cher.
non, maintenance d'un hydravion toujours élevée et salaires (exellents :) ) de deux pilotes… L'avion ne volait jamais droit, tout le monde avait la nausée et pas question de voler aux instruments por cette raison, mais que de plaisir à se poser partout sur l'eau !
+lois jammes L'avion est d'une sublime beauté, il faudrait un commandant Cousteau des airs pour lui redonner vie et le plein de sacs en papier :) L'avion a de nouveaux propriétaires ? toujours à Paris ?
Bonjour, Malheureusement si, il a été cassé... Après que Canal+ ai décider d'abandonner le projet, il a été racheté par un privé qui a volé avec quelques temps. Suite à la panne d'un moteur et en voulant se poser dans un champ il a pris une ligne électrique et s'est retourné. Le pilote n'a rien eut mais l'avion a été détruit. Il est actuellement en attente de restauration pour une exposition statique au musée de l'hydravion Biscarrosse. on peux trouver quelques photos sur leur site internet...
