 Lake Amphibian History
Contents:
A thumbnail sketch of the history of the Lake Amphibians
by John Staber
Designed by David Thurston, the
prototype C-1 Skimmer was built in the mid 1940s and first flew in July
of 1948. At the time, Thurston was employed by Grumman and several aviation
specialists were employed to help build the little amphibian. One of
these was Herbert Lindblad, who at the time worked for Republic. David
had formed the Colonial Aircraft Corporation with the intention of
eventually producing the aircraft. The Korean War interrupted the
flight testing, but finally a type certificate was issued and production
started in 1956 after the company moved to Sanford, Maine. Sanford was
chosen because of the airport and large empty woolen mills making for a
ready-made factory at a fraction of the cost of one on Long Island.
The
production C-1 Skimmer was powered by a Lycoming 150 horsepower engine,
could sit 3 people, stalled at 50mph and cruised about 110 mph with a 34
foot wingspan. The company built a total of 23 C-1 Skimmers through
1957 while designing a 4 seat, 180 horsepower version. This went into
production in 1958 and 1959 and the company built 20 C-2 Skimmers. The
primary salesperson involved during this time was John F. Strayer, a
former test pilot for Grumman. At the end of 1959 he bought the
manufacturing rights, renamed the company Lake Aircraft Corporation,
and renamed the airplane, the Lake Amphibian.
Some design changes were made by Strayer which included lengthening the nose to enclose the nose gear
when retracted, and adding 2 more feet to each wing, which resulted in
50 pounds more useful load. Colonial Aircraft Corporation under Herbert
Lindblad built the parts for Lake Aircraft and David Thurston went on to
other enterprises and designs. Strayer built about 24 Lake amphibians
during 1960 and 1961 and unfortunately went out of business. No
aircraft were built in 1962. Strayer was later to work for Pepsi,
skywriting the word “PEPSI” all over the country.
Meanwhile, new financing was found
and in 1963 M. L. Alson, of Elkhart, Indiana took over the sales of Lake
Amphibians. Alson was responsible for getting Brantley Helicopters off
the ground (pun intended). He was under contract to purchase each Lake
built by Aerofab, Inc., a new company formed by Lindblad at Sanford,
Maine. This arrangement was to last for many years. It was not an easy
job selling Lakes. They were a well-built, nice flying, docile
amphibian, but a wee bit on the slow side, and a wee bit lacking in
useful load and all along, needed more horsepower.
In 1970 Alson
introduced the 200-horsepower, Lake “Buccaneer” about the same time he
moved the company to the Houston, Texas area. Sales improved
considerably because of the extra horsepower, gross weight, and
performance, plus year-round flying capabilities. Aftermarket
turbochargers became available, also, along with much lighter avionics.
“Al” Alson retired in 1979 after selling the company to Armand Rivard of
Laconia, New Hampshire.
Rivard had been a very successful
dealer since 1973. He closed the Houston office and moved the operation
to Laconia and Kissimmee, Florida which was beginning to boom, due to
the Disney complex. Sales became a little sluggish in the early 1980s
and Armand responded with a few changes to the Buccaneer. Namely, the
introduction of the Lake EP which included many improvements. The EP had
an enclosed rear cowling with an extended propeller shaft and a balanced
engine. A cargo door, wing fillets, plus fuel in the floats were now
standard equipment, all of which improved performance.
For years Lake pilots have said
that the amphibian should have 250 horsepower. Rivard, Lindblad,
Paul Furnee
and others designed and introduced the “Renegade” in 1984, with
substantial changes. Namely, 4 or 6 places, an extended hull and a
totally new tail design. Performance increased considerably along with
the load carrying ability, not to mention its ability to land and take
off on much rougher water. A few years later the factory followed with
a turbocharged 270 horsepower version which added high altitude use to
its attributes.
Over the years the cost of a new
Skimmer or Lake went from about $16,000 to over $500,000 for many
reasons. Sales of Renegades have been very sparse in the last few years,
the last one built under contract, in 2006. Armand sold the company in
2003, only to regain it a year or two later, minus a rather large asset
-- the factory and hangar at Sanford. Many parts are still being
supplied. To date there have been about 137 Renegades produced, with a
total of approximately 1050 Skimmers and Lakes built since 1956. |
The family tree of Lake Amphibians
1946: Thurston forms Colonial Aircraft Corporation,
Huntington Station, Long Island. NY
XC-1 Skimmer prototype-
1948: XC-1 Skimmer N6595K s/n 1 (prototype)
Lycoming 0-235 (115HP) first flew July 1948. 2-3 place amphibian. Mid-wing, all
metal construction. Mid-hull, pusher, pylon mounted engine, retractable tricycle
landing gear with nose gear tire protruding out of bow acting as bumper for
docking. 80 percent span slotted flaps. Engine changed at 25 hours to Lycoming
0-290 (125HP) and again in 1955 to Lycoming 0-320 (150HP) with a Hartzell
constant speed phenolic propellor.
Type certificate 1A13 issued September 1955,
34' wingspan, 23'6" length. Designed by David B. Thurston.
1955, September: Colonial Aircraft Corporation moves to
Sanford, Maine to begin production.
C-1 Skimmer -
C-1 Skimmer brochure
1956-57: 22 built - s/n 2-14, 16 to 20, 22 to 25. Lycoming
0-320 (150HP) 2-3 place amphibian as above under TC1A13. (s/n 15 and 21 became
C-2 Skimmers) Gross weight 2150 lbs. 700 lb useful load. 40 gals fuel. STC to
add extended Lake wingtips 1965. $15,750 (1956)
C-2 Skimmer - (Skimmer IV)
_brochure_2_color.gif)
C-2 Skimmer (Skimmer IV) brochure
1957-59: 20 built - s/n 115 (N255B, prototype),
121, 126 to 143. Lycoming 0-360 A1A (180HP). 4 place amphibian configured as
above. Gross weight increased to 2350 lbs. Useful 825 lbs. 40 gals fuel. 34'
wingspan, 23'6" length. Hartzell constant speed metal propellor. $24,895 (1958)
Oct. 1959: Type Certificate sold to Lake Aircraft Corporation (principal, Jack Strayer) Sanford, Maine Colonial Aircraft Corporation (Herbert Lindblad,
principal) under contract to build Lake Amphibian (note name change)
Lake LA-4P -
s/n 121, N261B, Lake prototype. Converted from C-2. 4-place
amphibian configured as above. Wingspan increased to 38', nose lengthened to
enclose nose gear when retracted. Lycoming 0-360 A1A (180HP). Gross weight
increased to 2400 lbs. 40 gals fuel. 38' wingspan, length 24' 11"
"It was interesting to read that my
current aircraft S/N 311 (photo above)
gets a mention as the prototype
Buccaneer."That was good to see; I had
understood that it was a Buccaneer
prototype, but was never sure.
Of all the 20+ Lakes I have flown,
it is one of the best and I still get
a great thrill every time I fly it."
-- Kevin Bowe
Flying Boat Endorsements, Australia |
Lake LA-4A -
s/n 244, 245 - (1960) N1001L, N1002L. These two planes
retained the short nose of the Skimmer but had the longer wingspan of the Lake.
Lycoming 0-360 (180 HP), 40 gals fuel.
Lake LA-4 -
Lake LA-4 brochures
Note: Version 2 is missing section of pp.5-6
1960-61: s/n 246 and subsequent, starting in 1960 and ending in 1961
after 24 planes produced when the company went out of business. $26,580 (1960)
1963: Consolidated Aeronautics bought Type Certificate, production resumed 1963.
Herb Lindblad formed Aerofab, Inc. which was under contract to produce Lake
Amphibians for M. L. Alson, now marketer of Lake Aircraft, at Elkhart, Indiana.
Lycoming 0-360 (180HP). Gross weight 2400 lbs. Useful 825 lbs. 40 gals fuel. 38'
wingspan. The LA-4-180 was produced until 1969 through s/n 446. Note the 200
increase in serial numbers between Colonial C-1 and C-2, and between C-2 and
LA-4.
1969: Lake Aircraft moves to Tomball, Texas 1969
Lake Seaplane -
1969: s/n 410, N7637L was the only Lake built without
landing gear - a straight seaplane. 0-360 (180HP), 40 gals fuel, 2400 lb. gross
weight. 38' wingspan. $23,562 (1969)
Lake LA-4-200 -
Lake Buccaneer LA-4-200 brochure
1968-81: s/n 311, N1149L (prototype) converted to IO-360 A1B (200HP) in
1968 . Production began 1969 with s/n 431 although a few 180HP were built after. The Lake Buccaneer (LA-4-200) was produced through 1981 to s/n 1073. Gross
weight increase to 2600 lbs. Useful 1135 lbs. 40 gals fuel plus 14 gals added to
floats upped gross to 2690. 38' wingspan. $32,950 (1970) $57,950 (1979) $82,920
(1981)
1979: Armand Rivard buys Lake Aircraft from Alson and
moves offices to Laconia NH and Kissimmee FL. Type certificate owned by REVO.
1985: Armand Rivard buys Aerofab, Inc. Herbert Lindblad
is now CEO.
Lake LA-4-200EP -
1982-1986: from approximately s/n 1074 through 1116.
Engine changed to balanced version (Lycoming IO-360 A1B6), prop shaft extended,
rear engine cowling installed, batwings, cargo door, fuel floats standard
equipment. 38' wingspan, 54 gals fuel. 2690 gross weight. $96,600 (1983)
$110,000 to $125,000 (2004)
Lake LA 250 -
1983 to date: S/n 1, N250L, a converted LA-4-200, and
subsequent. Name change to Renegade. 4-6 seat all metal amphibian. Fuselage
stretched in cabin area. Tail redesigned. Pylon and engine cowl redesigned.
Horsepower increase to 250. Lycoming IO540 C4B5 (250HP). Three-blade Hartzell
metal propellor. Fuel increase to 90 gals by integral wing tanks. Wingspan 38'.
Length 28' 4". $146,000 (1982) Turbocharging available. Lycoming TIO-540-AA1AD.
Empty weight ~2070 lbs, gross weight 3050 lbs. Military version named Seawolf.
Note a 100 serial number increase during Rivard ownership.
Lake LA 270T -
1987 to date: Miscellaneous serial numbers. 4 seats.
Lycoming TIO-540-AA1AD (270HP) Renamed Turbo Seafury. $348,000 (1991) $745,500
(2001)
October 2002: Armand Rivard sells Lake Aircraft and Aerofab,
Inc. to Wadi Rahim, principal of LanShe Aerospace. Type Certificate now Global
Amphibians. Renames company Sun Lake Aircraft and moves manufacturing and sales
to Fort Pierce, Florida.
2004: Delivery of first aircraft, a Turbo Seafury, s/n 235,
N8553Z made in 2004. Rename Renegade 250 to Renegade 2. $449,000 (2003) and
Renegade 2T $545,000 (2003), Turbo Seafury $749,000 (2003).
2005: Rivard regains control of Lake Aircraft after Rahim
defaults on payments.
Approximately 916 Colonials, 180 and 200 Lakes made to date.
137 Renegades to date. Some of the LA-4-180, 200, and 200EP had after-market
Rajay turbochargers installed.
Provided by John Staber, 3/2007 |
