Thurston Teal
Encyclopedia
The Thurston Teal is a family of two- and four-seat all-aluminum amphibious flying boats designed by David Thurston
David Thurston
David Thurston is an American aircraft designer noted for his work on small amphibious aircraft, including the Grumman Duck, Colonial Skimmer, Lake Buccaneer, Thurston Teal and AeroMarine Seafire...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and first flown in 1968.
A total of 38 Teals were manufactured.
Development
The Teal design features a high wing with tip floats for lateral stability. The horizontally-opposed engine is mounted tractor fashion in a strut-supported pylon above the wing root. The T-tail includes a water rudder that swings up against the bottom of the rudder. Conventional undercarriage includes flat, spring-steel main undercarriage legs that rotate up for water landings.Two crew sit side-by-side under a clear perspex canopy. Side windows slide down into the fuselage sidewalls similar to Ercoupe and Swift
Globe Swift
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davisson, Budd. "Swiftly, Swiftly: An Appreciation of one of General Aviation's Classic Aircraft." Air Progress, Vol. 45, No. 8, August 1983....
airplanes.
One unusual characteristic of the Teal design is that it cruises slightly faster with the landing gear in the down position than with it up. The Teal's wheels do not retract, but instead swing to the rear until the gear is horizontal and clear of the water. The drag produced having the landing gear stowed in the up position is higher than in the extended position and this reduces cruise speed.
Production
David B. Thurston established Thurston Aircraft Corporation at Sandford, Maine, in 1966 to produce a lightweight amphibian of his own design, which had the designation Thurston TSC-1A Teal.First flown in 1968, production began after certification was gained in August 1969; the 16th and subsequent aircraft, which introduced some refinements, were designated TSC-1A1 Teal. In 1972 David Thurston joined the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, which continued to build the Teal in the form of the TSC-1A2 Teal II before selling the production rights to the Teal Aircraft Corporation of Markham, Ontario, in early 1976. This last company built a developed TSC-1A3 Marlin before running out of financial steam in early 1979.
Before the Schweizer acquisition, Thurston had designed, in conjunction with an aviation magazine, a landplane version designated TSC-2 Explorer, and Marvin Patchen Inc., which financed this development, acquired the production rights for this aircraft, planning to build civil and law-enforcement versions as the Explorer and Observer respectively. Subsequently, Dr Maitland Reed’s National Dynamics (Pty) Ltd of Durban, South Africa, acquired this project from Patchen, but later decided not to build either version of this aircraft.
Thurston Aircraft produced a total of 19, Schweizer built 12 and Teal Aircraft constructed seven.
Variants
TSC-1 T-boatThe TSC-1 T-Boat was a proposed flying boat. The aircraft was to have no landing gear to save weight and folding wings were to be incorporated to aid storage. The model development was discontinued to concentrate on the amphibious TSC-1A instead.
TSC-1A
The TSC-1A was the first to the series to actually be completed and featured retractable conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear
thumb|The [[Piper PA-18|Piper Super Cub]] is a popular taildragger aircraft.thumb|right|A [[Cessna 150]] converted to taildragger configuration by installation of an after-market modification kit....
and non-folding wings. The prototype TSC-1A was registered as N1968T, given serial number 1 and was first flown in June 1968. The TSC-1A certified under FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
Type Certificate A15AE on 28 August 1969 at a gross weight of 1850 lb (839.1 kg), land and water. An increase in gross weight to 1900 lb (861.8 kg) was approved on 9 December 1969. Fifteen Model TSC-1A Teals were built by the Thurston Aircraft.
TSC-1A1
The TSC-1A1 Teal Amphibian was an improved model with extra range and payload. The aircraft incorporated 23 US gallon fuel tanks in the wing leading edges, which replaced the single 24.5 US gal fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
tank of the earlier TSC-1A. The gross weight was increased to 2200 lb (998 kg) (land) and 2100 lb (953 kg) (water). The prototype TSC-1A, N1968T was upgraded and used as the prototype for the TSC-1A1. The TSC-1A1 was certified on 23 September 1971 and Thurston Aircraft built the first three. Three more were built by Schweizer Aircraft
Schweizer Aircraft
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation is a manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers , who built their first glider in 1930...
. Six additional existing TSC-1As were upgraded to TCS-1A1 status.
TSC-1A1/EW
The TSC-1A1/EW introduced wing and tailplane extensions. Wing span was increased four feet to 34 in 11 in (10.64 m), producing a wing area of 177 sq ft (16.4 m²). The horizontal tail span was increased by 2 foot (0.6096 m) to a total of 10 feet (3 m). The empty weight rose to 1435 lb (650.9 kg), with a gross weight of 2200 lb (997.9 kg) for both land and water.
TSC-1A1/EW/EP
The TSC-1A1/EW/EP was a project to convert existing TSC-1A1s to TSC-1A1/EW status by incorporating the EW's wing and tail extensions and upgrading the engine to a 160 hp Lycoming O-320-B3B
Lycoming O-320
The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of 92 different normally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants are rated for 150 or 160 horsepower...
. Gross weight would have been 2300 lb (1,043 kg) (land) and 2200 lb (998 kg) (water).
TSC-1A2 Teal II and Marlin 150
The TSC-1A2 Teal II was a development of the TSC-1A1, It incorporated slotted flaps, a change in horizontal stabilizer incidence and larger elevator trim tab travel. The fitted engine was a 150 hp Lycoming O-320-A3B
Lycoming O-320
The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of 92 different normally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants are rated for 150 or 160 horsepower...
. The new flaps reduced stalling speed and thus permitted an increase in gross weight to 2200 lb (997.9 kg) for land and water operations, as well as shorter take off and landing distances. The TSC-1A2 was certified on 28 June 1973, including IFR
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
in non-icing conditions. Schweizer built nine Teal IIs and seven were built by Teal Aircraft as the "Marlin 150".
TSC-1A2/EP
The TSC-1A2/EP was a proposed upgrade of the TSC-1A2 a 160 hp Lycoming O-320-B3B
Lycoming O-320
The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of 92 different normally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants are rated for 150 or 160 horsepower...
engine. Empty weight was 1435 lb (650.9 kg) and the gross weight was to be 2300 lb (1,043 kg) (land) and 2200 lb (998 kg) (water).
TSC-1A3 Teal III and Marlin 180
The TSC-1A3 was a proposed 180 hp up-engined version of the TSC-1A2. It was developed by Teal Aircraft and was to be sold by the name "Marlin 180" during 1977-78. The Teal III incorporated aerodynamic and structural upgrades to the engine mounting pylon and the engine cowling. The projected empty weight was to be 1450 lb (657.7 kg), with a gross weight of 2300 lb (1,043 kg) (land & water). No TSC-1A3s were manufactured by the TSC-1A2 prototype was converted to 180 hp.
TSC-1A3/EW
The TSC-1A3/EW was a proposed 180 hp engine aircraft with the wings and tailplane extensions of the TSC-1A1/EW. The aircraft was proposed without flaps, but with a gross weight of 2300 lb (1,043 kg) (land & water).
TSC-1A3/EWF
The TSC-1A3/EWF was a proposed aircraft that would have been identical to the TSC-1A3/EW, except with flaps.
TSC-1A2T Teal II & TSC-1A3T Teal III
In 1983 there was a proposal to form a new company, to be called Advanced Aircraft, which would develop a tricycle version of the Teal, to be designated the TSC-1A2T. This was to be a conversion of existing TSC-1A2 aircraft. The conversion would have included:
- relocating the main landing gear
- removing the tail wheel
- installing a nose wheel
- changing the hull to accommodate the new landing gear
- changing the rudder
- simplifying the flap controls
- installing of new style cabin doors
An up-engined version, designated TSC-1A3T, would have been powered by either 160 Lycoming O-320
Lycoming O-320
The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of 92 different normally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants are rated for 150 or 160 horsepower...
or Lycoming O-360 180 hp conversion. In the end the company was not formed and the prototype never completed.
TSC-1A4 Teal IV
The TSC-1A4 was a 1977 Teal Aircraft proposal for a four seat stretched Teal III, which would have had a gross weight of 2700 lb (1,224.7 kg). The plan was for a 210 hp turbocharged Lycoming
Lycoming
Lycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
powerplant, a 19 inches (482.6 mm) extension for the fuselage, the wingspan increased by 4 feet (1.2 m) and the tailplane by 2 foot (0.6096 m). None were ever built.