__NOTOC__ The Taylor Coot is a two-seat

homebuilt Homebuilt machines are machines built outside of specialised workshops or factories. This can include different things such as kit cars or homebuilt computers, but normally it pertains to homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or ...

amphibious aircraft designed by

Moulton Taylor Moulton B. "Molt" Taylor (September 29, 1912 – November 16, 1995) was an American aeronautical engineer famed for his work designing, developing, and manufacturing on a small scale one of the first practical flying cars, the Aerocar. Life a ...

, famous for his

flying car A flying car or roadable aircraft is a type of vehicle which can function both as a road vehicle and as an aircraft. As used here, this includes vehicles which drive as motorcycles when on the road. The term "flying car" is also sometimes u ...

designs. When a market for the

Aerocar Aerocar International's Aerocar (often called the Taylor Aerocar) was an American roadable aircraft designed and built by Moulton Taylor in Longview, Washington in 1949. Although six examples were made, it never entered large-scale production. I ...

did not emerge, Taylor turned to more conventional designs. The Coot was nonetheless somewhat unusual for its low wing, a feature uncommon on most seaplanes and flying boats, which conventionally strive to keep their wings as far away from the water as possible. Instead, Taylor designed the Coot's wing roots to act as

sponson Sponsons are projections extending from the sides of land vehicles, aircraft or watercraft to provide protection, stability, storage locations, mounting points for weapons or other devices, or equipment housing. Watercraft On watercraft, a spon ...

s to stabilise the craft in the water. The arrangement allowed him to do away with the weight and drag penalties imposed by wingtip floats, and additionally gain ground effect benefits during takeoff. First flown in 1969, the Coot proved very popular with homebuilders, with an estimated 70 aircraft completed by 2007. The wings and elevator surfaces of the Taylor Coot can be folded for transport and storage. With wings folded the aircraft is wide. Some builders have equipped their aircraft with auxiliary sponsons. It is equipped with tricycle landing gear: The nose wheel casters freely and steering on the ground is accomplished with differential braking of the main gear. The plans and three books about the Coot are available through Richard Steeves of

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 123. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. On June 6, 2018, a Taylor Coot Model A registered as N100TN attempted to take off from a lake, but suffered hull loss. The pilot escaped through the

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

. However, the issue was determined to have been caused by the pilot choosing to take off with a known structural issue.

Variants

;Coot Model A: :Single-tailed version. ;Coot Model B: :Two-tailed model NCTM Antique Airplanes

Specifications (Super Coot Model A, 180 hp Franklin engine)

References

John W. R. Taylor John William Ransom Taylor, OBE Hon DEng FRAeS FRHistS AFIAA, (8 June 1922 – 12 December 1999) was a British aviation expert and editor. He edited '' Jane's All the World's Aircraft'' for three decades during the Cold War. He retired as edit ...

. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83''. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. .

External links

* {{Aerocar aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Amphibious aircraft 1960s United States civil utility aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Mid-wing aircraft

Coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...

Aircraft first flown in 1969 Cruciform tail aircraft

Variants

Specifications (Super Coot Model A, 180 hp Franklin engine)

See also

References

External links