The 1919 Van Berkel seaplane is a twin-float seaplane, shown at the E.L.T.A. exhibition without engine, but intended for a Mercedes. The fuselage is built up of a light framework covered with three-ply wood. The ply-wood covering of the rear portion of the fuselage is continued outwards over the tail plane, which latter is built integral with the body. The fuselage is very deep at the rear, where it performs the function of a fin, no other vertical fin being fitted. The tail plane is at the top of the fuselage and the rudder has its balanced portion projecting below the stern.
The two floats, which are single step, are flat-bottomed as regards their front portion, but to the rear of the step the bottom gradually changes from flat to Vee bottom, finally corning to a point at the heel of the float. The construction is very similar to that of the fuselage, brass screws and nails being used throughout. The floats are fitted with water-tight bulkheads, detachable inspection doors being provided in the deck for examining the interior.
The wing bracing is only one pair of struts on each side. The upper plane is of slightly greater span than the bottom, and the inter-plane struts slope outwards. The lift and landing loads are taken by tubes sloping from the floats outward to the lower surface of the bottom plane at the points where occur the inter-plane struts. A speed of 155 km. per hour is estimated.
All Aero 