The Taylor Coot is a two-seat homebuilt amphibious aircraft designed by Moulton Taylor, famous for his flying car designs.
The Coot is a homebuilt amphibian that features high-lift wings which fold for trailering and which do not require flaps. They emerge from the mid-hull for superior ground effect during water take-off and landing. Because the wing roots (sponsons) rest on the water, there is no need for wing-tip floats. The low wing also allows for a relatively low engine location, with a low center of thrust, as well as safe and easy handling during step-taxiing.
When a market for the Aerocar 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 sponsons 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 8 feet (2.4 m) wide. Some builders have equipped their aircraft with auxiliary sponsons. It is equipped with tricycle landing gear: The nosewheel casters freely and steering on the ground is accomplished with differential braking of the main gear.
Variants:
Coot model A-Single-tailed version.
Coot model B-Two-tailed model
Specifications (Super Coot Model A, 180 hp Franklin engine)
General characteristics:
Crew: one pilot
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Height: 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m)
Wing area: 180 ft² (16.7 m²)
Empty weight: 1,100 lb (499 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,950 lb (884 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Franklin air-cooled flat-six, 180 hp (134 kW)
Performance:
Never exceed speed: 139 mph (120 knots, 223 km/h)
Maximum speed: 130 mph (113 knots, 209 km/h)
Cruise speed: 110 mph (95.5 knots, 177 km/h)
Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)