Wind & Wireless — Mission Overview

Mission Overview

A STEAM-Powered Aviation Revolution

Restoration - with a Solar Punk twist.

Born with roaring Wright R-1820 radials, later retrofitted with Honeywell turboprops, the Albatross is evolving into something new: a platform to test steam for aviation — and a flying classroom to ignite curiosity.

When we say STEAM, we mean two things:

ScienceTechnologyEngineeringArtMath

ScienceTravelExplorationAdventureMeals

So yes — pressure curves and propulsion. But also island hops, grilled fish on the beach, and moments that make aerospace feel human.

Why the Albatross

Amphibious, STOL-capable airframe made for open water — perfect for water-centric energy demos.
Big volume, big payload for boilers, condensers, tanks, batteries, and sensor racks.
Proven maritime durability with expedition-friendly maintenance.

Power Architecture (Hybrid)

Primary research focus: generation, storage, control, and safety for steam in flight.

Energy Sources

Solar — wing/float arrays for hotel loads & pre-heat.
Water — captured/processed for boiler feed & condenser loop.
Shore/ship power — quick turnarounds at remote bases.

Propulsion Concept

Steam cycle R&D — boiler → turbine/expander → condenser → feedwater recovery.
Hybrid assist — electric drive/battery buffer for taxi, low-power, redundancy.
Safety — multi-loop pressure control, emergency venting, thermal shielding.

Payload & “Wireless” Lab

RF & networking — SDRs, ADS-B, AIS, LoRa/5G testbeds, satcom links, mesh relays.
Environmental sensing — metocean/atmo stacks, IR/EO, deployable bathymetry.
Data systems — edge compute, storage, realtime telemetry, open pipelines.

Operations Profile

Island-to-island sorties for renewable demos and STEM outreach.
Beachhead STEM days — engine room tours, comms labs, and the “Meals.”
Remote research — water/solar capture trials, condenser efficiency, hybrid taxi/takeoff.

What We’re Delivering

Validated steam subsystems — safe, serviceable, measurable.
Open, reproducible data on efficiency, reliability, maintenance paths.
Education & inspiration — a moving classroom that makes aerospace tangible.

Designation note: Legacy airframe is HU-16B “Albatross”; the research platform is the HB-16 conversion. Want one label across the site? Say the word and I’ll unify it.

Technical Overview

           Steam Propulsion Core
          Powerplant:Twin Steam Turbines (1,500 HP class)
Energy Source:Solar Thermal + Hydrothermal Conversion
Cycle:Open Exhaust — Atmospheric Vent
Priority:Educational Platform + Proof-of-Concept

        

           Scientific Mission
          Atmospheric:Real-time weather mapping
RF Eng:Long-range signal propagation studies
Renewables:Steam efficiency monitoring
Payload:Modular sensor bays + community cargo

        

Why Steam? Why Now?

Because the future of flight needs renewable awe.

Carbon-neutral propulsion research for maritime aircraft
Hands-on engineering education that feels like adventure
Water-based cycles that fit an amphibious platform
A tight loop between wind, water, and flight

“I remember feeling thunder from SR-71 engines as a child — that raw power stuck. Today’s youth deserve the same awe for sustainable aviation. Skylab is our classroom in the clouds.”