The BRO-16 seaplane glider is a single-seat wooden biplane, designed for training, as well as demonstration and practice flights. It was the first aircraft of its type created in the Lithuanian SSR under the leadership of the well-known designer, veteran of Soviet gliding, Bronis Oškinis.
Design and Construction
The BRO-16 is mass-produced and is a “descendant” of the widely used BRO-11M school glider, from which its upper wing, tail unit, truss, and control system were borrowed. The pilot’s cockpit is located in the middle part of the lower wing, forming a flat-bottomed boat of assembled construction, with a 2 mm plywood skin, covered on the outer surface with fiberglass fabric on epoxy resin. The cockpit is open, with a windshield below the instrument panel.
To facilitate takeoff, the boat has a small hydrofoil, positioned 200 mm ahead of the machine’s center of gravity. The wings are of single-spar construction. The lower wing, serving as support during low-speed rolls and for creating a ground effect during takeoffs and landings, is fully skinned with plywood and, over the plywood, covered with percale.
Structurally, the lower wing is similar to the upper one, but its span is reduced to 5.8 m. The wing profile is TSAGI R-II, 14%, and the aileron profile is TSAGI P-III, 16%.
Flight Operations
Glider control is mixed: cable-operated for the rudder and elevator, and rigid rods for the ailerons. The upper wing is connected to the lower by two pairs of profiled struts, and by QBC wire bracing to the nose of the cockpit and the tail truss.
The BRO-16 takes off by being towed behind a high-speed boat with a stationary engine, allowing it to reach a speed of at least 50 km/h. A synthetic, non-sinking tow rope, 50 to 150 meters long, is best used. The height of flight during towing depends on the length of the rope (practically, it is about 35% of the rope’s length). After unhooking, the glider can perform a free flight and land on water.
The first season of BRO-16’s operation showed that the glider is reliable, easy to pilot, and invariably generates great interest among young people. Many flights were conducted at the Lithuanian water sports center on the Kaunas Sea.
Continuing the discussion initiated by Riga students about using water bodies for training and practice flights, the editorial board welcomes the successful experience of building a motorless apparatus capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplane gliders like the BRO-16 can be built not only in factory conditions but also at young technicians’ stations and by amateur groups.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | BRO-16 |
| Wingspan, m | 7.80 |
| Length, m | 5.24 |
| Wing area, m2 | 16.50 |
| Empty weight | 129 |
| Normal takeoff weight | 204 |
| Crew | 1 |
Image and diagram gallery of the BRO-16 Seaplane Glider
 BRO-16 |
 BRO-16 |