Fast Sea Planes....

tspear

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Timothy
Ok, here is one that stumped me since I do not really look/know much about sea planes.

But my younger brother asked (I think as a hint for my next plane); what planes are good for travel which are amphibious (he lives a couple miles from the Chesapeake bay, parents are lake front in the mountains, both have 25-30 minute drives to public use airports).

Think four people 300 miles, or two people 700+ preferably 170 KTAS without wearing O2.

Can/has it be done?

Tim
 
I'm following this thread just in case, but I don't think what you're looking for exists.

There's a modern, experimental, composite version of a Goose, but I don't think it cruises nearly that fast. All the other amphibs I can think of cruise rather slowly. The parts that make them work as a boat cause an awful lot of drag.



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That.

Without getting in crazy money and Jet A, that’s going to be the winner.


Clouds_small_4web.jpg


Also it’s going to be a bit of a learning curve, flying off water is VERY fun but also VERY unforgiving.
 
How about the Beriev BE-103? A bit slow at 140 kts.
 
I think it was the Seawind I recall in kit form in some magazines a long time ago.
Looks interesting.
I think the BE-103 looks interesting, but for such a large plane, the performance seems underwhelming.

Tim
 
Ok, here is one that stumped me since I do not really look/know much about sea planes.

But my younger brother asked (I think as a hint for my next plane); what planes are good for travel which are amphibious (he lives a couple miles from the Chesapeake bay, parents are lake front in the mountains, both have 25-30 minute drives to public use airports).

Think four people 300 miles, or two people 700+ preferably 170 KTAS without wearing O2.

Can/has it be done?

Tim

I don't think that "fast" and "seaplane" belong in the same sentence. Seaplanes, by their very nature, have a lot of aerodynamic drag...and that militates against speed.

Bob
 
Maybe you’re being a bit unreasonable asking for 170 kts. You can probably get 130 in a C185. Is it really gonna ruin your week if it takes you an extra 30 minutes to do that 300 mile hop? Plus, think of all the stuff you’ll be able to take along with you.
 
For that speed you’ll need a sea wind.
 
The Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine will be plenty fast, but may fall short in other facets of your mission:
cb917e1c3d8b90c8b6026e95c0a1285a.jpg

The Supermarine S.6B was no slouch, but the picture above shows the Macchi M.C.72 which was Italian and currently still holds the record for fastest piston powered seaplane at 440.7 mph.
 
Maybe you’re being a bit unreasonable asking for 170 kts. You can probably get 130 in a C185. Is it really gonna ruin your week if it takes you an extra 30 minutes to do that 300 mile hop? Plus, think of all the stuff you’ll be able to take along with you.

185 on small floats is more like 120kts.
 
That's on my bucket list to fly. Odd looking thing but I like it.

Last I checked there was a place in Florida doing training in a Twin Bee. I believe the twin bee is a conversion of the single engine Seabee, but I could be wrong on that.
 
Last I checked there was a place in Florida doing training in a Twin Bee. I believe the twin bee is a conversion of the single engine Seabee, but I could be wrong on that.

Last year when I was thinking about my AMES, I looked at the place with the Twin Bee. Looks like a good option to get the rating. Though I might rather do it in a Widgeon or other Grumman.
 
Yes. The twin Bee is a conversion. They put two 3' extensions in the wing and 2 180HP Lycomings.

Not any faster, but true STOL performance. They will takeoff the water at SL on one engine!!
 
Maybe you’re being a bit unreasonable asking for 170 kts. You can probably get 130 in a C185. Is it really gonna ruin your week if it takes you an extra 30 minutes to do that 300 mile hop? Plus, think of all the stuff you’ll be able to take along with you.

It is not the 300 mile hop where speed comes into play. It is the two person 700+ mile hop.

Tim
 
The Supermarine S.6B was no slouch, but the picture above shows the Macchi M.C.72 which was Italian and currently still holds the record for fastest piston powered seaplane at 440.7 mph.

Man, I love it that I can find a drawing of a very obscure plane, get it wrong, post it and someone here knows more about it, corrects my misinformation, and tells us all cool stuff we didn't know. Go, Champ driver!
 
Man, I love it that I can find a drawing of a very obscure plane, get it wrong, post it and someone here knows more about it, corrects my misinformation, and tells us all cool stuff we didn't know. Go, Champ driver!

I didn't know whether or not it was a Supermarine by regognition (these seaplanes were very similar), but an Italian flag on the tail of a Supermarine seemed unlikely given that the competitors in the Schneider Trophy were Nations:)
 
1DCA7542-45B6-4C2E-9B0C-686270F28D8F.jpeg Look into a Falcor. Just as fast but just as hard to find
 
This sure looks fast -

lisa-akoya_water-seafoils-2000x535.jpg


Posted because it uses hydrofoils in the water which I have never heard of previously.
lisa-airplanes Akoya
Seem to have something flying but not yet on sale.
 
This sure looks fast -

lisa-akoya_water-seafoils-2000x535.jpg


Posted because it uses hydrofoils in the water which I have never heard of previously.
lisa-airplanes Akoya
Seem to have something flying but not yet on sale.

Look at the gear. How do you go from water to land on snow? Or land?

Tim
 
Lake Sea Fury 270 is only going to get you to about 150-155kts cruise, but it'll meet most of the other criteria. The fuel burn over 15gph is going to be "fun", and I doubt that 155kts happens at an altitude low enough to avoid oxygen.
 
If you want to talk Seawind, I have 250 some hours in one. I can talk Lake with you as well, but I have time in only the Buccaneer.
 
If you want to talk Seawind, I have 250 some hours in one. I can talk Lake with you as well, but I have time in only the Buccaneer.

At this point just curiosity, I really know very little about seaplanes, beyond the desire to fly some at some point.

Tim
 
This sure looks fast -

lisa-akoya_water-seafoils-2000x535.jpg


Posted because it uses hydrofoils in the water which I have never heard of previously.
lisa-airplanes Akoya
Seem to have something flying but not yet on sale.
It's been "in the making" for over a decade, and they want to certify it as an LSA in the USA, so it will be slow and expensive. Sort of like the ICON A5.
 
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