Photo: Lamborghini
We've been on quite the amphibious aircraft kick lately. There's just something about a fully seaworthy vessel that's just as comfortable in the air as it is on the water that appeals to some of us more than some fancy yacht, speedboat, or catamaran.
But we've mostly stuck to fully civilianized versions of ex-military aircraft. Things like Consolidated PBY Catalinas and Grumman HU-16 Albatrosses. Both of these amphibious boats are fantastic. But what if you're in the market for something brand new? And a fair bit smaller as well. With a length of 22 feet and five inches (6.84m), the Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey is a third the size length-wise as the old PBY Catalina or the Albatross.
Its top speed of 120 miles per hour (194 kph) would be about on the verge of stall speeds on a Catalina. A single Rotax 914 four-cylinder boxer engine can't haul quite as much rear end as a couple of Pratt & Whitney radial engines on old flying war boats. But what you lack in raw speed and displacement, you make up for in droves in refinement. All of the latest technology in navigation, communication, and avionics are present in this 2021 example.
This tech includes a Garmin GPS G3X Touch ten-inch pilot display and a seven-inch multitouch display in between the two front seats. The craft is airstrip landing capable, thanks to its retracting landing gears. But this airplane is going to be the most at home out on the marina with the rest of the plebian flightless boats around its size.
At a price of $215,000 from a private single-person dealer in Delray Beach, Florida, it'd be quite the challenge to justify this over a large private yacht you could buy for the same money. But some people desire to be different from the crowd. One of these small amphibious aircraft could make you the star of any marina party you find yourself invited to.
Its top speed of 120 miles per hour (194 kph) would be about on the verge of stall speeds on a Catalina. A single Rotax 914 four-cylinder boxer engine can't haul quite as much rear end as a couple of Pratt & Whitney radial engines on old flying war boats. But what you lack in raw speed and displacement, you make up for in droves in refinement. All of the latest technology in navigation, communication, and avionics are present in this 2021 example.
This tech includes a Garmin GPS G3X Touch ten-inch pilot display and a seven-inch multitouch display in between the two front seats. The craft is airstrip landing capable, thanks to its retracting landing gears. But this airplane is going to be the most at home out on the marina with the rest of the plebian flightless boats around its size.
At a price of $215,000 from a private single-person dealer in Delray Beach, Florida, it'd be quite the challenge to justify this over a large private yacht you could buy for the same money. But some people desire to be different from the crowd. One of these small amphibious aircraft could make you the star of any marina party you find yourself invited to.
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