Seaplane Resurgence?

On Sep 29, 7:01 pm, "Mike Kanze" wrote:
but will they now make a comeback in the US?

Short answer: No, IMHO.

Longer answer: Attempts at large-scale revival of seaplanes in the U.S. will likely meet the same ends as attempts to revive LTA.
a.. Too few suitable seadrome possibilities near most U. S. coastal population centers. And no possibilities at all in the continental heartland, other than the Great Lakes cities like Detroit or Chicago.
b.. Constant pre-landing obstruction clearance would be a major headache for near-urban seadromes - would not take a very large piece of harbor flotsam to hole a hull at takeoff or alighting speed.
c.. Need for major infrastructure improvements (large hangars, ramps, etc.) along increasingly expensive / scarce near-urban shoreline.
d.. Even a modest sea state can hinder or prohibit operations in more open waters.
e.. Higher cost of maintenance, especially for corrosion control, versus landplanes.
This does not say that seaplanes may not be suited for other locales. The freshwater lake interior regions of Russia and Canada come to mind as possibly suitable.

Just not a winner for the U.S.
Mike Kanze

One of my fav's is the Martin Sea Master,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-6_Seamaster

Martin tried hard, even to go commercial,
but practical issues intervened.

Better off with a "submersible aircraft carrier".
Ken

On Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:16:23 -0700, Ken S. Tucker wrote:
On Sep 29, 7:01 pm, "Mike Kanze" wrote:
but will they now make a comeback in the US?

Short answer: No, IMHO.

Longer answer: Attempts at large-scale revival of seaplanes in
the U.S. will likely meet the same ends as attempts to revive LTA.
a.. Too few suitable seadrome possibilities near most U. S. coastal
population centers. And no possibilities at all in the continental
heartland, other than the Great Lakes cities like Detroit or Chicago.
b.. Constant pre-landing obstruction clearance would be a major headache
for near-urban seadromes - would not take a very large piece of harbor
flotsam to hole a hull at takeoff or alighting speed.
c.. Need for major infrastructure improvements (large hangars, ramps, etc.)
along increasingly expensive / scarce near-urban shoreline.
d.. Even a modest sea state can hinder or prohibit operations in more
open waters.

One of my fav's is the Martin Sea Master,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-6_Seamaster

Martin tried hard, even to go commercial,
but practical issues intervened.

The seaplane ramp at the former Martin factory airport still exists [1],
so there's a seadrome ready-made less than an hour's drive from our
nation's capital.

Sure, I suppose it's possible that Frog Mortar Creek may have silted
up a bit in the forty years or so since Martin last launched seaplanes
there. Yes, arriving and departing aircraft might have to avoid the
locals' crab pots and pick their way through swarms of recreational
boaters while taxiing past Bowley Bar between the upper Chesapeake
and the airport, but so what? Minor details.

So-called "practical issues" can not be allowed to stand in the way
of the inevitable comeback of the seaplane!


ljd

[1] 39-18-56.06 N, 076-24-19.52 W