The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey is an American two-seat, single-engine, amphibious

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...

designed and manufactured by Progressive Aerodyne originally in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, and now in

Tavares, Florida Tavares (, ) is a city in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Lake County. The population at the 2020 census was 19,003, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 17,749. It is part of the Orlando&ndas ...

. It was first flown in November 1992 and is sold as a

kit aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

for amateur construction as well as a

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, p. 66 Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', p. 70. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XPurdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter – Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition'', p. 225. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16'', p. 70. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Development

Development of the aircraft that became the SeaRey began in the 1970s with the introduction of the Advanced Aviation Hi-Nuski ultralight. In the early 1980s Stanley Richter, his son Wayne Richter, Wayne's wife Nina Richter and Wayne's son Kerry Richter established

Advanced Aviation Advanced Aviation was a manufacturer of ultralight aircraft in kit form based in Orlando, Florida. It marketed designs by HighCraft AeroMarine Advanced Aeromarine (later HighCraft AeroMarine) was an aircraft manufacturer based in Ocoee, Florida ...

where they designed and manufactured a number of different designs. The company produced the Buccaneer XA and two place Buccaneer II flying boats for Highcraft AeroMarine, and designed the improved Buccaneer SX. The company was sold in 1992. In June 1992, Wayne and Kerry Richter, along with Advanced Aviation employee Paige Lynette, formed a new company, Progressive Aerodyne, where they designed the first SeaRey prototype. The SeaRey had its inaugural flight on 13 November 1992. The performance, including a speed of up to 105 mph (169 km/h) surpassed the design goals. Between its introduction in 1992 and 2006 over 400 SeaRey kits were delivered to customers. The latest variant of the Searey is the LSA (also available as LSX) for the US

category, introduced in 2010.

Category eligibility

In the United States the SeaRey may be registered either as a

light sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

or as an amateur-built experimental. The

Canadian Aviation Regulations The Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) are the rules that govern civil aviation in Canada. Establishment The CARs became law on October 10, 1996, replacing the former Air Regulations and Air Navigation Orders. The authority for the establishme ...

allow the SeaRey to be registered either as an amateur built,

basic ultralight The Canadian Aviation Regulations define two types of ultralight aircraft: basic ultra-light aeroplane (BULA), and advanced ultra-light aeroplane (AULA). Definition Regulation of ultra-light aircraft in Canada is covered by the Canadian A ...

or as an advanced ultralight aeroplane. The SeaRey 115 is only eligible as an AULA if the

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

hull is used, due to category empty weight limitations.

Design

Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey N41089 Lakeland FL 23

The SeaRey's high wing is tapered and swept back from the leading edge with a straight

trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...

. The wing, nearly 31 ft (10 m) in span, is strut-braced and covered with

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. Designed to be amphibious, the SeaRey has a semi-

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

hull similar to that of a boat. The hull, nose deck, and "turtle" deck (the element which forms the top surface behind the canopy) are riveted together. In the basic configuration, these pieces are made of fiberglass; carbon graphite hull components are available at extra cost and reduce overall weight by about 70 pounds (32 kg). The wings feature rotocast plastic floats mounted on aluminum struts. There is only one model of the SeaRey but different hull designs of increasing strength have developed over the years, designated as "A," "B" and "C" hulls. The latest "C" hull is available in either carbon fiber or fiberglass. The windshield and the sliding canopies on either side are made of

Lexan Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

. The canopies are track-mounted, can be opened in flight and can also be locked closed on the ground. The SeaRey's single engine is mounted above the wing, and drives a single rear-facing pusher propeller. The SeaRey can be equipped with the

Rotax 582 The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...

Rotax 912 The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, late ...

Rotax 912S The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, later ...

or the

Rotax 914 The Rotax 914 is a turbo-charged, four-stroke, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed aircraft engine with air-cooled cylinders and water-cooled cylinder heads. It is designed and built by the Austrian company BRP-Powertrain, owned by Bombardier R ...

turbocharged engine which produces . In December 2017 the design was undergoing testing with the turbocharged

Rotax 915 iS The Rotax 915 iS is an Austrian aircraft engine, produced by Rotax of Gunskirchen for use in ultralight aircraft, homebuilt aircraft, light-sport aircraft, small helicopters and gyroplanes. The engine was type certified in 2017. The engine was ...

engine. The SeaRey's

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

consists of two main retractable wheels and a tailwheel in

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

configuration. Originally the landing gear was retracted for water operations by means of a mechanical Johnson-bar lever that raises or lowers all three wheels simultaneously. More recent retraction options include: manual, hydraulic or electric. The electric actuator is the newest and most popular, but the manual is the lightest. According to the factory construction time for an experienced builder to complete a SeaRey is about 400 hours, with 600 hours typical for a first time builder.

Operational history

In 2012, author

Richard Bach Richard David Bach (born June 23, 1936) is an American writer. He has written numerous works of fiction and also non-fiction flight-related titles. His works include ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'' (1970) and '' Illusions: The Adventures of a R ...

flew the SeaRey he named Puff, from Florida to his home near Seattle. That trip was chronicled in his book, '' Travels With Puff: A Gentle Game of Life and Death''. In Puff, Bach suffered near-fatal injuries in a landing accident on

San Juan Island, Washington San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km2 (55.053 sq mi) and a population of 6,822 as of the 2000 census. Washington State Fe ...

in late 2012. He later wrote about the accident, and both his and Puff's recovery, in the book, '' Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student''. In 2015, over the course of seven months, pilot Michael Smith flew around the world in a SeaRey, setting a record as the first person to fly a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a single-engine flying boat. Smith chronicled his journey in the book, "Voyage of the Southern Sun."

Variants

;SeaRey Adventure :Model with a fiberglass hull, powered by a

or a

turbocharged engine, plus analog instrument panel, sold as a ready-to-fly

Special Light-sport Aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

in the US, with a gross weight. ;SeaRey Elite :Model with a carbon fiber hull, powered by a Rotax 914 turbocharged engine, with

glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous mech ...

instrument panel and other upgrades, sold as a ready-to-fly Special Light-sport Aircraft in the US, with a gross weight. ;SeaRey LSX :Kit-built model for the

homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

category in the US, with a gross weight and optional carbon fiber hull.

Specifications (2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Progressive Aerodyne Searey 1990s United States civil utility aircraft Light-sport aircraft Flying boats Amphibious aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Parasol-wing aircraft SeaRey Vehicles introduced in 1992