![]() That’s an excellent value for a fun airplane with a history in the decades. Is a $49,000 price tag merely a come-on to grab your attention? What is Aventura II’s true cost when a typical owner completes the building job? We asked, and they answered: $55,000 to $56,000. Seaplanes offer capabilities beyond those of landplanes, so that typically makes them comparatively expensive, even in the light aircraft sector. The little Light Sport flying boat features conventional sailcloth and tubing ultralight construction, yet has a reputation for holding up well against the waves. Available as a kit in versions as cheap as around $50,000, the Aero Adventure Aventura is a popular choice for budget-minded seaplane shoppers. This owner-assembled model isn’t available as a fully manufactured Special LSA. Add a long history to its credit, and the Aventura appears to be a seaplane worthy of a close look. This biplane flying boat has been flying for more than 20 years.Īero Adventure offers possibly the lowest-cost boat-hull seaplane in the light aircraft space with a kit that, complete with engine, sells for less than $50,000, and, yes, you read that right. Scoda Aeronautica Super Petrel LSĪnother time-tested LSA seaplane is Super Petrel LS, manufactured by Scoda Aeronautica in Brazil. An aft-sliding canopy allows comfort on hot days and protection in rougher water. In flight, handling is predictable and docile. ![]() On the water, SeaRey is lively, yet comfortably stable. SeaRey pilots are a passionate group, who brag about the flying qualities and depend on the well-proven nature of this veteran design, which has evolved continuously from its two-stroke engine days to the modern FAA-accepted version powered by the 100-horsepower four-stroke Rotax 912 or 115-horsepower turbo 914.īuilt of aluminum square stock with a composite hull and featuring a fully enclosed cockpit, SeaRey uses a more basic construction than its carbon-fiber competitors, but it has demonstrated reliability the others will take years to achieve. One such nation is China, where SeaRey may be the most successful LSA by sales. ![]() Not only is this true in America, but Progressive Aerodyne has sold airplanes to other countries that embrace the ASTM industry consensus standards. However, the company has since been steadily delivering ready-to-fly Special LSA, and they have done quite well following a successful compliance audit by the FAA. More than 600 SeaReys are flying, most built as kits before the fully manufactured LSA category was created. Affordable to buy and to fly, the mild-mannered Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey has been a popular sport amphibian choice for decades. This is SeaRey from Central Florida-based Progressive Aerodyne. While the new genre has a growing number of handsome-looking candidates, one brand stands head and shoulders above them all because it has a long track record and a loyal group of owners that any company would love to claim. The result, as you’ll read here, is a cool variety of seaplanes that deliver a lot for the money, with each one doing it in their own impressive style. LSA seaplanes otherwise must fit the parameters established by FAA regs unless special exemptions are issued. Secondly, they can have what the agency once called “repositionable” gear, a term invented, as wheel-only LSA may not be retractable. First, they’re allowed extra gross weight to account for the boat hull (or floats) and landing gear mechanisms: They have a max weight of 1,430 pounds, compared to 1,320 for landplanes. The required LSA specifications are almost identical to their land-bound siblings, but a couple of differences distinguish them. Fewer know about LSA seaplanes as a sub-genre, and that’s a shame, because this niche has created some of the most interesting of all Light-Sport Aircraft. Twelve years have passed since the FAA birthed aviation’s newest segment, and today most pilots know about Light-Sport Aircraft. The model’s easy flying manners, multi-engine safety and unsurpassed visibility could make the build time worthwhile. There are several cool LSA seaplanes (among other options) on the market, or soon to be there, that are worth a closer look.īoasting two engines and a lot more weight than LSA regs allow, the Lockwood AirCam is a lot of sport plane, and, as an amateur-built experimental, you have to build it yourself. With the controversy, struggles and delays surrounding high-profile light-sport amphibian manufacturer ICON Aircraft, it’s instructive to point out that ICON isn’t the only game in town.
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