The Buccaneer (also known in some of its many incarnations as the Mallard) is a one- or two-seat ultralight high-wing amphibious flying boat of pusher configuration marketed as a kit aircraft. 

The aircraft was manufactured by a number of U.S. firms in slightly different forms, including Arnet Pereyra Inc, HighCraft AeroMarine, Advanced Aviation and Keuthan Aircraft.

The original single-seat model Buccaneer XA was introduced in 1984 and qualified for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle category. The aircraft was commercial success and sold well until being replaced by the Buccaneer SX in 1988. The SX remained available on the market until general production ended in 1998, although in 2001 the model was still available as a special order from Aero Adventure Aviation. The SX was replaced by the improved derivative Aero Adventure Aventura UL and HP single seaters.

The Buccaneer II was a two-seat side-by-side configuration model introduced in 1988 and intended as an ultralight trainer. This model was replaced by the Aero Adventure Aventura II, which is an improved model developed from the Buccaneer II.

The original XA model is constructed from bolted together anodized aluminum tubing, with a fiberglass hull. The wire-braced wing is supported by a king post and is of aluminum structure, covered with pre-sewn Dacron covers. The wing features 2/3 span ailerons and no flaps. The tail wheel is retractable via a cable control, while the main landing gear is removed by the pilot in flight and stowed in the cockpit for landing on water after a land take-off.

The model SX was introduced to provide incremental design improvements over the XA. Primarily the SX eliminated the cable-bracing and replaced it with V-struts featuring jury struts. The wings feature full-span ailerons. The fuselage was completely redesigned and features a new hull shape that can better handle higher wave conditions. The landing gear can be pivoted up for water landings, rather than removed.

The Buccaneer II is similar to the SX, but with a wider hull to accommodate two seats, in side-by-side configuration. The ailerons are 2/3 span. The landing gear is repositioned by a lever control and moves the tailwheel in concert with the main wheels. The main gear includes mechanical brakes.

The original model XA remains popular on the used aircraft market and aircraft for sale command high prices. Long operational use and the rigours of land and water operation have resulted in weak points in the design being identified as many older aircraft have suffered from bent wing trailing edges, wing root tube brackets, flying wire shackles and tail boom tubes. Cracked aft vertical stabilizer tubes and main bulkheads are also common. All of these deficiencies can be repaired in used aircraft.

Variants
Buccaneer XA     (Specifications below)
Single seat, wired-braced Part 103 ultralight flying boat. Engines available were the 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 and the 35 hp (26 kW) Rotax 377.
Buccaneer SX
Single seat, strut-braced flying boat. Engines available were the 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 and the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503.
Buccaneer II
Two seat, strut-braced flying boat. Engines available were the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 and the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912.
Mallard M2-A
Extensively modified Buccaneer, with the wing lowered. Was sold as a modification package and as a complete kit.

The Adventure Air Adventurer is a family of American homebuilt amphibious flying boats that was designed and produced by Adventure Air of Berryville, Arkansas. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction. The company appears to be out of business.

The aircraft features a strut-braced high-wing, a four-seat enclosed cockpit, retractable tricycle landing gear, a boat hull with outrigger pontoons, a cruciform tail and a pod-mounted single engine in pusher configuration.

The airframe is made from composites. Its 35.85 ft (10.9 m) span wing mounts flaps and has a wing area of 179.00 sq ft (16.630 m2). The cabin is 46 in (120 cm) wide. The recommended engines vary by model. The factory available options included wing tanks of 60 U.S. gallons (230 L; 50 imp gal), 120 U.S. gallons (450 L; 100 imp gal) or 180 U.S. gallons (680 L; 150 imp gal), dual controls and a pre-assembled wing.
 

The factory estimated the construction time from the supplied standard kit as 1000 hours, or 400–600 hours from the quick-build kit.

By 1998 the company reported that 120 kits had been sold and five aircraft were flying.

By November 2013 ten examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Variants

Adventurer 2+2
Model with 2+2 seating and a 7 ft (2.13 m) sleeping bunk. The standard engine recommended is the 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360 powerplant. The aircraft has an empty weight of 1,800 lb (820 kg) and a gross weight of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg), giving a useful load of 1,200 lb (540 kg). With full fuel of 60 U.S. gallons (230 L; 50 imp gal) the payload is 840 lb (380 kg).
Adventurer 333
Heavier model with higher engine power. The standard engine recommended is the 333 hp (248 kW) Chevrolet HO350 automotive conversion powerplant. The aircraft has an empty weight of 2,000 lb (910 kg) and a gross weight of 3,333 lb (1,512 kg), giving a useful load of 1,333 lb (605 kg). With full fuel of 60 U.S. gallons (230 L; 50 imp gal) the payload is 973 lb (441 kg).
Adventurer Heavy Hauler
The long range and heavy lift version of the design, that was also envisioned for military sales. The standard engine recommended is the 333 hp (248 kW) Chevrolet HO350 automotive conversion powerplant. The aircraft has an empty weight of 2,220 lb (1,010 kg) and a gross weight of 4,400 lb (2,000 kg), giving a useful load of 2,180 lb (990 kg). With full fuel of 60 U.S. gallons (230 L; 50 imp gal) the payload is 1,820 lb (830 kg). The factory available options included wing tanks of 180 U.S. gallons (680 L; 150 imp gal), 216 U.S. gallons (820 L; 180 imp gal) or 260 U.S. gallons (980 L; 220 imp gal).

Photos ans specifications are for the Adventurer 333.

The AeroVolga LA-8 is an 8-seat amphibious aircraft designed and built in Russia. First flown in 2004, about six had been sold by mid-2012.

The LA-8 has its origin with the Chaika L-6, first flown in 2000, and its immediate successor the L-6M, promoted by AeroVolga and first flown in 2001. Both of these were twin engine, V-tailed amphibious aircraft, the latter differing in its hull design, undercarriage and maximum take-off weight. Chaika developed the L-6M into the L-4 and AeroVolga developed it into the LA-8. These are very different designs: the LA-8 has a T-tail and is some 25% longer than the L-4, with tricycle gear.

The LA-8 is largely built from plastic foam and PVC filled glass fibre sandwich. Its wing is divided into watertight compartments. The amphibian is a cantilever high-wing monoplane with straight tapered wings; most of the sweep is on the trailing edge. The prototype originally had downturned wing tips but these were replaced with extended upturned tips by 2006 and by early 2011 a later aircraft had winglets which extended both above and below the tips. There is no dihedral. Its twin engines are placed above and ahead of the wing leading edge, as close to the centre-line as the clearance between propeller and fuselage allows. The prototype was powered by two LOM M337AK air-cooled six-cylinder supercharged inverted inline engines. Two engine types have been fitted to production aircraft: the LA-8C models have more powerful 185 kW (248 hp) LOM M337Cs and the LA-8L variants 175 kW (235 hp) Lycoming IO-540 air-cooled flat-sixes.

The two-step hull is also subdivided into watertight compartments. Two fixed underwing stepped floats at about 75% span stabilize the aircraft on water. The cabin is under the wing, with two long continuous transparencies, one on each side plus two shorter panels in the main entry hatch in the rear roof behind the trailing edge. There is seating for eight, including one or two pilots. The LA-8's T-tail has a slightly tapered, straight-edged, swept fin with a sub-fin extension; both the rudder and the single piece, externally mass balanced elevator have electrically actuated trim tabs.

The LA-8 has a tricycle undercarriage with mainwheels retracting into the fuselage sides and the nosewheel retracting rearwards. A ballistic parachute is an option.

The LA-8 first prototype flew for the first time on 20 November 2004. The first production aircraft flew in August 2006 and the first Lycoming powered machine was completed in mid-2010.

For operational history and details of the sven variants, click here.

Powered by four WJ-6 turboprops, it is one of the largest flying boats with a 53.5 t (118,000 lb) MTOW. After five years of development, assembly started in August 2014, it was rolled out on 23 July 2016 and it made its first flight from Zhuhai Airport on 24 December 2017; it should be certified in 2021, with deliveries starting in 2022.

The AG600 amphibious aircraft has a single body flying boat fuselage, cantilevered high wings, four WJ-6 turboprops and tricycle retractable landing gear. It can operate from 1,500 by 200 m (4,920 by 660 ft) stretches of water 2.5 m (8.2 ft) deep, and should be able to conduct Sea State 3 operations with 2 m (6.6 ft) waves. It was developed for aerial firefighting, collecting 12 t (26,000 lb) of water in 20 seconds and transporting up to 370 t (820,000 lb) of water on a single tank of fuel (31 rotations), and search and rescue, retrieving up to 50 people at sea.

Assembled by CAIGA, it is 36.9m long and has a 38.8m wingspan, its MTOW is 53.5 t (118,000 lb) from paved runways or 48.8 t (108,000 lb) from choppy sea. AVIC claims it is the largest amphibious aircraft. It is heavier than the 41 t (90,000 lb) MTOW Beriev Be-200 or the 47.7 t (105,000 lb) ShinMaywa US-2, but lighter than the prototype-only 86 t (190,000 lb) Beriev A-40. Previous seaplanes were heavier, as the 75 t (165,000 lb) Martin JRM Mars or the prototypes 100 t (220,000 lb) Blohm & Voss BV 238, 156 t (345,000 lb) Saunders-Roe Princess or 180 t (400,000 lb) Hughes H-4 Hercules.

It could access remote atolls in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, claimed by several bordering nations, as the South China Sea is subjected to territorial disputes. It can fly in four hours from the southern city of Sanya to James Shoal, the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims.

The Beriev A-40 Albatros (NATO reporting name: Mermaid) is a Soviet/Russian jet engine amphibious aircraft designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company for the anti-submarine warfare role. Intended as a replacement for the Beriev Be-12 amphibian and the land-based Ilyushin Il-38, the project was suspended after only one prototype had been manufactured, with the second one 70% completed, due to the breakup of the Soviet Union. The project was later revived and an order has been placed by the Russian Navy.

The maiden flight was unplanned; during a high-speed taxi test, the airplane became airborne and ran out of runway, with the crew being forced to continue the takeoff. The subsequent flight and landing went without further incident, but the test crew were downgraded from their duties afterwards, despite having saved the aircraft.

On 5 September 2008, the deputy commander of Russian Naval Aviation Maj.Gen. Nikolai Kuklev, announced that the A-42 is to be adopted as a main SAR and anti-submarine aircraft of the Russian Navy, and a provisional contract for four SAR-outfitted aircraft has been awarded to the company, with deliveries to start in 2010. All four aircraft were expected[needs update] to be in service by 2013. The aircraft were to replace the Russian Navy's aging fleet of Be-12 and Il-38 currently in service.

On 3 September 2019, the Russian Navy announced an order for three A-42 aircraft, which would probably use two Progress D-27 propfans as the powerplant and have increased range to 9300 km. An estimated service entry date was not provided, though.

The A-40 is a jet-engined flying boat patrol bomber of all-metal construction with the engines located above the wing roots, atop each of the main landing gear nacelles at the rear of each wing root. The swept wings had a marked anhedral angle, with balance floats attached by short pylons directly under each wingtip.

Between 1989 and 1998, the Beriev A-40 set 140 world records.

Variants

A-40
Initial ASW amphibian. 1 prototype built (second is 70% completed).
A-40M
Projected upgrade to the initial version, utilising a new search and targeting system.
A-40P
Initially a projected aerial firefighting version, able to scoop 25 tonnes (28 tons) of water and transport a team of firefighters. Later the same designation was used for a projected maritime patrol aircraft in direct competition with the Tupolev Tu-204P.
A-40PM/Be-40P
A projected civil version developed in 1994. Intended to carry 105 passengers, an export version with CFM engines was also offered. These studies led to the development of the Beriev Be-200.
Be-40PT
A projected cargo/passenger version designed to carry 70 passengers, 10 tonnes (11 tons) of cargo or 37 passengers and up to 6.5 tonnes of cargo.
A-42/Be-42
A Search and rescue version designed to replace the Beriev Be-12PS, in response to the K-278 disaster. Construction of a prototype began, but was suspended in 1993. Studies are currently[when?] being made of a joint A-42/44 multi-role version, fitted with Progress D-27 propfans.
A-44
Maritime patrol version designed in tandem with the A-42 before the projects were merged into a multi-role aircraft in 1993.
A-42PE
Projected maritime patrol and SAR version intended for export. Powered by two Progress D-27 propfans.

Intended for autonomous operation in the unmarked areas of Russia's far north and Siberia, the Be-103 was designed for short-haul routes in regions that have rivers, lakes and streams, but are otherwise inaccessible.

The Be-103 is a mid-wing monoplane, making use of the modified wing roots as water-displacing sponsons. It features an all-moving slab tail and retractable tricycle landing gear for land operations. Its hallmark and most distinguishing design feature is the water-displacing wing, an unusual feature for a seaplane, with three aquaplaning implements (planing step, port and starboard wing trailing edges) which substantially enhance the aircraft's on-the-water stability and seaworthiness.

The Be-103 features include an advanced, blended wing, swept at 22°, with 11-foot (3.4 m)-long fixed leading edge slats, trailing-link main landing gear, and three-bladed MT-12 reverse pitch propellers. Fuel is stored in the wet wings. The aircraft is built from aluminum-lithium alloy with titanium used in high-stress areas. A 30-parameter, five-hour flight data recorder, engine fire-detection systems and an ice detector are also standard, as are hydraulic brakes. However, unlike most modern aircraft, the Be-103 is not equipped with wing flaps.

When flying solo, ballast must be placed near the right front seat due to center of gravity issues.

As of 2010, three aircraft were on the United States civil register. In 2004 China signed a US$20mil contract with KnAAPO for the delivery of 20 aircraft. In 2016 contract was signed between Taganrog-based Beriev Aircraft Company and the Chinese Energy Leader Aircraft Manufacturing to start licensed production of Beriev Be-103 in China.

Variants
Be-103
Twin-engine light utility amphibian aircraft, seating one pilot and five passengers.
SA-20P
Eight-seat version powered by single VOKEM M14X radial engine; one prototype.

The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to the Beriev Be-6 flying boat, whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the gull wing and twin oval tailfin configuration of the older aircraft. The Be-12 has turboprop engines, which gave it an improved speed and range over the Be-6. The Be-12 also had retractable landing gear, which enabled it to land on normal land runways, as well as water.

The Be-12 was first flown on October 18, 1960, at Taganrog airfield, and made its first public appearance at the 1961 Soviet Aviation Day festivities at Tushino airfield. A total of 150 aircraft were produced, in several variations, with production ending in 1973.

The Be-12 entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation, or AV-MF (Aviatcia Voenno-Morskogo Flota), in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, and is one of the few amphibians still in military service in the world. Initially its role was ASW patrol, but when newer missiles enabled United States Navy submarines to launch from further offshore it was converted to the search and rescue role (Be-12PS). Small numbers are still in service. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some aircraft were converted to water bombers for the suppression of forest fires. During development of the Beriev Be-200 unique fire-fighting equipment was tested using a specially modified Be-12P, code-named "12 Yellow". After installation of the fire-fighting system, the aircraft was registered as RA-00046 and given the designation Be-12P-200. This modified Be-12 was also used to trial firefighting operations envisaged for the Be-200.[3] According to figures released in 1993, the Russian Navy had 55 aircraft in service. By 2005 this had dropped to 12,[1] and by 2008 there were only nine aircraft still in service.[4] A surviving Be-12 is preserved at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, outside of Moscow. Other examples exist at the Ukraine State Aviation Museum at Kiev, Ukraine and at the Taganrog Air Museum, in southern Russia.

For details of the 12 variants, click here.

Marketed as being designed for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and passenger transportation, it has a capacity of 12,000 litres (3,200 US gal) of water, or up to 72 passengers.

The name Altair was chosen after a competition amongst Beriev and Irkut staff in 2002 — 2003, as a reference to the name of the alpha star in the Eagle constellation and because: "Al" is the first part of the name of the Beriev A-40 Albatross amphibious aircraft, whose layout was the development basis for the creation of the Be-200; "ta" stands for Taganrog; and "ir" stands for Irkutsk.

Initiated in 1989 under the design leadership of Alexander Yavkin, to meet a perceived need for a civilian flying boat smaller than Beriev's military A-40, the Be-200 shares a similar layout to the A-40 but is about half the weight. Russian government approval for a purpose-designed water bomber was granted on 8 December 1990. Details of the project were announced, and a model displayed at the 1991 Paris Air Show.

Beriev developed unique fire-fighting equipment for the Be-200, allowing it to scoop water while skimming the water surface at 90-95% of takeoff speed. This system was developed using a specially modified Be-12P, coded '12 Yellow'. After installation of the fire-fighting system, the aircraft was registered RA-00046 and given the designation Be-12P-200. This modified Be-12 was used to develop both the fire-fighting system and methods of operation.

The Be-200 is a high-wing T-tail monoplane. The hull is of single step design with a high length-to-beam ratio, which contributes to stability and controllability in water. The Be-200 airframe is constructed of aluminium alloys with corrosion-protection treatments. Selective use is made of titanium, composites and other corrosion-free materials. The wings are fitted with underwing stabiliser floats. The hydraulically operated retractable landing gear units all retract rearward, and each unit is twin-wheeled. A water rudder provides steering when in the water.[23] It can operate from either a 1,800 m long runway or an area of open water not less than 2,300 m long and 2.5 m deep, with waves of up to 1.3 m high.

For more details of design, operational history and seven variants, click here.

The Beriev Be-6 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 34", NATO reporting name "Madge") was a flying boat produced by the Soviet Beriev OKB. It was capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions, such as long-range maritime reconnaissance, coastal and supply line patrols, torpedo/bombing strikes, mine-laying, and transport operations.

The Be-6 was a gull-winged aircraft with twin oval vertical stabilizers on top of a deep fuselage. The aircraft was of all-metal construction except for fabric covering the rudders and ailerons. The fuselage was divided into eight watertight compartments to improve survivability. The engines were installed in the bends of the wings, with the floats on an underwing cantilever rack. Each float was divided into four watertight compartments.

The Be-6 was built from 1949 to 1957 at the Beriev plant in Taganrog. The aircraft had 19 variants through its production cycle, and 123 aircraft were eventually built. Since requirements of Soviet naval aircraft did not change rapidly, the reliable Be-6 remained in service until the late 1960s. Some aircraft ended service as civilian unarmed transports in Arctic regions. One survivor is preserved at the Ukraine State Aviation Museum in Kiev, Ukraine. Beriev Be-6s operated by the People's Republic of China PLANAF proved useful in patrolling the long coastline and huge territorial waters off China's coast. During the 1970s the original Shvetsov radial engines began to wear out with no replacements available, so several aircraft were re-engined with WoJiang WJ-6 turboprop engines, in new nacelles, for a new lease of life and were redesignated Qing-6.

Variants

LL-143:

Prototype of Be-6 with Shvetsov ASh-72 radial engines; nose, beam, ventral and tail positions for a total of six 12.7mm UBT machine guns. Maiden Flight in March 1945.
Be-6:

standard production aircraft with Shvetsov ASh-73 radial piston engines.
Qing-6:

Be-6 aircraft of the PLANAF re-engined with Dong-an WJ-5 turboprops.

The Beriev MBR-2 was a Soviet multi-purpose (including reconnaissance) flying boat which entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1935. Out of 1,365 built, nine were used by foreign countries (including Finland and North Korea). In the Soviet Union, it sometimes carried the nickname of "Kорова" (cow) and "Амбар" (barn).

The MBR-2 was designed by Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev and first flew in 1931, powered by an imported 373 kW (500 hp) BMW VI.Z engine. Production models, which arrived in 1934, used a licence-built version of this engine, the Mikulin M-17 of 508 kW (680 hp), and could be fitted with a fixed wheel or ski undercarriage.

Beriev also designed a commercial airliner derivation, the MP-1, which entered airline service in 1934, and a freighter version, which followed in 1936.

In 1935, an improved version was developed, the MBR-2bis, powered by the Mikulin AM-34N engine, and fitted with an enclosed cockpit, dorsal gun-turret and enlarged vertical tail. In this configuration, the machine remained in production until 1941. As with the MBR-2, the bis spawned a commercial derivative and the MP-1bis entered service in 1937.

Variants
MBR-2M-17 : Short-range maritime reconnaissance, bombing flying-boat, powered by a 508 kW (680 hp) Mikulin M-17B piston engine.
MBR-2AM-34 or MBR-2bis : Improved version, powered by a Mikulin AM-34N engine.
MBR-2M-103 : One MBR-2AM-34 was fitted with the more powerful M-103 engine. One prototype only.
MP-1 : Civil version of the MBR-2M-17 flying-boat. It could carry six passengers in an enclosed cabin.
MP-1bis : Civil version of the MBR-2AM-34 flying-boat.
MP-1T : Freight transport conversion of MBR-2.

Number built    1,365

The Blackburn Iris was a British three-engined biplane flying boat of the 1920s. Although only five Irises were built, it was used as a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft by the Royal Air Force, where it equipped a squadron for four years, being used to carry out a number of notable long-distance flights. The final version of the Iris, the Iris Mark V was developed into the aircraft that replaced it in Squadron service, the Blackburn Perth.

In 1924, the British Air Ministry issued Specification R.14/24 for a long-range reconnaissance flying boat for the Royal Air Force. To meet this requirement, Blackburn Aircraft proposed the R.B.1 (Reconnaissance Biplane 1), designed by Major John Douglas Rennie, who as Chief Technical Officer worked with John Cyril Porte at the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe.

The R.B.1 was a three-engined, three-bay biplane. The equal-span wings were of mixed wood-and-metal construction, with ailerons fitted to both upper and lower wings and floats fitted under the wingtips, while the aircraft had a large biplane tail (with a span of 30 ft (9.14 m)) with three fins and rudders. The aircraft's hull had a wooden structure covered in plywood, with a V-bottom with two steps to give good water handling. Three 650 hp (485 kW) Rolls-Royce Condor III water-cooled V12 engines driving four-bladed propellers were mounted in individual nacelles between the wings. It carried a crew of five, with two pilots sitting side by side in a cockpit forward of the wings, with nose and dorsal gun positions mounting Lewis guns on Scarff rings, with provision for a further two guns which could be operated through portholes in the rear fuselage. Bomb racks under the wings could carry up to 1,040 lb (470 kg) of bombs.

The prototype R.B.1, with the designation Iris I, and with the serial number N185, made its maiden flight from Blackburn's factory at Brough on 19 June 1926, being delivered to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe the next day, being fully tested during July and August.[5] Wooden hulls were prone to soaking up large quantities of water (which could amount to several hundred pounds in additional weight) when kept afloat for long periods of time, so Rennie designed an all-metal hull for the Iris, constructed of duralumin before the Iris first flew. N185 returned to Brough in March 1927 when it was fitted with the new metal hull, together with more powerful engines and an additional gunner's position in the tail, becoming the Iris II.

On 12 August 1927, shortly after being redelivered, the Iris II started, along with the prototype Short Singapore I, an experimental metal-hulled Supermarine Southampton, and the prototype wooden-hulled Saunders Valkyrie (a direct competitor to the Iris), a 3,000 mi (4,800 km) tour of Scandinavia and the Baltic. The Iris performed well on the tour, particularly compared to the Valkyrie, which suffered much heavier water soakage than expected as well as engine problems, and the Air Ministry issued Specification R.31/27 for an improved version of the Iris, to act as a long-range supplement to the smaller Southampton.

or operational history and variants, click here.

The Blackburn R.B.2 Sydney (serial N241) was a long-range maritime patrol flying boat developed for the Royal Air Force in 1930, in response to Air Ministry Specification R.5/27. It was a parasol-winged braced monoplane of typical flying boat arrangement with triple tailfins and its three engines arranged on the wing's leading edge. After evaluation, it was not ordered into production and no further examples were built.

With development of the Sydney abandoned, construction of a cargo-carrying variant powered by radial engines, the C.B.2 Nile was also ended.

No. Built: 1.

The Blériot 5190 was a French transatlantic mail plane of the 1930s, a large parasol-wing monoplane flying boat. It was of slightly unusual design, with a low-profile hull and the crew compartment housed in the thick pylon that supported the wing. The four engines were arranged with three along the leading edge of the wing, and the fourth on the centreline of the trailing edge. It was constructed for a French government contract to carry airmail to South America.

The first example, christened Santos-Dumont flew on 3 August 1933 and by the end of 1934 had completed two proving flights across the South Atlantic, with Lucien Bossoutrot at the commands and the future French Admiralty Chief of Staff Henri Nomy as flight engineer. In February 1935 with Aéropostale's only other transatlantic mailplane, the Latécoère 300 la Croix du Sud, out of commission for maintenance, the Santos-Dumont entered service. From then until April, she carried all of France's transatlantic mail at the rate of one crossing per week until rejoined by la Croix du Sud and a new Farman F.220 named Le Centaure. As part of this small fleet, the Santos-Dumont continued in this role until June 1937. Altogether, by that time, she had made 38 crossings of the Atlantic.

In the meantime, the French government had ordered a further three 5190s from Blériot, and the company had borrowed heavily in order to build the aircraft. Suddenly, the contract was cancelled without explanation or compensation, forcing the firm into bankruptcy. Louis Blériot himself died of a heart attack soon afterwards, on 1 August 1936.

The Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon), but nicknamed Der Fliegende Holzschuh ("flying clog", from the side-view shape of its fuselage, as well as a play on the title of the Wagner opera 'Der fliegende Holländer' or 'The Flying Dutchman') was a World War II German trimotor flying boat that served as the Luftwaffe's main seaborne long-range maritime patrol and naval reconnaissance aircraft.

A total of 297 BV 138s were built between 1938 and 1943.

Originally developed under the company name of Hamburger Flugzeugbau, the type was initially designated the Ha 138. Its appearance was unique in its combination of unusual design features with its twin boom tail unit, short fuselage and trimotor engine configuration. The short hull, with its hydrodynamic step beneath and flat sides, earned it the nickname, "Fliegender Holzschuh" (the flying clog). The booms of the twin tail unit, much like the smaller Focke-Wulf Fw 189 twin-engined reconnaissance monoplane, extended horizontally from the rear of the outer engine nacelles. For hydrodynamic reasons, the hull featured a distinct "turn-down", or "beak" at the stern.

The first prototype featured a gull wing, but during the first flight it was discovered that this wing could not generate enough lift, so the concept was abandoned on the second prototype.

The airplanes had also a hardpoint for catapult launches from seaplane tenders.

Three piston engines were used. The central engine was mounted above the wing, while the wing engines were lower. The pre-production prototypes and the BV 138 A-01 to BV 138 A-06, were powered by various makes of engines ranging from 485 to 746 kW (650–1,000 hp). The first standardized version, BV 138 B-1, was powered by three 880 PS (868 hp, 647 kW) Junkers Jumo 205D two-stroke, opposed-piston aircraft diesel engines. The engine cowlings also had an atypical appearance, due to the unique nature of the vertical orientation of the six-cylinder opposed-piston Jumo 205 diesel engines, and resembled the cowlings of 4 or 6-cylinder inverted inline engines found on smaller civil and utility aircraft from the Jumo 205's propshaft placement, emerging forward at the uppermost front end of the powerplant. The choice for diesel engines made it possible to refuel at sea from U-boats, who also use diesel engines. When refuelling at sea, the airplane had to be fitted with a fuel filter as diesel fuel from ships contains some condensation.

Originally developed under the company name of Hamburger Flugzeugbau, the type was initially designated the Ha 138. Its appearance was unique in its combination of unusual design features with its twin boom tail unit, short fuselage and trimotor engine configuration. The short hull, with its hydrodynamic step beneath and flat sides, earned it the nickname, "Fliegender Holzschuh" (the flying clog). The booms of the twin tail unit, much like the smaller Focke-Wulf Fw 189 twin-engined reconnaissance monoplane, extended horizontally from the rear of the outer engine nacelles. For hydrodynamic reasons, the hull featured a distinct "turn-down", or "beak" at the stern.

The first prototype featured a gull wing, but during the first flight it was discovered that this wing could not generate enough lift, so the concept was abandoned on the second prototype.

The airplanes had also a hardpoint for catapult launches from seaplane tenders.

BV 138 being prepared for catapult launch on the aircraft tender Friesenland.

Three piston engines were used. The central engine was mounted above the wing, while the wing engines were lower. The pre-production prototypes and the BV 138 A-01 to BV 138 A-06, were powered by various makes of engines ranging from 485 to 746 kW (650–1,000 hp). The first standardized version, BV 138 B-1, was powered by three 880 PS (868 hp, 647 kW) Junkers Jumo 205D two-stroke, opposed-piston aircraft diesel engines. The engine cowlings also had an atypical appearance, due to the unique nature of the vertical orientation of the six-cylinder opposed-piston Jumo 205 diesel engines, and resembled the cowlings of 4 or 6-cylinder inverted inline engines found on smaller civil and utility aircraft from the Jumo 205's propshaft placement, emerging forward at the uppermost front end of the powerplant. The choice for diesel engines made it possible to refuel at sea from U-boats, who also use diesel engines. When refuelling at sea, the airplane had to be fitted with a fuel filter as diesel fuel from ships contains some condensation.

There were three gun positions on the aircraft: there was one on the bow with an enclosed, powered gun turret with a single MG 151/20 autocannon. On the stern the fields of fire were obstructed by the tail with the horizontal stabilizer, so there was one gun position lower on the fuselage and a second one higher just behind the central top engine. The gun position behind the central engine, which could see over the horizontal stabilizer, was a fully open Scarff ring-like emplacement which could mount a 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun, but most aircraft mounted a 13 mm MG 131 heavy machine gun. The lower gun position at the rear fuselage sighted below the horizontal stabilizer. It too was left open and equipped with a machine gun on early aircraft, however later most aircraft mounted an enclosed powered turret similar to the one on the bow.

For operational history and variants, click here.

Originally designed as a commercial transport, it was the largest seaplane to attain production status during the war.

Prior to World War II, the German airline Luft Hansa had carried out many transatlantic mail flights. Their main interest was passenger transport, and they initiated a program in 1936 for which Hamburger Flugzeugbau offered the Ha 222, a very large flying boat designed by Dr. Richard Vogt. By the time an order for three was received and work began, the company had changed its name to that of its parent company, Blohm & Voss, and the design was redesignated the BV 222.

Construction of the first prototype, V1, began in January 1938, with construction of the V2 and V3 following within weeks. V1 made its test flight on 7 September 1940, carrying the civil registration D-ANTE. During trials it demonstrated that it could carry up to 92 passengers, or 72 patients on stretchers over short distances at a maximum speed of 385 km/h (239 mph).[3] The flight characteristics were found to be satisfactory, but with some improvements required. Further trials lasted until December 1940, when the V1 passed into Luftwaffe service, receiving a military paint scheme and the Stammkennzeichen individual alphabetic military aircraft registration code of CC+EQ, later changed to the alphanumeric Geschwaderkennung "wing code" designation of X4+AH, when in service with Lufttransportgruppe.

For more information on the design, operation and variants, click here.

The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a German flying boat built during World War II. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built when it first flew in 1944, and was the largest aircraft produced by any of the Axis powers during World War II.

Development of the BV 238 giant flying boat began in 1941, following the success of the smaller but still enormous BV 222 Wiking.

An approximately quarter-scale model of the BV 238 was commissioned to test the new, long and slim hull design. Built by the Czechoslovakian Flugtechnische Fertigungsgemeinschaft Prag (FGP), the FGP 227 arrived too late to contribute any data to the program.

Although extensive defensive armament was planned the first prototype, the BV 238 V1, had none. Bearing the Stammkennzeichen alphabetic radio code of RO + EZ, it began flight trials in April 1944.[1] It was strafed and partially sunk while moored on Lake Schaal, some miles to the east of Hamburg. One wing remained above water and it was salvaged, but by this time the war had ended and the Allies refused to let it be restored so it was taken out to deeper water and sunk.

One other prototype was effectively completed but never flown and two more were under construction at the end of the war.

The BV 238 was an extremely large flying boat of conventional aerodynamic design, but bearing the usual B&V structural hallmarks of all-metal construction with a tubular steel wing main spar which also acted as the armoured main fuel tank. Of the era, only the earlier Tupolev ANT-20, the Martin XPB2M-1 and the later Hughes H-4 had a bigger wing span. However it would be the heaviest yet flown, at 100 tonnes (220,000 lb) fully loaded.

The hull had an unusually long and slim planing bottom, of essentially two-step design but with a row of smaller auxiliary steps behind the main one. A large nose door opened onto its cavernous interior, with the main crew cabin immediately above and behind it.

The wing was of straight, constant-chord form with tapered outer sections. Auxiliary floats were integrated into underside panels of the outer sections and could be retracted to lie flush with the wing. A catwalk ran internally along the wing in front of the tubular steel main spar, providing access to the engines in flight.

Power was provided by six 1,287 kW (1,750 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled inverted V12 piston engines, arranged in nacelles along the leading edge of the centre section.

For details of the unfinished landplane version, BV250, click here.

The Blohm & Voss Ha 139 was a German all-metal inverted gull wing floatplane. With its four engines it was at the time one of the largest float-equipped seaplanes that had been built. The inboard engines were mounted at the joint between the inboard anhedral and outboard dihedral wing sections, above the pylon-mounted floats.

Further development of the Ha 139 led to the land-based version Blohm & Voss BV 142 which had its first flight in October 1938.

The aircraft were flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa on transatlantic routes between 1937 and 1939, predominately between Bathurst, The Gambia and Natal, Brazil. Catapult-launched from an aircraft tender they were able to transport 500 kg of mail over a distance of up to 5,000 km.

On the outbreak of World War II, the planes were transferred to the Luftwaffe and used for transport, reconnaissance and minesweeping work over the Baltic Sea. They were not particularly suited for military use.

Variants

Projekt 15
Catapult launched floatplane mail-carrier design for Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH), became the Ha 139.
Projekt 20
A reconnaissance-bomber derivative of Projekt 15 submitted to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) (German air Ministry) but generating little interest.
Ha 139 V1
Named Nordwind — First of two baseline prototypes
Ha 139 V2
Named Nordmeer — Second of two baseline prototypes
Ha 139 V3
Named Nordstern — Third prototype with longer wingspan, increased wing area and modified engine mounts.
Ha 139B
The Ha 139 V3 re-designated when in service with DLH.
Ha 139B/Umbau
After service with DLH, the Ha 139B was modified as the Ha 139B/Umbau with an extended glazed nose accommodating a navigator and a spherical Ikaria mount for a machine-gun. Further machine guns were mounted in the cockpit roof hatch and in lateral mountings on either side of the rear fuselage.
Ha 139B/MS
The Ha 139B/Umbau was later modified into a minesweeping (Minensuch) aircraft fitted with a large magnetic sensing loop strung between the nose, floats, wing-tips, and tail unit.

One of the largest aircraft of its time, it had the range to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For its wing, Boeing re-used the design from their earlier XB-15 bomber prototype. Twelve Clippers were built, nine of which served with Pan Am.

Pan American had requested a flying boat with unprecedented range that could augment the airline's trans-Pacific Martin M-130. Boeing's bid was successful and on July 21, 1936, Pan American signed a contract for six. Boeing engineers adapted the cancelled XB-15's 149 ft (45 m) wing, and replaced the 850 hp (630 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial engines with the 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) Wright Twin Cyclone.[1] Pan Am ordered six more aircraft with increased engine power and capacity for 77 daytime passengers as the Boeing 314A.

The huge flying boat was assembled at Boeing's Plant 1 on the Duwamish River in Seattle, and towed to Elliott Bay for taxi and flight tests. The first flight was on June 7, 1938, piloted by Edmund T. "Eddie" Allen. At first the aircraft had a single vertical tail, and Allen found he had inadequate directional control. The aircraft returned to the factory and was fitted with the endplates on the ends of the horizontal tail in place of the single vertical fin. This too was found to be insufficient and finally the centerline vertical fin was restored, after which the aircraft flew satisfactorily.

Pan Am's "Clippers" were built for "one-class" luxury air travel, a necessity given the long duration of transoceanic flights. The seats could be converted into 36 bunks for overnight accommodation; with a cruising speed of 188 miles per hour (303 km/h) (typically flights at maximum gross weight were flown at 155 miles per hour (249 km/h)) in 1940, Pan Am's schedule San Francisco to Honolulu was 19 hours. The 314s had a lounge and dining area, and the galleys were crewed by chefs from four-star hotels.

For more details of the Clipper, click here.

The Bréguet 521 Bizerte was a long-range military reconnaissance flying boat built by the French aviation company Breguet.

A biplane of all-metal construction, with three engines mounted in nacelles between the upper and lower wings, the aircraft was a development of the Breguet S.8/2 Calcutta, which itself was a militarised licensed version of the British Short S.8 Calcutta. It was built to meet a French Navy specification for a long-range flying boat issued in 1932, competing against proposals from Latécoère (the 582), Lioré et Olivier (the unbuilt LeO H42) and Loire Aviation (the Loire 70). The first prototype made its maiden flight on 11 September 1933, with it being purchased, and an order placed for two more on 4 January 1934.

A series of small orders for production Bizertes was placed, starting with an order for three in 1934, with the last order, for 12 (nine of which were later cancelled) being placed in September 1939. In total, 37 Bizertes were built, with the last three not being completed until after the French surrender in June 1940.

In 1935 a civilian version – the Breguet Br.530 Saigon – was produced.

After the first flight in September 1933, 37 aircraft were produced, which served with five squadrons of the French Navy from 1935 until 1940. Two squadrons remained in service with the Vichy Navy after the armistice, at Berre in Southern France and Karouba in Tunisia, with six aircraft each. The German Luftwaffe purchased a number of Bizertes for its Seenotdienst (Air-Sea Rescue) service in 1940, which (in addition to the three undelivered Bizertes) it used to equip a squadron based at Brest on the French Atlantic coast. When Vichy France was occupied by the Germans following the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the remaining Vichy Bizertes were taken over by the Luftwaffe, allowing further Seenotdienst units to be established at Biscarrosse and Berre. Following the Allied Invasion of Southern France in August 1944, one of the Luftwaffe Bizertes was discovered by French forces and used for communications duties until spares ran out.

Variants

Breguet 521.01
Prototype, powered by three Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs 14-cylinder two-row radial engines
Breguet 521 Bizerte
Long-range flying boat, powered by three Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs 14-cylinder two-row radial engines or three Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines.
Breguet 522
Re-engined version of Breguet 521. Three 670 kW (900 hp) Hispano-Suiza 14AA radial engines. One built.[2]
Breguet 530 Saigon
Civil version of the Breguet 521. Three Hispano-Suiza 12Ybr liquid-cooled inlines. Two built.

The CAMS 53 was a transport flying boat built in France in the late 1920s. Building on the experience gained from the unsuccessful CAMS 51, Maurice Hurel designed an aircraft of similar size and capacity for Aéropostale. The company bought four aircraft straight away for use on its Marseilles-Algiers route, and Air Orient purchased another two. More CAMS 53s were soon ordered by these operators as well as Air Union, and the aircraft were used to link Marseilles with Ajaccio and Beirut. When the various French airlines were absorbed into Air France in 1933, some 25 CAMS 53s were still in operation and continued in use until 1935.

Variants

53 - original production version (seven built)
53/1 - strengthened hull and increased fuel capacity (12 built, plus all seven original 53s converted)
53/2 - modified hull shape (six built, one converted from 53 via 53-1)
53/3 - (redesignated to 56) - version with Gnome et Rhône 9A (licence-built Bristol Jupiter) engines (four built)
53/4
53/5
53R - (originally designated 57) - version with Renault 12Jb liquid-cooled engines (one built)

The CAMS 55 was a reconnaissance flying boat built in France in the late 1920s which equipped the French Navy throughout the 1930s.

The CAMS 55 design was derived from the unsuccessful CAMS 51 and followed the familiar Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS) formula of a conventional biplane flying boat configuration with tandem tractor-pusher engines mounted in the interplane gap. The cockpit was open, and there were open gun positions in the bow and amidships. The bow also incorporated an observation balcony with windows sloped to afford a good downward view.

A single prototype was followed by two aircraft to compare different engine installations, one with air-cooled radials and the other a liquid-cooled V engine; in the end, the French Navy ordered some of each. Eventually, 15 escadrilles were equipped with CAMS 55s of various subtypes, replacing the Latham 47 in some units, and in turn being relegated to secondary duties when the Breguet Bizerte became available in 1936. Twenty-nine remained in service at the outbreak of World War II, with the last examples serving with Escadrille 20S in Tahiti until January 1941.

Variants

55.001 - prototype with Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engines (one built).
55J - engine test version with Gnome et Rhône licence-built Bristol Jupiter engines (two built).
55H - engine test version with Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engines (two built).
55/1 - production version with Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engines (43 built).
55/2 - production version with Gnome et Rhône licence-built Bristol Jupiter engines (29 built).
55/3 - version with all-metal hull for French Navy requirement for long-range flying boat. Prototype destroyed early in test programme (one built).
55/6 - version with all-metal hull and floats, saving 400 kg (882 lb) of structural weight; deemed too expensive to produce (one built).
55/10 - version with geared Gnome et Rhône Jupiter engines and increased fuel tankage (32 built, including four tropicalised machines).
55/11 - long-range patrol version (one built).
55/14 - version with all-metal hull (one built).

Number built    112

It is based on the Canadair CL-215 and is designed specifically for aerial firefighting; it can perform various other roles, such as the search and rescue and utility transport.

Development of the CL-415 commenced in the early 1990s, shortly after the success of the CL-215T retrofit programme had proven a viable demand for a turboprop-powered model of the original CL-215. Entering production in 2003, in addition to its new engines, the aircraft featured numerous modernisation efforts and advances over the CL-215, particularly in terms of its cockpit and aerodynamics, to yield improved performance. By the time the programme's production phase had commenced, it was owned by Bombardier, who continued production up until 2015. During October 2016, the CL-415 programme was acquired by Viking Aircraft; this company has produced a further modernised model of the aircraft, designated as the CL-515 or the Viking Canadair 515 First Responder.

The CL-415 has an updated cockpit, aerodynamics enhancements and changes to the water-release system as well, creating a modern firefighting amphibious flying boat for use in detecting and suppressing forest fires. Compared to the CL-215, the CL-415 has increased operating weight and speed, yielding improved productivity and performance. Due to the increased power of its pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines, each capable of generating up to 1,775kw of thrust, these are located closer to the fuselage in comparison to the CL-215's arrangement. While this repositioning would typically reduce lateral stability on its own, this is rectified via the addition of an inverted fixed leading edge slat forward of the righthand horizontal stabiliser. Furthermore, winglets have been adopted on this model for the purpose of improving directional stability.

The CL-415 can scoop up to 6,140 l (1,350 imp gal; 1,620 US gal) of water from a nearby water source, mix it with a chemical foam if desired, and drop it on a fire without having to return to base to refill its tanks. The CL-415 was specifically developed to provide the capability to deliver large quantities of suppressant in quick response to fires. This is stored within large tanks which are located mostly beneath the cabin floor within the hull, although a header tank above this level is present on either side of the fuselage. The airframe is built for reliability and longevity, making extensive use of corrosion-resistant materials, predominantly treated aluminium, that facilitates its use in salt water. Accordingly to Flight International, the CL-415 has good handling on the water, being relatively easy to operate in comparison with several other amphibious aircraft. The CL-515 can hold up to 7,000 litres (1,850 US gallons), and has a refill time of 14 seconds.

The aircraft requires 1,340 m (4,400 ft) of flyable length to descend from 15 m (49 ft) altitude, scoop 6,137 l (1,350 imp gal; 1,621 US gal) of water during a twelve-second 410-metre-long (1,350 ft) run on the water at 70 knots (130 km/h; 81 mph), then climb back to 15 m (49 ft) altitude. The aircraft can also pick up partial loads in smaller areas, and can turn while scooping if necessary. Management of the water bombing system is centralised via a water status panel on the flight instrumentation, giving direct control to the pilots; various dispersal patterns and sequences can be selected. A manually-operated emergency dump lever is also present, bypassing this system. Bombardier have claimed that the type performs 6.9 water drops for every flight hours of the type. The CL-415GR variant features higher operating weights, while the CL-415 multi-role model is available for purposes in a paramilitary search and rescue role and utility transport.

For more details of the development, operational history and variants, click here. 

The Canadian Vickers Vancouver was a Canadian transport/patrol flying boat of the 1930s built by Canadian Vickers.

It was a twin-engine, equal-span biplane. The hull was of metal and the rest of the structure of fabric-covered wood.

The Vancouver was developed as a replacement for the Varuna in response to a Royal Canadian Air Force requirement for a flying boat to transport men and equipment to forest fires. The main difference from the Varuna was a duralumin hull and more powerful engines. The two flight crew were located in two tandem open cockpits, forward of the wing. The main cabin could accommodate a firefighting team of six men and all the required equipment. Five aircraft were delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force, one was later converted into a coastal patrol aircraft.

In the mid-1930s, the Vancouvers were modified as coastal patrol aircraft by the installation of machine guns and bombs.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Vancouvers served with 4 Squadron, RCAF at Jericho Beach Air Station until withdrawn from service in 1940. After a brief period of service in training duties, they were finally withdrawn and struck off in 1940.

None of the aircraft saw service after 1940, one private offer to acquire was denied.

Variants

Vancouver I – prototype with Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV engines, one built.
Vancouver IA – designation of prototype after installation of Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC engines.
Vancouver II – production transport version with Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC (three aircraft) or Wright J-6 Whirlwind (two aircraft) engines, five built.
Vancouver IIS/S – conversion of three Lynx-powered Vancouver IIs to "service standard" with three Lewis gun cockpits for coastal patrol, powered by Armstrong Siddeley Serval IV engines.
Vancouver IIS/W – "service standard" conversion of two Wright J-6 Whirlwind powered Vancouver IIs.

Number produced    6.

The Canadian Vickers Vedette was the first aircraft designed and built in Canada to meet a specification for Canadian conditions. It was a single-engine biplane flying boat purchased to meet a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) demand for a smaller aircraft than the Vickers Viking with a much greater rate of climb, to be suitable for forestry survey and fire protection work. The type went on to have a long and distinguished career in civil operations in Canada. Most of the topographical maps in use in Canada today are based on photos taken from these aircraft.

Based on a preliminary design in early 1924 for a "flying boat" by R.K.Pierson of the British company Vickers, the Canadian Vickers Vedette was a two/three-seat single-engine pusher aircraft. The design was passed over to the subsidiary Canadian Vickers Limited of Longueuil, Quebec (formed in 1911) where Wilfrid Thomas Reid served as Chief Engineer.

The prototype Vedette I was first flown on 4 November 1924, powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Rolls-Royce Falcon III. It was subsequently fitted with 210 hp (160 kW) Wolseley Viper, 200 hp (150 kW) Wright J-4 and 215 hp (160 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engines for testing. Several versions of the Vedette were produced, including two amphibious versions and one with an enclosed cabin on an all-metal hull. With the exception of these major changes, most of the remaining differences between versions were relatively minor and not externally visible. Each version was produced with a range of optional engine types.

The first production example was provided to Fairchild Aerial Surveys (c/n 31 G-CAFF) before they started designing their own survey aircraft. The majority of the production run was purchased by the RCAF where the aircraft proved popular and versatile, if somewhat temperamental due to leaky hulls that required constant maintenance (a problem afflicting all wooden hulled flying boats). The Vedette undertook photographic and forestry patrols satisfactorily and provided a backbone for RCAF flying operations through the lean peacetime years. Vedettes started a coast-to-coast photographic survey that was needed to map out the large areas of the country still unmapped. These missions lasted until the outbreak of the Second World War, and would be completed after the war with newer types. Vedettes stationed on both coasts were also used for fishing and smuggling patrols, both with the RCAF and with Western Canada Airways.

The Vedette featured prominently in a number of mercy missions, while some airmen discovered it was nearly ideal for aerial goose hunting, at least until a pilot was hit by a goose. The first Canadian to join the Caterpillar Club by using a parachute to escape from an aircraft did so from RCAF Vedette "ZF" on 17 May 1929. The pilot, C.S. (Jack) Caldwell, while testing the aircraft at the Canadian Vickers factory, entered an uncontrollable spin after the engine failed and bailed out successfully over the St. Lawrence River.

The RCAF acquired one Wright J-4 engined Vedette I in 1925 and 18 Armstrong-Siddeley Lynx IV (210 hp (160 kW)) engined Vedette IIs from 1926 onwards. All of these were out of service before the Second World War began. Starting in 1929, the RCAF acquired 13 Vedette Vs with a higher gross weight, and 11 fitted with Handley Page wing slots as the Vedette Va. The single Vedette VI, with Wright J-6 engine, featured a metal hull and an enclosed cockpit. A mark V was refurbished by the factory and as the sole Vam was given a new metal hull, as well as a new serial number (the last), but it retained its RCAF call sign as "ZD." The Mk VI and seven Vedette Va flying boats survived into wartime service, flying with No 4(BR) Squadron and the Seaplane and Bomber Reconnaissance Training School (later No 13 OT Sqn) in Vancouver, BC until May 1941.

In addition to the RCAF, The Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan provincial governments used Vedettes extensively for scouting out forest fires in the heavily wooded areas of those provinces.

The company exported six Wright J-5 powered Vedette Vs to Chile, where they were based at Puerto Montt (which is on an inlet off the Pacific coast) with the Escuadrilla de Anfibios N° 1 (now known as the Grupo de Aviación N° 5). They were used to forge an air link between there and the capital Santiago, 569 miles (916 km) up the coast. At least one of the Vedettes (and possibly all six) was lost due to hurricane-force winds, which also caused the loss of two lives when one of the aircraft overturned while on the water.

Variants

Vedette I
Prototype (c/n 9) tested variously with Rolls-Royce Falcon III, Wolseley Viper, Wright J-4 and Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engines.
Vedette II
Production version, modified rudder and other minor changes from prototype.
Vedette III & IV
Not built, but may have included an enclosed cabin transport.
Vedette V
Improved amphibian version, but most not equipped with wheels.
Vedette Va
Mk.V fitted with Handley-Page leading edge slots.
Vedette Vam
One off Mk.V (c/n 123/170) refurbished with metal hull.
Vedette VI
One off (c/n 163) with metal hull and Handley-Page leading edge slots.[3]
Vassal I
Proposed variant using Clark Y airfoil section wings, not built.