History Of Seaplane
Soon after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, early aviation pioneers raced to engineer aircraft capable of taking off, floating, and landing on water.
Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories: floatplanes and flying boats. Floatplanes are equipped with floats mounted under the aircraft’s fuselage. Many small land aircraft may be modified to become floatplanes. In a flying boat, the main source of buoyancy is the aircraft’s fuselage, which is shaped to act like the hull of a ship. Flying boats may also have small floats mounted on the wings for added stability. An amphibious aircraft is capable of taking off and landing on both bodies of water and traditional runways.
The first successful powered seaplane flight occurred in 1910 in Marseilles, France. Henri Fabre piloted an invention he called the Hydravion (French for seaplane/floatplane). Fabre’s aircraft was equipped with plywood floats that enabled the lightweight plane to take off from water, fly approximately half a kilometer, and land safely on water.
By 1911, American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss developed the Curtiss Model D, which was a land-plane equipped with a central float and sponsons for buoyancy. This early amphibious aircraft was awarded the first-ever Collier Trophy for US flight achievement.
Kerala seaplane project soon
Kerala Government is planning for a seaplane tourism which was aborted during the time of Oomen Chandy Government in 2011-16 due to heavy resistance from fisherman since they feared it would affect their livelihood.
In Present project sea plane will be landing in Dams and reservoirs which Governments feels there would not be resistance from Fisherman
The lull in tourist arrivals to Kerala due to the pandemic situation has intensified the demand that the government promote seaplane and helicopter services to woo high-end tourists to destinations across Kerala.
This comes in the wake of industrialists and other well-off tourists preferring the aerial mode of commute than spend time on the road route. There are others who don’t mind availing short trips to view scenic locales while seated in a helicopter that provides a bird’s-eye view. Hectic schedule, choked and often ill-maintained roads were hitherto cited as the reasons, while the pandemic situation has accentuated the demand for fast and hassle-free travel to a locale and back. A seaplane service mooted a decade ago failed to take off for a host of reasons, including what was then portrayed as opposition from a section of fisherfolk.
To know history of kerala seaplane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Seaplane