When you start to think about it , planes are weird , right ? It ’ s crazy to think that we figured out how to get thousands of pounds of machinery to glide effortlessly through the air . The same can be said about boats ; floating a heavy vehicle atop water is quite an achievement . But there ’ s another step beyond this : seaplanes . We ’ ve managed to combine the aerodynamics of airplanes with the buoyancy of boats into one cool piece of equipment .
Seaplanes are like regular airplanes , but smaller and capable of landing on water . Some seaplanes , equipped with straight floats , can only take off and land from the water .
These floats work by allowing the plane to displace enough water to create buoyancy , helping the plane to stay above the surface . This is the same idea that allows classic boats to float . Most seaplanes are equipped with floats , which are those canoe-like structures typically attached to the bottom of the aircraft . These floats are made of lightweight materials and usually consist of two main compartments : an outer shell and an inner pocket that is often filled with air or completely sealed . This design helps lessen the risk of punctures and allows the seaplane to stay afloat even if one of the floats is damaged .
You may have noticed that the floats on seaplanes aren ’ t exactly small , and that ’ s by design . The larger the plane , the larger the floats need to be to support its weight . These floats are generally “ fixed floats ,” which means they remain attached to the plane even throughout flight . Some seaplanes , however , have retractable floats . These can be drawn back into the body of the plane when airborne . Seaplanes with retractable floats are referred to as amphibious planes , because they can operate on both land and water .
Now , you might wonder , how do seaplanes steer on water ? Once they land , do they just act like boats ? Well , not really .
24 LET ’ S GO AEROSPACE