Seaplanes, Explained: How Planes Work on Water

So what's up with planes on water? How exactly do seaplanes work, and what's the difference between seaplanes and floatplanes and flying boats? In this video, we dive into the engineering behind seaplanes: how their floats are optimized for performance in different water conditions, hidden designs that make the aircraft more aerodynamic and efficient, and the limitations of seaplane operation. We'll talk about what it's like to fly a seaplane, and also a brief history of the rise and fall of planes on water.

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0:00 Introduction
1:20 History
4:23 Design
7:15 How to Fly a Seaplane
9:51 Limitations of Seaplanes

[callsigncrusader]

Awesome work jenny, its always great fun to watch contant like this

[BuzzSargent]

I came to your channel from my recommended list because you are so pretty. I stayed and listened till the end because you are interesting and engaging with your topic. I am 67 now, learned to fly as a private pilot at 17 on a PA-28-180 1967 aircraft. The throttle was push-pull in the dashboard. It was before the more modern style. I also flew a Lake Amphibian where the body lands in the water, not on pontoons. The engine was a pusher prop. So all actions are reversed. BTW my Laker Aircraft could land on water or land. In water, you would lower the gear and go up a ramp right into our garage. It was very cool. Happy Trails

[flyingwolf]

Porco Rosso brought me here. Thanks for the great informative and intriguing video!

[Andy-cwvg]

Great video, your videos are always very easy to listen to compared to some other videos that use a lot unnecessary words and sentences to fill up time. I also think the memes are a nice touch, if people don't like them, try inserting comedy into the dialogue it honestly brightens the mood a bit :)

[nigelbrowne]

Your really underrated yet so good! I watched this video because im making a model seaplane in real life and u wasn't sure if it would float but you explained it so nicely now i know what to do! (i'll update you on if it floats)

[MylaTV]

Now I know how seaplanes work.... POGGIES :D good job jenny

[falconsue]

Hi, Jenny--thanks for the video! I've taken seaplanes to/from Seattle to Victoria several times, but never knew how they really worked. Lots of good information! Btw, Captain Sully's flight was dubbed "Miracle on the Hudson" (River), as opposed to "Miracle on the Atlantic" (Ocean).

[ryhk]

2:49 You are mistaken ma'am. Pretty much all modern flying boats are amphibians. Indeed, you can see the very visible retracted landing gear in the very first photo. Indeed, most flying boats since the inter-war period have been amphibians simply because of the increased utility.

Flying boats were not utilized as bombers in WWII. Their primary use was as naval reconnaissance and maritime search and rescue.

It wasn't the lack of airstrips or aerodromes prior to WWII that prevented their utilization for commercial purposes by larger aircraft, it was the lack of runways of sufficient length due to a technical limitation. Before the invention and proliferation of variable pitch propellers from the 1920s to the mid to late 30s, propellers could only really be optimized for one speed. Generally speaking, that optimized speed for higher, cruising speed. At low speed, *the props just aren't that efficient, " thus when taking off with a decent amount of weight, these larger aircraft ran long and needed a lot of space to get airborne. A way to do this on a smaller surface area is to gain speed while circling but rarely does one see landing strips that are built in circles.

And BTW, one can vastly reduce the takeoff distance in a floatplane using what lift is generated at lower speeds to get one float out of the water, thereby just riding one float before rotating once you have enough speed. You're effectively halving your hydrodynamic drag.

[NSResponder]

Amphibious flying boats do exist. The Grumman Goose, which you're showing top left here, at 2:49, can land on a runway when those wheels are deployed. Later models of the PBY Catalina could, too.

[psidud]

Every time I'm walking by the amphibious planes at the airport, I am kind of impressed that the pilots manage to land those things without damaging the floats. They have to land basically completely flat. I don't usually land very flat.

[Salih.EduBlock]

No content is available. Every video i click on says content not available. Why?

[_multiverse_]

"Hundreds of pounds of metal" oh boy...bere we go.
"Straight float planes will only land on water" proceeds to show Olivia the turbo beaver which has anfibs.
Talks about ailerons, shows flaps.

Not sure if this was some sort of school projet but there were a lot of inaccuracies in this video.

[daegudiva]

I was actually about the math when you slide into your Segway to your sponsor

[timi_]

I've been researching air cushion landing gear a lot lately. I think a hovercraft-like landing gear would be a good fit for a land/sea/ice triphibious aircraft with a single landing system, ground loading would be low as well as low landing stresses, but I'm not sure what the best solution for landing with a total loss of power would be.

[johnnychang]

2:23 Does flying boats imply sea effect instead of ground effect?

[avbvma]

Some of Boeing's earliest aircraft were floatplanes. Several were bought and assembled in Auckland, New Zealand, to train pilots for the 1914-1918 war. (WWI)

[michaelimbesi]

Nice video, but I’d like to point out that there’s a word for “water aerodynamics”. They’re called hydrodynamics and the field predates aerodynamics.

[abugden]

😑 6/10 but could easily be improved. Speaking as someone who grew up around seaplanes and working in Marine R&D now, this is a bit “meh” on the details you choose to give. Nothing a bit of editing and reshoots couldn’t fix. Three examples, that hierarchy tree should have been a Venn Diagram. Second, look up CL-415 that are making the news in LA right now. Water aerodynamics? Hydrodynamics or Fluid dynamics if you’re into engineering, Good work if you can get it..

[David.Ephraim]

Thank you Moneypenny, no more questions.. Would you pour me a glass of Orange Juice?

[erichthecat]

Jenny, you are adorable, have a great weekend!