The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey is an American two-seat, single-engine, amphibious flying boat designed and manufactured by Progressive Aerodyne originally in Orlando, Florida, and now in Tavares, Florida.[1] It was first flown in November 1992 and is sold as a kit aircraft for amateur construction as well as a light-sport aircraft.[2] [3] [4] [5]
Development of the aircraft that became the SeaRey began in the 1970s with the introduction of the Advanced Aviation Hi-Nuski ultralight. In the early 1980s Stanley Richter, his son Wayne Richter, Wayne's wife Nina Richter and Wayne's son Kerry Richter established Advanced Aviation where they designed and manufactured a number of different designs. The company produced the Buccaneer XA and two seat Buccaneer II flying boats for Highcraft AeroMarine, and designed the improved Buccaneer SX. The company was sold in 1992.
In June 1992, Wayne and Kerry Richter, along with Advanced Aviation employee Paige Lynette, formed a new company, Progressive Aerodyne, where they designed the first SeaRey prototype.[6] The SeaRey had its inaugural flight on 13 November 1992. The performance, including a speed of up to 105 mph (169 km/h) surpassed the design goals.
Between its introduction in 1992 and 2006 over 400 SeaRey kits were delivered to customers.
The latest variant of the Searey is the LSA (also available as LSX) for the US light-sport aircraft category, introduced in 2010.[5]
In the United States the SeaRey may be registered either as a light sport aircraft or as an amateur-built experimental.[5]
The Canadian Aviation Regulations allow the SeaRey to be registered either as an amateur built, basic ultralight or as an advanced ultralight aeroplane. The SeaRey 115 is only eligible as an AULA if the carbon fiber hull is used, due to category empty weight limitations.
The SeaRey's high wing is tapered and swept back from the leading edge with a straight trailing edge. The wing, nearly 31 ft (10 m) in span, is strut-braced and covered with aircraft fabric.[7] [8]
Designed to be amphibious, the SeaRey has a semi-monocoque hull similar to that of a boat. The hull, nose deck, and "turtle" deck (the element which forms the top surface behind the canopy) are riveted together. In the basic configuration, these pieces are made of fiberglass; carbon graphite hull components are available at extra cost and reduce overall weight by about 70 pounds (32 kg). The wings feature rotocast plastic floats mounted on aluminum struts.
There is only one model of the SeaRey but different hull designs of increasing strength have developed over the years, designated as "A," "B" and "C" hulls. The latest "C" hull is available in either carbon fiber or fiberglass.[9]
The windshield and the sliding canopies on either side are made of Lexan. The canopies are track-mounted, can be opened in flight and can also be locked closed on the ground.[10]
The SeaRey's single engine is mounted above the wing, and drives a single rear-facing pusher propeller. The SeaRey can be equipped with the 640NaN0 Rotax 582, 800NaN0 Rotax 912, 1000NaN0 Rotax 912S or the Rotax 914 turbocharged engine which produces 1150NaN0. In December 2017 the design was undergoing testing with the turbocharged Rotax 915 iS 1350NaN0 engine.[11]
The SeaRey's landing gear consists of two main retractable wheels and a tailwheel in conventional landing gear configuration. Originally the landing gear was retracted for water operations by means of a mechanical Johnson-bar lever that raises or lowers all three wheels simultaneously. More recent retraction options include: manual, hydraulic or electric. The electric actuator is the newest and most popular, but the manual is the lightest.[12]
According to the factory construction time for an experienced builder to complete a SeaRey is about 400 hours, with 600 hours typical for a first time builder.
In 2012, author Richard Bach flew the SeaRey he named Puff, from Florida to his home near Seattle. That trip was chronicled in his book, .[13] In Puff, Bach suffered near-fatal injuries in a landing accident on San Juan Island, Washington in late 2012. He later wrote about the accident, and both his and Puff's recovery, in the book, .[14]
In 2015, over the course of seven months, pilot Michael Smith flew around the world in a SeaRey, setting a record as the first person to fly a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a single-engine flying boat.[15] Smith chronicled his journey in the book, "Voyage of the Southern Sun."[16]