Introducing the Convair F2Y SeaDart, the world’s first and only Seaplane capable of breaking the sound barrier! The SeaDart is a Jet-Interceptor Prototype aircraft, made with the principle of being able to take off from and land in the ocean, to make ocean-based sorties that much easier!

This was, of course, before Aircraft Carriers really started becoming more and more advanced along with their naval fighters on deck. The idea would’ve easily made a lot of sense if the concept of the Aircraft Carrier never advanced to what it is today, but through the combined incidents with airframe issues, technological problems, and general inconvenience in regards to maintenance, the F2Y SeaDart never really “took off” as a fully fledged fighter aircraft.

In order to take off and land utilizing the water’s surface, the SeaDart had two retractable skids that acted as hydrofoils. The SeaDart would, upon taking off, use these to angle itself into the air, and said skids would retract after taking off in order to achieve preferred aerodynamics, and high top-speed. The same procedure would be executed upon landing, except the skids would be used to brace the water’s surface, and help the aircraft slow down as it skims to a stop across the water. Once at a complete stop, the aircraft could taxi surprisingly agile in the water, in one particularly humorous photo the SeaDart is seen performing the seaplane equivalent of a burnout in the water:

Here’s some screenshots of the replica:

Problems with the F2Y SeaDart included airframe structure, eventually leading to a crash that ultimately destroyed one of the prototypes. Another notable problem was how much water the jet engines would suck in while taking off and landing. Upon landing, a maintenance crew would have to bail out all of the water accumulated in the engines, otherwise the aircraft’s integrity would quickly become noticeably less efficient, possibly leading to engine burnouts mid-flight or during takeoff that would compromise the aircraft significantly.

Other than the problems mentioned above, and a few more that aren’t as important but still problems nonetheless, the F2Y SeaDart could’ve been really something. It had great capabilities, it was the only amphibious aircraft to ever break the sound barrier, and it maneuvered and flew just like any other conventional fighter of it’s era.

Just imagine it! Squadrons of SeaDarts all taking off from the ocean’s surface, intercepting whatever’s been tasked to be intercepted. If any axis power didn’t know what the SeaDart was, it would be absolutely unexpected, and would most certainly prove to be effective at arriving without being seen too quick. I mean really, would you expect to be intercepted by something in only a few minutes while above the ocean, especially seeing that Aircraft Carriers weren’t technologically advanced enough yet?

Regardless, comment “T” to be tagged!