AIRWAYS SPECIAL
development thanks to the longaccumulated naval engineering and architecture knowledge .
The pinnacle of sea flying was probably achieved with the Hughes H-4 Hercules , which remains the largest flying boat ever built — and the one with the widest wingspan ( 319ft , almost 100m ) until the first flight of the Stratolaunch in April 2019 . The aircraft , also known as the Spruce Goose , flew for the first and only time on November 2 , 1947 .
This engineering marvel lifted off for a brief 26 seconds ; it was simply too heavy to fly , and it was only the ground effect that supported its short ride .
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The giant plane ’ s lifting capacity and ceiling could not be tested before that time and the program was never resumed again . Since then , the Hughes H-4 Hercules has been preserved in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum , in Oregon .
WHY DID AVIATION NOT DEVELOP IN THE SEA ?
One of the main problems with seaplanes is that they cannot be too large . Nor can they transport high payloads . Their design will always need to prioritize floatability over aerodynamics . This immediately knocks them out of the race with regular airliners which only need to focus on the latter aspect .
The other significant factor that favors airliners over seaplanes is speed . Wind considerations apart , it ’ s easier to take off from long , flat , concrete runways than it is from water . Seaplanes are restricted to take off at lower speeds to avoid being damaged from
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24 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com