Seaplanes use air to lift themselves out of the water, allowing for high speeds and eliminating water resistance. The design can be dangerous in windy conditions, but modern seaplanes have safety features like an exhaust cabin and onboard oxygen system. The propeller is expensive and sharp, with only the bottom blade in contact with the water at full speed.
A seaplane is a type of boat that uses air to lift itself almost completely out of the water and is capable of very high speeds. The typical seaplane is built with a very wide bow consisting of two sponsons, one on each side of the boat, and a narrow stern. The common engine used in modern ships is a gas turbine, replacing the piston engines of earlier seaplane designs. The bottom of the boat is designed to trap air under the bow of the boat and hold it between the sponsons while the high speed of the propeller lifts the stern out of the water. This leaves the boat traveling on a cushion of air with only the bottom half of the propeller and the bottom edge of the sponsons in contact with the water.
The design of this boat is capable of producing such great speeds because the resistance of the water is eliminated by lifting the boat out of the water on the air cushion. With this great speed comes great danger, and the boat is constantly on the verge of being blown off and actually capsized. This type of accident is known as a hit in seaplane racing terms. The driver or pilot of the boat can manipulate small fin-type devices on the front of the boat to correct and adjust the attitude of the boat in the water. The problem comes in the form of gusts of wind blowing across the water in the path of the boat.
If the pilot cannot properly adjust to the changing wind, the boat can fly. The modern design of the seaplane incorporates an exhaust cabin complete with an onboard oxygen system to protect the driver in the event of such a crash. Prior to the introduction of this space-age design, a driver would be required to hold their breath until rescue personnel can reach the crashed boat and extract it. The main problem with this situation is that the driver would often be unconscious and unable to hold their breath, resulting in the death of the driver.
The propeller on a modern seaplane can cost as much as a family sedan and occasionally more. Sharp to the edge of a razor, the seaplane propeller is usually a three-blade design with only the bottom blade in contact with the water when at full speed. This type of design is known as a three-point design, with the flying boat mounted at the three points consisting of the two sponsons and the propeller.
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