The tragic reason why the world’s only supersonic seaplane never took off

Landing on aircraft carriers was no-go.
Derya Ozdemir

Have you ever heard of the Convair F2Y Sea Dart? Billed as the world’s fastest seaplane, this American seaplane fighter aircraft was created in the 1950s to address issues with supersonic aircraft taking off and landing on aircraft carriers. 

The seaplane, dubbed "supersonic seaplane" by the U.S. Navy, took off and landed on twin hydro-skis. So, while it couldn't land on aircraft carriers, it could land in the ocean just next to them.

It could be deployed from submarines, take off from the sea itself, and even go supersonic. It's the only seaplane to have broken the sound barrier and it was thought it would usher in a new age of defense; however, it only flew as a prototype and was never mass-produced due to the tragic circumstances surrounding it. If you want to learn more about this special seaplane, make sure you watch the video by the YouTube channel Found And Explained embedded above, and as always, enjoy. 

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