#9634 • Seaplanes

Part of Automotive Book Auction - November 2026 (timed auction by Rail & Road Auctions)

Starting at $1.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Nov 29, 2026 5:44 PM EST

For as long as man has been able to fly, he has been interested in taking off and landing from the water. The surfaces of lakes and bays offered smooth, long, and perfectly level areas to serve as liquid runways, and could make for a somewhat softer landing in the event of a crash. This colorful volume tells the story of the seaplane, from the earliest floats to the monsters of World War II, to the brave little bushplanes that rule remote areas of Canada, South America, and Australia. Seaplanes developed right alongside regular aircraft; in fact, the Wright brother's trailblazing efforts at Kitty Hawk were very nearly eclipsed by an almost-airworthy seaplane, Samuel Pierpont Langley's experimental float plane of 1903, which crashed despite its apparent airworthiness. But it was the Wright brothers who prevailed that same year, and it wasn't long after their first successful flight that heavier-than-air travel became an everyday reality, from the sea as well as from land. The development of the seaplane not only reflected innovations of regular aircraft, but spurred key aviation innovations for all planes. Seaplanes were key participants in many of the flight competitions of the roaring twenties, and they played a formidable role in both world wars. Today, they continue to give travelers access to seemingly impossible-to-reach locales. This lavishly illustrated volume traces the development of the seaplane over the past century with first-hand accounts from pilots and passengers, and more than one hundred full-color and archival photographs. From Langley's Aerodrome to Curtiss' Flying Boat to the de Havilland Beaver so often used by bush pilots today, Seaplanes is an informative andengaging look at the planes that are as at home in the sea as they are in the sky. Hans Halberstadt