Convair F2Y Sea Dart

what is it?

The Convair F2Y Sea Dart is an American seaplane fighter aircraft that rode on one or two hydro-skis during takeoff and landing. It flew only as a prototype, and never entered mass production. It is the only seaplane to have exceeded the speed of sound.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 jet engines · 10.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 1,118 km/htop speed
• size 11.1 tmax take-off weight
• built 5made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 73 years ago, in 1953.
• 🏎️Top speed is 8.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.8 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1953-01-14

retired

1957

status

retired

number built

5

role

seaplane fighter

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Convair

engines

2× Westinghouse J46-WE-12B

crew

1

length

15.6 m

wingspan

10.8 m

height

4.9 m

max take-off weight

11.1 t

top speed

1,118 km/h

range

—

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.