My Super Seawind
What’s great about flying my Super Seawind, N71RJ? There are so many things, but I’ll give you two. Starting with the obvious; it’s amphibious! Therefore, I don’t need an airport to land. I have landed it in lakes around warm and beautiful Florida. It lands like a graceful snow goose creating small waves and ripples and with the turbo-Prop at low RPM, N71RJ is almost as quiet. Thus, it does not to disturb wildlife or lake shore residents any more than honking geese. Moreover, with more and more seaplane bases opening around the USA, many more doors are open to adventure travelers. City seaplane bases are now open in Boston and New York City. I can now fly down the Hudson River and around the Statue of Liberty and land in the East River to visit the New York. Furthermore, there are no onerous landing fees or parking hassles. When on the water I’m a boat and I’m treated as such. People watching N71RJ land always seem thrilled and amazed that such a beautiful airplane can also land on its hull.
Get out! From NYC,
the Sun and water seeker: The seaplane haven of the lower 48, Florida, beckons. With more rivers and lakes than the 175 amazing state parks, how could you not have fun flying Seaplane or an amphibian like N71RJ? Consider too that with four seats, 200 MPH ground speed and an 8-foot cargo bay, I can take friends, family and gear, fly to Florida from NYC in 4-5 hours flight time.
Explore: Beyond state parks though, there thousands of acres of National public lands to explore: Rivers, forests and yes islands – lots of them. One of my favorites is the Dry Tortugas National Park. Why?
Because it is stunningly beautiful, offers lots of recreation like snorkeling or kayaking and has a fascinating 19th century history!
https://www.drytortugasinfo.com/
Also, with inflatable tandem kayaks stowed in the cargo bay, four people can have a full day at this emerald in the Sea and return to Key West in time for daiquiris and dinner only 30-minutes away – six times the speed of the ferry. See https://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm for ferry schedules.
Further, as exciting as all of this is, water excursions can’t trump this Super Seawind’s amazing power. As you’ll see in my flight from Bedford to Lawrence MA, N71RJ lifted off in just 21 seconds after applying take-off (and not full) power! Then this amazing amphibian climbed over the Concord River easily at 1,000 FPM to cruise altitude in just 3 minutes. A few more minutes passed and I landed at KLWM and joined EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) chapter 106 BBQ. It was lots of fun on a wonderful sunny day with friends and Super Seawind admirers.
Moreover, as fun as island hopping is, no single Prop plane can trump the climbing and cruise performances of my Super Seawind. Unlike Avgas powered airplanes, this Super Seawind holds a 1,000 FPM climb rate all the way to FL 200. When I level the nose, true airspeed (TAS) climbs rapidly to over 200 MPH with hours of fuel remaining. See https://superseawind.com/performance/
Speed shortens tiring trips.
Whether in head or tail winds this is the kind of speed that along with a two-axis TruTrak autopilot gets me to where I’m going without feeling exhausted by the trip. Also, flying high above the clouds over lower level weather provides terrific visibility! Further, it opens fuel-saving opportunities by choosing favorable winds from multiple altitudes. That’s another big bonus I get from flying my Super Seawind. In sum, I have more power packed into my one engine than can be had from most gas twins at less than half their weight. That’s what gets me spiritually high. I fly anywhere I want and leave the TSA and my troubles far below.
Florida State Parks: https://www.floridastateparks.org/
www.EAA.org Experimental Aircraft Association
Okay, it’s time for a ride. We’ll take off from Hanscom AFB, KBED. Get in and let’s go flying! Once I advance the throttle, we’ll lift off in only 21 seconds at about 80% GTOW! Notice the need for a little right trim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSDjKS6kSxw