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This section provides an overview for seaplanes as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 5 seaplane manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked seaplane companies as of December, 2024: 1.Wipaire, 2.Lake Aircraft, 3.ICON Aircraft, Inc..
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A seaplane is an aircraft capable of taking off and landing on the surface of bodies of water, such as the sea or a lake. Medium to large-sized seaplanes have a hull structure on the lower part of the fuselage, resembling that of a ship. This type of seaplane, often referred to as a flying boat, has a high-wing configuration with the main wings mounted on the top of the fuselage. Floats are attached underneath both wings, providing buoyancy and ensuring stability during water takeoffs, landings, and taxiing.
Lightweight small seaplanes have floats attached to the underside of the fuselage, allowing the aircraft to float. This type of seaplane is also known as a floatplane.
The US-2 rescue flying boat, manufactured by ShinMaywa Industries in Japan and operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, is a globally recognized high-performance seaplane. It can take off and land on rough seas with waves up to 3 meters high and is capable of operations on conventional runways.
Seaplanes, with their ability to take off and land on water, have a higher travel speed compared to ships and helicopters. This allows them to quickly reach distant destinations. Leveraging these capabilities, the Maritime Self-Defense Force's US-2 rescue flying boat conducts search and rescue operations for individuals in distress at sea.
Seaplanes can land on water and quickly scoop up a large amount of water. Taking advantage of this capability, firefighting seaplanes engaged in aerial firefighting operations operate in foreign countries.
Moreover, seaplanes are used for transporting people and goods to remote islands without airstrips. They are also employed for transporting emergency medical patients from remote islands.
In addition, seaplanes serve military purposes as reconnaissance and liaison aircraft. The predecessor to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's US-2, known as the PS-1, operated as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipaire |
32.7%
|
| 2 | Lake Aircraft |
21.1%
|
| 3 | ICON Aircraft, Inc. |
17.7%
|
| 4 | Clamar Technologies Inc. |
15.8%
|
| 5 | Aircraft Floats Manufacturing, Ltd. |
12.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the seaplane page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
