The four-seat Seawind amphibian kitplane is well on its way to reaching the market in a certified version, the company said last week. ”We had always hoped that we would, some day, certify the Seawind,” said company President Dick Silva. “Now the day is almost here.” The most significant modifications to the kit design include an enlarged canopy space with more headroom for both front and rear seats and trailing-link landing gear to allow for landings on sod or gravel strips. Seawind will be showing its proof-of-concept certified version of the airplane at Oshkosh, and expects to have production model demonstrators available for demo flights by October for AOPA Expo, in Tampa, Fla. The company shipped 150 Seawind kits between 1991 and 2001, when Silva began planning to certify the aircraft via FAR Part 23. The production line is in the works at St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, in Canada, at the north end of Lake Champlain. Marketing and sales efforts are being handled in the U.S. The company said last year it had about 36 orders for the certified version, and sold seven more at Sun ‘n Fun this year.
Seawind Continues Work Toward Certification
Key Takeaways:
- The Seawind four-seat amphibian kitplane is nearing certification under FAR Part 23, a long-standing goal for the company.
- Key modifications for the certified version include an enlarged canopy for more headroom and trailing-link landing gear for varied landing strip capabilities.
- A proof-of-concept certified version will be shown at Oshkosh, with production model demonstrators available for flights by October.
- The company has secured over 40 orders for the certified aircraft, with production in Canada and sales handled in the U.S.
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