Flying boat

Japanese: 飛行艇 - ひこうてい（英語表記）flying boat

An airplane that is equipped to take off and land on water. Unlike a normal seaplane, the fuselage that houses the crew, passengers, and equipment is boat-shaped. As long as there is a large, calm water surface, takeoff and landing is possible without the need for a large runway, for a time (at the beginning of World War II, around 1935 to 1940) large long-distance aircraft were limited to flying boats. However, there are many disadvantages to flying boats, such as (1) the fuselage is boat-shaped, and the engine must be mounted away from the water surface, which increases the air resistance of the aircraft, (2) the need for a powerful engine to overcome the water resistance when taking off makes it less economical, (3) the fuselage must have a waterproof compartment in order to float, which reduces the amount of payload, (4) the aircraft's lifespan is short because seawater corrodes it when flying on the sea surface, and (5) it is difficult to install landing guidance facilities such as instrument landing, and it is technically difficult to control when taking off and landing on water. Now that land-based aircraft have improved in performance and airfield construction technology has developed, flying boats are not used for anything other than very special purposes (rescue, patrol, leisure). Japan has one of the world's leading technologies for flying boats, and produced high-performance flying boats such as the H8K during the war and the PS-1 after the war. Currently, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force uses the US-1A and US-2 as rescue aircraft.

[Kazuo Ochiai]

[Reference] | Seaplane

Rescue flying boat US-2
A rescue flying boat of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Overall length 33.3m, overall width 33.2m, total weight 47.7t, maximum speed over 560km/h, crew of 11 ©Shogakukan ">

Rescue flying boat US-2

Savoia Marchetti SM55
An Italian flying boat with a unique twin-fuselage design. Wingspan 24.0m, overall length 16.5m, maximum weight 7.2t, cruising speed 170km/h, range 1100km, 9-11 passengers (the above figures are for the SM55C model), first flight 1924 ©Shogakukan Library ">

Savoia Marchetti SM55

Sikorsky S42
American four-engine flying boat. Wingspan 34.79m, overall length 20.62m, maximum weight 17.2t, cruising speed 247km/h, range 1290km, 32 passengers, first flight 1934 ©Shogakukan Library ">

Sikorsky S42

Kawanishi four-engine flying boat (Kawanishi H6K)
A large four-engine flying boat, also known as the Type 97 Flying Boat. Wingspan 40.0m, overall length 24.9m, maximum weight 17.1t, cruising speed 333km/h, range 4330km, first flight 1938 (illustration shows H6K4 type) ©Shogakukan Library ">

Kawanishi four-engine flying boat (Kawanishi H6K)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

水面に発着するように設備された飛行機。普通の水上機と異なり、乗員・乗客・諸装備などを収める胴体部分を舟形にしてある。広い静かな水面があれば、広大な滑走路を必要とせず発着できるので、一時期（第二次世界大戦の初期、1935年から40年ごろ）、長距離用の大型機は飛行艇に限られていた。しかし、(1)胴体が舟形なうえに、エンジンを水面から離して取り付けなければならず、そのため機体の空気抵抗が大きくなる、(2)離水するとき水の抵抗に打ち勝つために強力なエンジンを必要とすることなどで経済性が劣る、(3)水に浮くため胴体内に防水区画を設ける必要があり、そのために搭載量が少なくなる、(4)海面を利用すると海水による機体の腐食が激しく、機体の寿命が短い、(5)計器着陸などの着陸誘導施設の設置が困難で、また技術的に水面への発着の際の操縦がむずかしい、など飛行機として不利な面が多く、陸上機の性能が向上したうえ、飛行場の建設技術が発達した現在では、ごく特殊の目的（救難、哨戒(しょうかい)、レジャー）以外には使われていない。日本は飛行艇に関して世界有数の技術をもっており、大戦中は二式大艇、戦後はPS-1などの高性能の飛行艇を生産してきた。現在海上自衛隊ではUS-1A、US-2を救難機として使用している。

［落合一夫］

[参照項目] | 水上機

救難飛行艇US-2
海上自衛隊の救難飛行艇。全長33.3m、全幅33.2m、全備重量47.7t、最大速度560km/h以上、乗員11名©Shogakukan">

救難飛行艇US-2

サボイア・マルケッティSM55
双胴のユニークな形をもつイタリアの飛行艇。翼幅24.0m、全長16.5m、最大重量7.2t、巡航速度170km/h、航続距離1100km、乗客9～11人（以上の数値はSM55C型）、初飛行1924年©小学館ライブラリー">

サボイア・マルケッティSM55

シコルスキーS42

川西式四発飛行艇（川西H6K）

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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