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A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, making the vehicle an amphibious aircraft.[1] British usage is to call floatplanes "seaplanes" rather than use the term "seaplane" to refer to both floatplanes and flying boats.[2]
- ^ James M. Triggs (Winter 1971). "Floatplane Flying". Air Trails: 39.
- ^ The Oxford English Dictionary defines "seaplane" as "An aeroplane designed to be able to operate from water; specifically, one with floats, in contrast to a flying boat."