De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Floatplane Nanaimo Harbour
The allure of the seaplane began before there were any seaplanes. In the early 1900's groups of engineers were working toward the world's first powered aircraft. The Wright brothers managed to pull it off first on December 17, 1903. Many subsequent flights and designs of aircraft followed in the wake of their historic accomplishment. Being that the earth's surface is more than 70% covered in water, almost immediately (if not before) the race to build the first seaplane was met. By 1910 a frenchman named Henri Fabre completed the first seaplane flight in Martigues France in his design called "Le Canard". This was followed closely by designs from familiar aviation names like Curtiss and Boeing. Larger and larger flying boats were built and it seemed, for a time, that the seaplane was destined to become the world's preferred mode of transport. By the late 1930's advancing engineering technology and the proliferation of land based airstrips rang the death knell for transatlantic seaplane operators. The seaplane then took on a new role. In Canada, access to most communities was only possible by floatplane. Initially these planes were converted landplanes with floats attached. It was in the late 1940's that deHavilland Canada came up with the first true bush plane, the DHC-2 Beaver. It was followed by the Otter and the Twin Otter. It is widely accepted that these aircraft are the best floatplanes ever built and are a source of great pride for Canadians.
Size: 5660px × 3707px
Location: Nanaimo Harbour Vancouver Island BC British Columbia Canada
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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