Landseaire flying yacht

[Talbot]

Photo shoot by Loomis Dean, LIFE photographer in 1950

I'm not sure if an article was ever written. More info here:

http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/more-landseaire.html

 

[Talbot]

 

[kiwilrdg]

I always thought the Catilinas looked more like general aviation planes than military. I can see why some were converted to pleasure craft.

 

[m0nk]

Very cool plane. I would love to take the family flying yacht out to go fishing...

 

[Stanley Doble]

A friend of mine had one that he converted into a yacht (not a flying one though). He dealt in war surplus, at one time he had 4 Cansos.

 

[Heater]

That's the life!

 

[Stearmen]

Grumman Goose

This is a real Air Yacht. Still expensive, but you only need one pilot and no flight engineer. Plus, it will get into places a PBY will never fit, like this lake! [video=youtube;bwNI4hWAYoE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwNI4hWAYoE [/video]

 

[Stearmen]

Grumman Widgeon

How about the miniature version of The Flying Yacht? Far more affordable, if you consider $250,000 affordable! Where's that darn winning Loto ticket? [video=youtube;6vivJ7KPIBc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vivJ7KPIBc [/video]

 

[Talbot]

There's somthing about boats that fly....

 

[Treetopflyer]

I wonder if the PBY in the LIFE pictures was owned by the same family as this PBY in the Saudi desert. It's Catalina N5593V.
[video=youtube;IT1L6zmEI24]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT1L6zmEI24&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

 

[Dixon Cannon]

You know, the Silorsky S-38 (that we saw so prominently in 'The Aviator') was marketed as 'The Explorers Air Yacht', and for the rich of Howard Hughes' caliber, it certainly was. Here is an interior shot of the modern replica, 'Osa's Ark' that does the air show circuit.

-dixon cannon