A blast from aviation's past might make a splash in the future as Tidal Flight signs a Letter of Intent with Tropic Ocean Airways for 20 of the company's super-efficient hybrid-electric Polaris amphibian seaplanes worth over US$100 million.
Many think of seaplanes as things of the past – relics of a bygone age of Pan Am Clippers and Short Sunderland flying boats that have have slowly disappeared, leaving only a few tiny float planes used by fishermen headed for the Canadian wilds. But in fact, seaplanes are surprisingly widespread, serving many islands or waterfront areas that can't spare the land for even a small airport.
Until the jet age, seaplanes were major players in air transportation, with the first regular intercontinental airplane services taking off and landing on the water. By the late 1940s, there were even planes for giant amphibious aircraft, with the most ambitious models boasting jet engines.
Even today, in places like the Pacific Northwest, there are regular seaplane services not only to isolated islands, but between the centers of cities like Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia. They're also showing something of a resurgence as investors grow tired of spending billions of dollars on eVTOL taxi services that have an irritating tendency to remain a few years off and begin to look at seaplanes as an alternative for short-haul routes.
And they are keeping pace with technology and modern market demands. Ones like the prototype Polaris are much more streamlined than something like a Grumman Albatross. According to the company, the Polaris is a clean-sheet, hybrid-electric amphibious seaplane with a 59-ft (18-m) wingspan and take-off weight of 12,500 lb (5,670 kg).
Propulsion is courtesy of a pair of electric nacelles set on the V-tail empennage, with low-tip-speed propellers powered by an internal combustion engine turning a generator that feeds a battery. This gives it a cruising speed of 162 knots (186 mph, 300 km/h) at an altitude of 7,000 ft (2,100 m), with a range of 1,034 nautical miles (1,189 miles, 1,915 km) carrying a one-tonne payload, including up to 12 passengers.
Oh, and the company claims that the hybrid powertrain cuts takeoff noise by approximately 20 decibels and improves fuel efficiency by 85% compared to similar aircraft flying similar routes. In addition, there are foldable sponsons on the wing for reduced aerodynamic drag.
So far, a 1/6th scale model of Polaris has flown, with a full-sized prototype scheduled to fly in 2027 and passenger service expected by 2030. Currently, the aircraft is designed to fly on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), which eliminates the need for new, complex, expensive support systems, but future versions will use hydrogen or a full battery system appropriate for short hauls.
"Tidal’s quiet, comfortable, hybrid-electric aircraft helps us deliver on our sustainability goals while offering a superior product to our customers and without compromising on range, payload, or cruise speed," said Founder & CEO, Rob Ceravolo. "Polaris brings a legitimate improvement to our revenue generation capability and reduction in operating costs, rather than compromising on the business case to accommodate electrification."
Source: Tidal Flight
