Seaplane Economics: A Quantitative Cost Comparison of Seaplanes and Land Planes for Sea Base Operations
Abstract
The last U.S. military use of seaplanes was in the 1950s, but the emergence of the Sea Base concept has created requirements that seaplanes could fulfill. This study examined whether there is an economic justification for using seaplanes, the method being a quantitative cost comparison between existing conventional fixed-wing aircraft (land planes) operating from an air base and concept seaplanes operating from a Sea Base. Using published current and historical data a total cost per flight hour was determined for both land planes and seaplanes. This hourly rate included crew salary, procurement, maintenance, and fuel costs for both cases. The development cost was also included in the total hourly rate for seaplanes. These rates were then used to analyze specific missions comparing total cost, fuel usage, and response time for the land plane and seaplane scenarios. The analysis showed that the seaplane scenario was generally more economical and used less fuel as the land air base distance became greater than 400 nautical miles. The response time was always quicker for the seaplane scenario. The conclusion is that there is a clear economic justification for use of seaplanes for Sea Base operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA487947
Entities
People
- Rajeev Shrestha
- Stephanie Smith
- Thomas Denz
Organizations
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division