Seawind 3000
These figures describe a typical build. Each aircraft of this design was built by its owner, and the one you are looking at may differ.
The Seawind 3000 is a four-seat composite amphibian kit with its 310 hp Continental IO-550 mounted on the fin above the cabin: a 35 ft wing, retractable gear, 2,300 lb empty and 3,400 lb gross, with the kit programme's figures of 147 knots at 55%, a 63-knot stall, 1,250 fpm and 905 nm; about eighty were built from kits before the certified 300C programme stalled.
The Seawind is the fastest four-seat amphibian a private owner can buy and one of the most demanding: a high engine that pitches the aircraft when power changes, a 63-knot clean stall, a long composite hull to inspect for water damage and repairs, and an accident record that makes insurers cautious and type training essential. Every one is a kit aeroplane whose layups, fuel system and retraction gear are the builder's work, with a factory that no longer produces kits, so support is the owners' group and the few shops that know the type. Retractable gear and a constant-speed prop make it complex and 310 hp high-performance for endorsement purposes, and a seaplane rating is needed to use the hull. The owner may maintain it and the condition inspection needs an A&P or the repairman certificate.
Variants of the Seawind
- Seawind 3000 · 31 active · this page
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TAILFAX SCORE
Among 3–4 seat pistons (223 models)
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Put Seawind 3000 side by side with up to three other models.
- Seawind 3000
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What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | amphibious |
| Engines | — |
| Engine | Continental IO-550-N (310 hp) |
| Horsepower | 310 hp |
| Fuel | — |
| Certification basis | amateur-built |
| Production start | — |
| Production end | — |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise (75 % power) | 147 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range (75 %, standard fuel, 30-min reserve) | 905 nm |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,250 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 63 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,100 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | — |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,400 lb |
| Empty weight | 2,300 lb |
| Usable fuel | — |
| Fuel burn at cruise | — |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | — |
|---|---|
| Price, high | — |
| Prices as of | — |
| Engine TBO | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 68 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 31 |
| Median year built | 2005 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 5 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 161.29 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 161.29 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 3 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 9.68 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 3 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 31 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 31 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 31 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 0 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10)1 |
| Severity | 0.4 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10)2 |
| Access | 1.7 of 103 |
| Support | 1.4 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 0.3 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 3.8 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 33.21 · 223 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 796.
- Support: class median 131.
- Liquidity: class median 19.89.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · ADs Oct 8 · scores Sep 30