for those of us that grew up watching OLD movies, Maureen O'Hara was a familiar star. Famous for starring in 5 John Wayne movies, and 2 Jimmy Stewart movies, and being an Irish BEAUTY, but I just learned she married a retired USAF general (similar to Jimmy Stewart) who had a very smart business, flying amphibs between the Virgin Islands

 

She married Charles Blair (I've never heard of him before) who had this seaplane airline, and she helped run the airline business in Saint Croix, and edited a magazine, but later sold them to spend more time in Glengarriff in Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maureen_O%27Hara

https://www.antillesairboats.com/

Thanks Doug! 

what the hell did someone make this for? By coincidence, Kim just wrote an article about it 2 days ago!

notice the airboat engine in the back

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1635419244559864

Hydrokopter Amphibian NE 3000

This Finnish vessel was developed and built in the 1970s by Finnish-Swedes Nils Eriksson and his son Raimo, who saw the need for a vessel that could cross water, snow and ice in the Åboland archipelago a few hundred kilometers west of Finnish capital Helsinki.

Amphibian had sprung, retractable wheels, so that if it had to drive a little on solid ground, it could be equipped with skis.

A Ford V6 engine - later Rover V8 - powered the hydrocopter's propeller, giving it a speed of 8 knots in water, 12 knots over young snow and over 50 knots on ice (57 mph - yeehaw!!). On the other hand, the propeller was very noisy, which is why people had to wear ear protection when sitting in it.

Amphibian was a great success: In Finland they were sold to the coast guard, the military, the police, the fire department and the postal service. The Swedish coast guard and a few municipalities in Sweden also purchased some, the latter using it to transport children to school when ordinary boats could not sail.

At ‘Maskinverkstad Niels Eriksson’ in the town of Lileax, around 130 were built over 20 years, of which there are probably 20-30 left. A few years ago, an Amphibian NE 3000 went for $7,570 when it went under the hammer at the Swedish Klaraviks Auctions.

thank you Kim! 

Italy's Lake Bracciano was used as a seaplane airport, beginning in 1906, known as Aeroporto di Bracciano-Vigna di Valle, on the Southern shore, during the 1930s as part of Rome's airport infrastructure. It is only 15 miles from Rome

It was recognized as one of the most famous water airports in Italy and holds the Italian Air Force Historical Museum.

Rome's first international airport, Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Fiumicino), opened in 1960, gradually taking over, and now the lake is the water source for Rome, carefully protected from all pollution

The lake owes its origin to intense volcanic and tectonic activity from 600,000 to 40,000 years ago, which created many small volcanoes in the Sabatino territory. The main magma chamber was situated under the present lake of Bracciano. Its collapse created the depressed area now occupied by the lake

it serves as a drinking water reservoir for the city of Rome, it has been under control since 1986 in order to avoid pollution of its waters. The use of motorboats is strictly forbidden (exceptions being made for a few professional fishermen and the authorities), and a centralized sewer system has been built for all the bordering towns in order to avoid any spoiling of the water quality, making Bracciano one of the cleanest lakes in Italy. The absence of motorized navigation favors sailing, canoeing and swimming.

https://www.forgottenairfields.com/airfield-vigna-di-valle-1334.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bracciano

The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth put a replica of the Walrus L2312 seaplane in their shark tank!

One plane crew sent on a secret mission from Plymouth in WWII never returned. The aquarium hopes to honor them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c3wnqq01yxpo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7964767.stm

https://www.reddit.com/r/submechanophobia/comments/1b2z6wq/plymouth_aquarium/

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/theres-sunken-ww2-plane-wreck-621237

Tales of the Gold Monkey, a 1982 tv show, in the short time where adventure was prime time fodder, and Bring Em Back Alive was on another channel, took viewers on a thrilling journey back to 1938 in the South Pacific.

It was actually pitched to the networks in 1979, a few years before Raiders of the Lost Ark was released, and the popularity of Raiders Of The Lost Arc is what allowed Gold Monkey and Bring ‘Em Back Alive to be greenlit during that television season.

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/10/frank-buck-guy-that-went-to-africa-in.html

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/03/built-for-maharaja-of-jodhpurs-hunting.html

The series follows Jake Cutter, a rugged pilot and owner of the amphibious seaplane known as the “Pride of the Pacific”  — a Grumman amphib

Operating out of a remote island called Bora Gora, Jake battles spies, warlords, and all manner of villains while juggling romances and friendships. Although it lasted only 22 episodes, Tales of the Gold Monkey earned critical praise for its nostalgic 1930s pulp style, fun blend of humor and adventure, and strong performances.

A tv series about a cargo pilot’s adventures set in the 1930s South Pacific? If this sounds like the Disney show TaleSpin, that’s because Gold Monkey was a major influence upon the creator of TaleSpin, Jymn Magon.

One of the co-stars, Jeff MacKay - the friend and mechanic, was in Ba Ba Black Sheep, and Magnum PI

A lot of the episodes are available on You Tube

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1302291411908549&set=a.737484018389294

https://blog.cocopunk.com/2013/05/16/tales-of-the-gold-monkey/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Gold_Monkey

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083488/

https://oddballpilot.com/2014/07/review-tales-of-the-gold-monkey/

great marketing idea... what's the 1st thing you'd think of if you were adrift at sea, and a friendly plane came to save you?

 https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/

Goodyear made amphibious planes after WW2, called them the Ducks, and hoped that the tens of thousands of young people who had just learned in the Army how to fly, would want to buy a plane and keep enjoying that newfound talent (thank you George for this cool story!)

Above, the one that was restored some time ago

but it's more fascinating to me to see the ones fresh out of decades of storage

Goodyear Aircraft was hoping the more than 500,000 men and women trained to fly during the war would buy a brand new plane. 

But... there were a couple hundred thousand Army Surplus planes cheaper, that they were already familiar with, for a lot less money. 

As a result, less than 2 dozen were made and sold. 

4 were just found in Kalamazoo, well, dismantled, and 2 in a storage garage, and 2 in a chicken coop. They hope all the parts are there to fully assemble 2. 

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2025/06/02/maps-air-museum-bringing-amphibious-goodyear-duck-planes-back-to-ohio/83942862007/

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1343917314112719&set=pcb.1343917560779361

the world’s only DC-3 on gargantuan floats took to the skies for the first time since 2004.

The airplane, N130Q, was constructed by Douglas at Santa Monica, California in 1943 as a C-53D-DO with serial number 42-68834. As a landplane, it flew for Eastern Airlines after conversion to DC-3B specification until 1952 as N86562, before passing through a series of other civilian owners

In 1986 it was bought by Folsom’s Air Service in Greenville, a major seaplane operation and location of the International Seaplane Fly-In every September. Folsom set out to recreate the famous XC-47C floatplane that was the subject of USAAC trials in the latter stages of World War II.

Approximately 30 sets of Model 78-29000 floats were built by the Edo Corporation for C-47s during WWII, and roughly a half dozen C-47s operated as floatplanes in military service (numbers vary depending on the source). This is the sole civilian DC-3 converted to floats , first flying in the early 1990's and making the rounds on the airshow circuit after failing to obtain type certification for commercial ops. After the floats were damaged in the early 2000's, the aircraft sat idle on wheels at Greenville until Summer 2020 when the aircraft was returned to its floats.

The C-53’s conversion to an amphibian was not without its challenges; Folsom had acquired one of the only remaining intact sets of Edo 28000 floats around the same time as the DC-3, but it took four years to have the required hardware machined and fitted to the airplane before its first flight in 1990.

https://www.guruge.com/the-only-dc-3-float-plane-in-existence-belonging-to-max-folsom-of-greenville-maine/

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10306240

https://vintageaviationnews.com/vintage-aviation/worlds-only-dc-3-on-floats-takes-to-the-skies.html

one of the JRS-1s that survived Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor

https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/sikorsky-jrs-1-udvar-hazy-center

this is just fantastic... I'm going to guess no kids ever played with it, some guy bought it and kept it on display

https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2024/06/could-kid-play-with-that-without.html

In the late 1940s, the USAF ordered a militarized version of the Cessna Model 195 – the LC-126A.

https://thejivebombers.com/2023/12/22/classy-bird/

interesting tourist duck boat in the new animated movie, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

there are two guys working on fixing that engine while it's running, on either side of the engine, sitting on an interesting rope swing each.... must be an ignition timing problem

A Catalina (A24-65) of 43 Squadron RAAF (Black Cats) undergoes engine tests whilst taxiing near Darwin Harbor in 1945.

https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2024/02/looks-like-hes-working-on-it-as-its.html

https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=413355411205307&id=100075925548307&paipv=0

amphibian tractor on display at "Treasury House" exhibition in Washington, D.C.

https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A201968/datastream/IMAGE/view

Italy's Volandia museum has unveiled a replica of a Savoia Marchetti S 55 X, an aircraft type which was used by Italo Balbo for his 1933 Atlantic crossing.

In 1933, Balbo led a formation of 24 of these flying boats from Orbetello, Italy to Chicago to participate in the Chicago World Fair named “A Century of Progress”, celebrating the centenary of the founding of the city of Illinois.

This static replica was built over the course of seven years in a total of approximately eight thousand person-hours utilizing the original drawings of Alessandro Marchetti. Thanks to the dedication and passion of a core of ten passionate, former workers of Siai Marchetti of Sesto Calende, and some Volandia volunteers, also supported by important local industries, the museum now exhibits the most iconic Italian air

https://warbirdsnews.com/vintage-aviation/savoia-marchetti-historical-group-unveils-s-55-replica.html#google_vignette

I've posted about these aircraft several times https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=Balbo

Five years after 17 people died when a duck boat sank on a Missouri lake, the U.S. Coast Guard has issued new rules for the amphibious World War II vessels retrofitted for tourist excursions.

But the new rules have limited impact: Only 16 applicable vessels are still in use.

The rules apply only to repurposed World War II-era Army vessels now used for land-and-water tours — not newer vehicles built specifically for tourist trips. The 16 older vessels in use are operated by three companies, the rules document states. The Coast Guard didn't say where those boats are, but 10 are part of one Arkansas fleet.

Ten of the 16 remaining World War II-era vessels in operation are part of National Park Duck Tours in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which takes about 100,000 visitors each year on a tour of the historic downtown and a water ride around islands in Lake Hamilton.

Duck boats have been involved in more than 40 fatal accidents since 1999. 

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/09/14/coast-guard-issues-new-rules-repurposed-wwii-era-duck-boats-aimed-improve-safety.html

Kellogg's PEP Model Warplane Series "Mosquito"

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/51766076589/in/album-72157672968365917/

William (Willy K) Vanderbilt's Sikorsky S 43, in San Diego, in 1937

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/albums/72157711086321396/with/48804314362/

This is the Vanderbilt that was so in love with cars he started Vanderbilt Cup races  https://www.huntingtonny.gov/filestorage/13747/99540/16499/William_K._Vanderbilt_II.pdf

The problem was, he impressed the wrong people with it, and the Army brass decided they REALLY liked it for their own comfortable flying around to international golf courses. (am I guessing, or spot on?) 

It was "impressed" by the U.S. Army Air Corps 14 September 1941 and designated OA-11, 42-001. It was destroyed in a crash landing in Trinidad, Nov 1941.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sikorsky_S-43_NC-16925_(5996028804).jpg

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/cradle_of_aviation_archives_willie_ks_sikorsky_s_43_seaplane_at_roosevelt_f

the Savoia-Marchetti S.55, a cool design, similar to that 1920's Italian river racer, for Boston to New York passenger service, and shocking me, it's connected to last weeks posts on the Yucatan expedition autogyro, as this is Lewis Yancy's plane (under the words Air Via) July, 1929

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/5863349513/in/album-72157626899741411/

All the passengers or cargo were placed in the twin hulls, but the pilot and crew captained the plane from a cockpit in the thicker section of the wing, between the two hulls. The S.55 had two inline contra-rotating propellers, mounted in tandem.

The last remaining example is preserved in Brazil, at the TAM "Asas de um sonho" museum, at São Carlos, São Paulo.

you can see the best gallery of these at https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/savoia-marchetti-s-55.html?sortBy=relevant

I had forgotten that I'd posted about them once, but they were not easily recognizable in the poster art about Gemneral Balbo's flight to the 1933 'Century of Progress' World's Fair

See https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/02/in-1932-capt-lewis-yancey-piloted.html for Yancy's circumnavigation around South America, and the Auto Gyro flights around the Mayan pyramids in the Yucatan

in 1929, Yancey spoke at Dartmouth about his transatlantic flight, and what it took to arrange such a feat with airplane company, and engines https://archive.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/article/1930/2/1/growth-of-aviation-at-dartmouth in the Green Flash https://www.historynet.com/flight-of-the-yellow-bird-and-the-first-transatlantic-stowaway/

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/431154339/

https://newspaperarchive.com/olean-times-aug-17-1929-p-1/

https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-times-jul-12-1929-p-1/

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/538715062/

https://newspaperarchive.com/joplin-globe-jul-09-1929-p-1/

Born in Chicago, Yancey enlisted in the United States Navy in 1911 and was made a lieutenant during World War I. He left the Navy in 1921 and became a ship's officer for the Isthmian Steamship Company. 

With continued study, he achieved master mariner status and the title of Captain. Yancey joined the United States Coast Guard in April 1925 and became interested in aviation and the science of navigation then. 

His knowledge of air navigation put him in demand with pilots in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1927, he made his first transcontinental flight as co-pilot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Yancey

this reminds me of the 1920's Italian river racer https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/12/ok-somebody-tell-me-what-this-is.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_S.55

thank you Kim!

Also see https://thejivebombers.com/2018/11/14/new-category-italian-aircraft-well-start-with-some-classics-from-savoia-marchetti

interesting looking design

https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/albums/72157626899741411/page4

Bernt Balchen's sea-plane before take off for Horse Island, Newfoundland, in Viking Disaster rescue