Building Your SeaRey
The standard SeaRey kit comes complete with virtually everything you need to finish the airframe, except for the finish color paint. The engine (prop, exhaust etc), electrics and flight instruments, are not included with the standard airframe kit and are usually ordered later in your build. Also, these items are “personal choice” items and our experience is that each builder enjoys exercising their freedom to “customize” their individual aircraft with various engine and instrumentation options.
You can pick up or we can deliver. The airframe kit comes in a purpose built wooden crate that is 49”w x 35”h x 192”L (1.24w x .89h x 4.88L in meters) in dimension and weighs approx 1,300lbs (590Kgs). If you wish, the crate itself (or parts of it) can become a great work surface for your SeaRey Assembly. Over the years one of our specialties has become the safe and efficient transport of aircraft kits.
Kit Pick Up: To save some cash and enjoy a trip to Orlando, Florida you can pick up the kit yourself. When you are here why not take some dual SeaRey training with our factory pilots? A standard car type flat bed trailer is ideal for transportation. We will advise you in advance when your kit will be ready and make an appointment for your pickup at the factory. When you arrive we have the equipment to help you load, but bring your own tie down equipment and warning flags. Also make sure you check your insurance for safe transport of your kit.
Kit Delivery: If you wish to instead have your kit shipped commercially, no problem, we would be happy to provide you with an estimate. The kit will arrive on a transport truck with a deck that is four feet high. The simplest and safest way to unload the kit right into your garage is with a flatbed tow truck (tilting style) that are widely available. Several of our customers have reported that the whole operation, tow truck included cost well under $100 and took about a half hour. Click here for a detailed power point made up by one of our customers. Unloading the Crate
We recommend that you leave the ordering of the engine and instruments until you are well advanced with the assembly of the airframe. There is no point in outlaying the money and having those more expensive components lying around. In fact it is not really necessary to have the engine on hand until the airframe is basically complete.
The kit components are well packed with all parts labelled and easily identifiable. The factory does an excellent job of auditing the kit packaging process and it is rare for any parts to be missing.
It is quite easy for a single person to unpack the crate, except for the hull which, more because of its size, is best handled by two people.
Construction & Setup
Construction time is approximately 700 hours. The overall time really depends on each individual builder’s personal preferences and the degree to which the owner wishes to customize the aircraft. It is amazing how much of the main aircraft structure is actually assembled after only 200 hours, with the attention to detail for small items, taking up the most time. Such things as elaborate paintjobs, trim and carpeting for example, can take extra time, the extent of which is dependant on the choices of materials and finishes made by the builder and the level of quality of the finish required by the builder.
For the construction of your SeaRey Kit, you will need only standard tools, no special jigs or machinery are required.
A standard two-car garage and average “handyman equipment” is ideal for the majority of the aircraft assembly.
The majority of the kit components come pre-drilled, bent and shaped, ready for you to simply bolt and pop rivet together, “meccano” set style. You are provided with aircraft-quality aluminum, fabric and steel parts, AN (milspec) hardware and components. Aluminum parts are pre-anodized for excellent corrosion proofing of your seaplane. Nearly all the parts necessary to build your SeaRey structure are included, up to the silver-coat paint. Additional “custom” finishes like lining trims and carpets, being personal choice items, are not included. You will need to provide the finish colour paint, allowing for your personal touch.
We strongly recommend that you adhere to the Stitts Poly Fiber Process and select Paints which are compatible with Stitts for your finish color.
Structural Detail
The SeaRey Hull is composed of strong, lightweight, reinforced fiberglass or optionally carbon fiber. It comes in three parts - hull, front deck, and turtledeck. The fiberglass work has been done for you, so you only have to rivet these pieces together. The fiberglass components are white gel coated, so they don't need to be painted. However, if you prefer, you can custom paint them. Carbon fiber hulls and decks (not gel coated) are also now available which have the added advantage of being extremely strong and much lighter in weight. A basic instrument panel is moulded into the front deck however many builders fabricate their own out of ABS plastic, Aluminum or composite material.
The wings are fabricated in the standard tube-and-ladder type construction with a C-cell leading edge. The wing spars are made of strong aircraft grade tubing and the pre-formed wing ribs are riveted to the spars. The slightly drooped fiberglass wing tips enhance overall performance.
The ailerons, flaps, and elevators are controlled by using push-pull and torsional tubes. The mechanical flaps are actuated by a lever located just above the pilot's and passenger's shoulder. The ailerons are counterbalanced. The rudder is cable controlled. Electric trim is standard. Electric flaps are optional.
The wings and all flying surfaces are covered using conventional aircraft coverings and finishes. The SeaRey comes with the time proven Polyfiber (Stitts) covering system and materials and is not a difficult process to learn. The Polyfiber manual is included with the kit. If you wish you can attend one of the Polyfiber two day classes on aircraft fabric covering held periodically all over the US and Canada but it is not necessary. A good read of the Polyfiber manual and then starting with an elevator or rudder, is a good introduction to the process and is soon easily mastered.
The standard landing gear is a mechanical retraction system. All three wheels retract and extend in one motion by pulling a single Johnson-bar type lever located between the knees of the pilot and passenger. The retraction mechanism uses over-centre locks in both up and down positions. An optional electrically actuated gear retraction system is available.
The 6” inch main wheels and 4 inch steerable tail wheel have pneumatic tires. The Maule tail wheel has a breakaway feature which allows it to caster 360 degrees on hard turns. The standard brakes are Hydraulic with lever control in the cockpit or optionally toe brakes on the rudder pedals.
The most common engine options include the four-cylinder, four cycle 80 hp Rotax 912, 100 hp 912 ULS engine or the 115 hp Rotax 914 turbo charged.
The engine is mounted on kinetic rubber mounts to reduce vibration. The standard propeller is a 3 blade ground adjustable variable pitch prop.
Custom Cockpit and Instrument Panels
The kit comes with rugged seating that can take a beating and is water resistant. However, the cockpit and instrument panel are one area that customers quite often express their individual creativity and workmanship. We show here a number of customer cockpits that they have custom designed.
Assembly Manual
The Kit includes an Assembly Manual which sets out clearly, the simple step by step process for assembling the main aircraft structure.
Construction Support
Progressive Aerodyne provides telephone support to builders for questions and clarification as needed (see contact us).
The STS (SeaRey Technical Support Group) is also another wonderful source of support for the SeaRey Builder. This is a free web site owned and operated by SeaRey customers and builders. Over the years many builders have contributed to the site and there is a wealth of knowledge and valuable information on the site. They have set up a “Tips” file which is jammed with helpful hints and ideas for the newcomer to building and customizing a SeaRey. To maintain quality of membership, access to this site is reserved only for those who have purchased or own a SeaRey. Please note that this site is customer owned and operated and therefore Progressive Aerodyne has no control as to its content.
Registration
The SeaRey is registered as a 51% built Experimental Aircraft and similar such categories in other countries.