Convair XF2Y Sea Dart

The Convair XF2Y Sea Dart is an American experimental supersonic fighter aircraft built by Convair for the United States Navy, flown for the first time in 1953 as an unusual attempt to combine supersonic jet performance with a seaplane's ability to operate from water rather than a conventional runway or aircraft carrier deck. Built with a hull-shaped fuselage and retractable twin hydro-skis used for takeoff and landing on water instead of wheels or floats, the Sea Dart became, during a 1954 test flight, the only seaplane ever recorded exceeding the speed of sound, though the aircraft type also suffered a fatal in-flight breakup during a 1954 public demonstration that killed its test pilot. Persistent handling and reliability problems with the hydro-ski landing system led the Navy to cancel the program in the late 1950s without entering production.