Seaplanes are not boats that look like planes. A seaplane is in fact a form of an aircraft that is capable of taking off and landing on water. This characteristic is what sets it apart from the typical land planes. Instead of wheels as landing gears, seaplanes have "floats" mounted underneath the fuselage. The floats are of course, this type of vehicle's source of buoyancy. But seaplanes are not to be confused with amphibious aircrafts. Amphibious aircrafts can take off and land both on conventional "land" runways and water. A seaplane relies solely on water to be able to start a run.
There are two types of seaplanes. The first and the more popular one is the floatplane. Simply put, this type has its pontoons mounted underneath the fuselage. The other type is the flying boat. In this type, the fuselage is the one in charge of the buoyancy. This type also has small floats mounted on the wings to provide stability. Floatplanes are more popular because most land aircraft can be modified to become floatplanes easily. Plus, they're virtually more affordable than flying boats. An older 1969 MAULE M4-220C has a standard selling value of $49,500, while the newer 1997 CHRISTAVIA MK-1 is worth $40,000. CESSNA is the most sought-after floatplane for sale. A used CESSNA 185 WITH 550 & WIPS, for instance, has a price value of $140,000. Unlike flying boats, floatplanes are also typically more aerodynamic. It's true that the large floats mounted under the fuselages of floatplanes impose extra weight on the plane, but this has little effect on the speed.
