Island X-199 Spectra
Island Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1969 · light aircraft
The Island X-199 Spectra was a two-seat prototype technology demonstrator designed to test several concepts for a small amphibian aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, tail-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.48 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Piston engine mounted in a nacelle on the vertical T-tail, above the water spray
- Flying-boat hull with a retractable hull step
- Outer wing panels from a Vultee BT-13 with drooping wing tips that act as stabilising floats
A small flying boat with the engine and propeller high on the T-tail, a streamlined hull and drooping tips on the outer wings.
Specifications
- The Island X-199 Spectra has a length of 8.48 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.96 m (33 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
LeRoy LoPresti designed it in 1969, and the sole prototype made its first flight that year. It was meant to lead to a larger four-seat Spectra IV, planned for 1972.
Variants
The Spectra 2 was a one-sixth scale radio-controlled test model, and the Spectra IV was an enlarged four-seat version that was never built.
Where you'll see it
The prototype flew as a flying boat without true amphibian capability. No production followed and its flight certificate was revoked in 1977.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.