SEA.1
Société Belge d'Etudes Aéronautiques · Belgium · first flew 1936 · light aircraft
The SEA.1 was a Belgian multi-purpose light twin-engined monoplane flown in 1936. Only one was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Two radial engines mounted close to the fuselage, well ahead of the leading edges, in broad-chord cowlings with long nacelles |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Cantilever low wing, strongly straight tapered with semi-elliptical tips
- Two radial engines mounted close to the fuselage, well ahead of the leading edges, in broad-chord cowlings with long nacelles
- Retractable undercarriage with the mainwheels enclosed in the nacelles in flight
The enclosed cockpit had side-by-side seats, with a cabin behind for up to six passengers entered by a large port-side door. The tapered horizontal tail was mounted close to the top of the fuselage, with a small fin and a large rounded balanced rudder.
Specifications
- The SEA.1 has a length of 9.5 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.5 m (41 ft).
- Typical crew: 1-2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the first aircraft the Société Belge d'Etudes Aéronautiques built to its own design, intended for many civil and military roles in the same way as the Avro Anson. It was registered as OO-PET on 28 May 1936 and had flown for fifteen hours by early September 1936.
Variants
By mid-1938 the twin 165 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major engines had been replaced by a single 260 hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radial. The retractable undercarriage was replaced by fixed gear.
Where you'll see it
It appeared at the Brussels Aero show in 1937. It was removed from the civil register on 7 July 1938 and used as a training machine by the Belgian forces.
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