Amphibious Ultralight Flying Boat

BlueMesh

AIRCRAFTULTRA LIGHTINFLATABLEAMPHIBIOUSBOAT

3.5/5 (462)

Are you ready for the adventure?

All began in 1986 when Polaris Motors SRL, the first manufacturer of ultralight hang gliders, joined forces with Lomac, a leading manufacturer of inflatable boats, to design the Polaris Flying Inflatable Boat, which is similar to the Rigid Inflatable Boat we know today. The semi-rigid boat is known for its exceptional nautical qualities and its unparalleled carrying capacity. The passive safety inherent in the inflatable formula (lightness, resistance to capsizing) and the glide of the semi-rigid hull make it the ideal candidate for landing and taking off in optimal safety conditions, even in rough seas. And the formula has worked beyond all expectations, with more than 1500 units spread around the world since 1987. Governments, environmental associations, special forces, private companies, yachtsmen, hotels and resorts, but above all a large majority of enthusiasts use it throughout the world.

The AM-FIB is a single-engine amphibious ultralight aircraft manufactured by Italian aviation producer Polaris Motor. Released in 2003, the company based the AM-FIB, which is short for “Amphibious Flying Inflatable Boat,” on it earlier FIB design (“Flying Inflatable Boat”).

The AM-FIB design is based on a fusion between a small inflatable boat and a hang glider, with the addition of a propulsion source and terrestrial landing gear. The craft, which has tandem, two-place seating in its open cockpit, features a high main wing made of aluminum tubing and Dacron sailcloth, retractable tricycle landing gear, and a pusher motor configuration. The AM-FIB is steered in the air through weight-shift control inputs, in the water with a retractable rudder, and on the ground with a steerable nose wheel. It’s powered by a liquid-cooled, two-cylinder, 64-horsepower Rotax 582 engine that turns a three-blade composite, fixed-pitch propeller. The AM-FIB cruises at 43 miles per hour, has a top speed of 50, and climbs at nearly 900 feet per minute.

One of the most interesting and enjoyable craft ever produced, the Polaris Motor AM-FIB combines all the fun of a small boat with that of an ultralight. Able to operate from pavement, dirt, grass, a beach, and of course, water, the AM-FIB is not only extremely versatile in terms of where it can takeoff and land, but it’s a great performer in the air.

Specifications

SPEEDCruise: knots 43 Max.: knots 55
TYPICAL RANGE240 km / 130 nmi
LENGTH3.75 m ( 9 ft 8 in)
WINGSPAN13.2 m (42 ft 6 in)
HEIGHT3.13 m (9 ft 8 in)
TAKEOFF150 m (492 ft)
MAX WEIGHT450 kg (992 lb)
FUEL CAPACITY45 l (12 USg)
ENGINEBombardier Rotax 582