The Convair F2Y Sea Dart was a unique American seaplane fighter jet aircraft that rode on twin hydro-skis for takeoff. It only flew as a prototype, and never entered production, but it is still the only seaplane to exceed the speed of sound.The Sea Dart began as Convair's entry to a 1948 Navy contest for a supersonic interceptor aircraft. There was at the time much scepticism about operating supersonic planes from aircraft carrier decks, which explains why the US Navy ordered so many subsonic fighters at that time. The worry had some foundation, since many supersonic designs of the time required long takeoff rolls and had high approach speeds, and were not very stable or easy to control - all factors that were troublesome on a carrier. Convair's proposal gained an order for two prototypes in late 1951. The aircraft was to be a delta-winged fighter with a watertight hull with twin retractable hydro-skis for takeoff and landing. When stationary or moving slowly in the water, the Sea...