Flying Boats & Seaplanes
There is a difference : Flying Boats, as the name implies, are specifically designed with Hulls similar in shape and strength to "standard" Boats.
Seaplanes are Aircraft fitted with Floats which support takeoff and landing on water. Some Aircraft, including a few Flying Boats, are amphibious, meaning they can also land on hard surface runways.
Many years ago I had the great fortune to visit the Granddaddy of all Flying Boats, the Spruce Goose, when is was hangared next to the Queen Mary (then turned into a Hotel) in Los Angeles. What amazed me first was the size of the cockpit (see photo below) which was absolutely enormous, particularly when compared to the usual cockpits I occupied over the years !
What a shame it took Howard Hughes so to construct the "Goose". At least he proved it would fly !!! A beautiful aircraft.
