7 October 2025
“If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” An old saying sometimes attributed to Robert The Bruce watching a spider remake its web but it could also be applied to aircraft makers.
Such as the Thurston Seafire TA16.
The ‘16’ may refer to how many times someone has tried to develop this single-engine amphibious aircraft into a certified, commercially available product (or may not) but someone is trying again.
Thurston Aircraft LLC has announced renewed momentum behind its TA16 Seafire amphibian aircraft, promising a modern revival of a classic concept for private pilots, expedition adventurers and seaplane enthusiasts. Watch here
The TA16 Seafire traces its roots to the original Thurston TA16 Trojan, a homebuilt amphibious aircraft conceived during the 1970s. The Trojan featured a high-mounted pylon-mounted engine, retractable landing gear for land operations, and a flying-boat hull for water use.
In December 1982, a prototype Seafire (registered N16SA) first flew, but despite promising performance, formal certification efforts stalled, and the project languished.
Later attempts under Aquastar and other entities in the 2000s got as far as 85% certification completion before again petering out.
Seafire is closely related to the Thurston Teal amphibian
Now, Thurston Aircraft is pushing to bring the Seafire name back in full force, combining the original design vision with modern avionics, materials, and a renewed certification strategy.
Key features include:
The revitalised Thurston Aircraft is bullish about the Seafire, taking orders now for delivery in 2028 with prices of $995,000 for the Lycoming version, and $1,198.000 for the DeltaHawk version.
