The Seawind EP comes in a very attractive box that's loaded with nice pictures. The cardboard former that was designed to hold the tail in place had pulled its staples loose. There were two staples on the one side, but only one prong on one of the staples actually took hold, so the cardboard had bent a bit allowing for a good amount of free movement of the fuselage. But there were no signs of damage, and I should add that the packaging was well designed. This looked like just a fluke on the one I got - Which just goes to show that the merchandise we reviewers get is not 'hand picked'.

Aside from the basic parts, Great Planes includes two foam stands. One is a regular stand to hold the plane off its hull, and the other is for balancing your Seawind after assembly.

Manual

The first time out with the Seawind EP I flew it off our grass field. The power train provided more than enough thrust to propel it through the grass fast enough for takeoff. A few days later, after a big rain, the grass was much longer and damp enough to cause a lot of drag, but the Seawind still got airborne (although I sometimes had to give it a little push to get started).

Chalk up another winner for Great Planes! The Seawind EP is a quick building electric seaplane that flies as well as it looks.

Due to the small size, it can be flown just about anywhere. I even took off from my front yard and flew it around the neighborhood one day. If you fly from a big lake, you really need a day with little or no chop, but if the water is fairly calm, you're good to go, so it's great for small lakes and ponds. And if you're flying from land, it will hand-launch, or takeoff from grass.

Like all seaplanes, remember to waterproof all of your electronics.

I'm really having a blast flying the Seawind EP. It's large enough to fly well and be easily seen, yet small enough to fit in the front seat of most cars, and it's quick build time gets you from box to air in very little time.