12/29/2014. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "The Coot was another homebuilt aircraft design of Moulton (Moult) Taylor (of Aerocar fame) and the type became popular with amateur constructors, especially in the USA and Canada. Somewhat unusual for an amphibious aircraft, this two-seat sport amphibian flying boat did not have separate stabilising floats as the wing roots were shaped to act as sponsons. Construction of the Coot was largely wood with a glass fiber hull.

Coot B: Despite the designation this was first Coot to fly. It was built in the USA by R.E. 'Dick' Liljegren of Kelso, Washington, USA and registered N7141 it was first flown in 1969. The Coot B was unique in having folding wings and twin tail booms with a connecting elevator, it was powered by an 125 hp Continental C125 six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine. No further development of this variant took place.

Coot A: The Coot A was the basic model that was available for amateur construction. It had a more conventional rear fuselage and (cruciform) tail section and the first example which was completed first flew in February 1971 with an 125 hp Franklin 4R engine, though this was later replaced by a 225 hp Franklin 335. The higher-powered aircraft were usually referred to as Super Coot model and had a locally reinforced structure. One aircraft built in USA by Ken Welles used one Mazda rotary engine in a much modified engine nacelle and also featured a more streamlined cockpit canopy as used in the Rutan Defiant.

Sooper Coot 200: Designation for aircraft of David Woodcock of Spotsylvania, Virginia, USA which was registered N29DW (c/n QQ-15) and first flown in 1979. It had a 200 hp Lycoming IO-360, a more streamlined engine nacelle and composite material hull, tail boom and fin/rudders and also with larger cabin windows.

The Coot was marketed by Aerocar and from around 1997 by Richard Steeves who had started (in 1975) the Coot-Builders Newsletter. Estimated some sixty aircraft were produced worldwide.

More information at the Coot-builders website.