The Trigull was designed as an improved and updated
Republic RC-3 Seabee. It features a cantilever
high-wing, a four to six seat enclosed cabin, retractable
tricycle landing gear and a single engine in
pusher configuration. The aircraft is made from
aluminum sheet with the forward cabin made from
fibreglass. Its span wing employs a
NACA 23015 R-4
airfoil, has an area of and
flaps. Standard engines available were initially intended to be the
Continental Tiara 6-285 and Tiara 6-320
four-stroke powerplants. Later the
Lycoming IO-540-M1A5D and turbocharged
Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD were used. The design incorporates some innovative features, including wing tip floats that retract into the wing tips and provide additional wing area and lift, a nose wheel that retracts into the nose to act as a bumper for mooring on water, and drooping
ailerons. Although intended for series production, only three prototypes were ever built by Trident. Two were registered and flown, CF-TRI (later C-FTRI) and C-GATE, while the third was an engineering test airframe. The type certificate has been held by
Viking Air of Sidney, British Columbia since 2006. Viking Air also owns the two remaining prototype aircraft. In 2003 Viking Air indicated an interest in producing the Trigull as a turbine-powered amphibian, with a price at that time estimated at
US$400,000, but since then no further news has been released. On 1 August 2024, the type certificate was transferred from Viking Air to
De Havilland Canada. ==Variants==