World's currently largest amphibious aircraft has maiden flight (in China)

The Chinese built ag600 amphib had its maiden flight. This was weeks ahead if its originally planned flight at the end if may. Some sources are stating the flight was a glide test.


Officially, the aircraft is meant for fire fighting. However, I have to wonder if it could be adapted to be an asw platform, like the Japanese plane and/or be made into some sort of logistics plane for the Chinese navy. That last I doubt, but...


www.reuters.com...

youtu.be...

It doesn't look bigger than this one.

And it's made of wood

originally posted by: whywhynot
It doesn't look bigger than this one.

And it's made of wood

That one is not flying.

The OP is about

World's currently largest amphibious aircraft

Museum pieces do not count.

P

originally posted by: whywhynot
It doesn't look bigger than this one.

And it's made of wood

It doesn't need to be bigger.



Anti ship missile.

Supersonic torpedos

Still it flew..

Amphibians can fly? I thought that was a land/water deal. Otherwise this thing's a duck or some sorta water bird.

While the Chinese may be painting this as a fire-fighting aeroplane, I cannot help wonder but whether the prime use will be in South China Sea where China seems intent on asserting their ludicrous territorial claims and ambitions. Perhaps fire-fighting over coral reefs will be necessary on account of the flammability of coral.

The AG 600 is also land capable, so not a pure water-bound flying boat.

Size wise, the plane is a third bigger in dimensions than the WW2 Short Sunderland, one of my favourite planes. However, the AG 600 is perhaps twice the weight of the Sunderland, if the Wikipedia stats are anything to go by, so in all a much bigger aeroplane.

A chance to use a word that I dislike.

Erm-a-gerd!

Amphibious planes can take off or land from either water or land.

The 'Spruce Goose' was a seaplane.

It is not a frog or a duck.

SPRUCE goose was bigger.
www.rt.com...

figured id make it easy for people to compare the two. interestingly the H-4 cost hughes 23 million to build. or in todays cost 283 million.


Specifications (AG600)
General characteristics
Capacity: 50 passengers
Length: 36.9 m (121 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 38.8 m (127 ft 4 in)
Height: 12.1 m (39 ft 8 in)
Max takeoff weight: 53,500 kg (117,947 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × WJ-6 turboprops, 3,805 kW (5,103 hp) each
Propellers: 6-bladed constant speed propellers

Specifications (H-4) (spruce goose)
Performance specifications are projected.

Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engine
General characteristics
Crew: three
Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m)
Wingspan: 320 ft 11 in (97.54 m)
Height: 79 ft 4 in (24.18 m)
Fuselage height: 30 ft (9.1 m)
Empty weight: 250,000 lb (113,399 kg)
Loaded weight: 400,000 lb (180,000 kg)
Powerplant: 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,000 hp (2,640 kW) each
Propellers: four-bladed Hamilton Standard, prop, one per engine
Propeller diameter: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)

a reply to: anzha

It's a big beastie, ile give you that.

Suppose it could be adapted to disperse some form of chemical or biological agents from those water tanks but it would be pretty easy to shoot down.

AND, the goose flew 60 years before it!

originally posted by: pheonix358

originally posted by: whywhynot
It doesn't look bigger than this one.

And it's made of wood

That one is not flying.

The OP is about

World's currently largest amphibious aircraft

Museum pieces do not count.

P

Just saying it wasn't the biggest.

a reply to: whywhynot
One was a flying boat that flew (just barely) once, the other is not. So why bring it up?

Seems several people here just cant avoid the knee jerk reaction of biting the national pride pill, even when it wasn't the OP's intention to turn it into that kind of story. And without noticing that one was a wooden, piston engined "flying boat" while the other is is the largest turbo prop "amphibian" to be designed in nearly half a century. Kind of like boasting the 747 is bigger than an A-350, not relevant.

it will be interesting to see how this new amphibian is deployed and how successful it is. It slightly surprises me that we haven't seen more modern designs from western manufacturers in this category, they really are very useful.

a reply to: whywhynot

So? who said it was.

it will be interesting to see how this new amphibian is deployed and how successful it is. It slightly surprises me that we haven't seen more modern designs from western manufacturers in this category, they really are very useful.

It really is a niche that was taken over by helos off boats for a long time.Long loiter anti sub patrols have been mainly land based platforms and they have always doubled up as ASR.In that role they can only circle and release emergency packages.
Amphibians are multi rolled.
Swoose was designed a good 70 odd years ago now by guys using slide rules and pencil and paper..no CATIA or Solidworks programs.Just a crazy a##ed Billionair genius with drive that saw a market for a large scale transport.
The ag600 amphib being a smaller platform would house maybe a well equipped force of Special opp marines for rapid alerts or for getting supplies to remote smaller island chains.

originally posted by: whywhynot
It doesn't look bigger than this one.

And it's made of wood

You have underestimated small Asians. Why would they need bigger planes? They aren't any taller than the average White.

It seems to be more of an evolutionary improvement over the previous model Chinese amphib the Harbin SH-5. The two are similar size and shape. They apparently only made 6 or 7 of the SH-5s, I wonder what new mission has been discovered to justify the development of a new airframe?

originally posted by: thebozeian
a reply to: whywhynot
One was a flying boat that flew (just barely) once, the other is not. So why bring it up?

Seems several people here just cant avoid the knee jerk reaction of biting the national pride pill, even when it wasn't the OP's intention to turn it into that kind of story. And without noticing that one was a wooden, piston engined "flying boat" while the other is is the largest turbo prop "amphibian" to be designed in nearly half a century. Kind of like boasting the 747 is bigger than an A-350, not relevant.

it will be interesting to see how this new amphibian is deployed and how successful it is. It slightly surprises me that we haven't seen more modern designs from western manufacturers in this category, they really are very useful.

I think it was the title that caused the comparison. But i agree we are comparing a museum piece which never went into production with an aircraft that has. As to how its to be deployed they arent practical for really anything but fire fighting. Even in the China sea when they make an island the first thing they do is build a runway.