China's AG600, the world's largest amphib plane had maiden flight

youtu.be...

ATS isn't letting embed the YouTube video from my tablet for some reason...grrr.

China’s domestically developed AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, performed its maiden flight on Sunday from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernization program.

www.reuters.com...

Some notes here.

1. Thus is an amphib! This is NOT a pure seaplane. Those of you about to bring out the Spruce Goose, stow it. These are different types of planes. The goose can only land in water. Thus one can land on water and land.

2. The size is really, really impressive. Wingspan of a 737, folks!

3. In the video, the captain of the bird mentions maritime patrol and fire fighting, but I have to wonder about troop transport, too. After all, this one help stomp other nations in the south China sea disputes relatively quickly.

Nifty plane. Not a super stealth or whatnot, but still interesting.

a reply to: anzha

They've already talked about using it for resupply for their islands in the South China Sea.

a reply to: anzha

I think you have to change your browser to desktop mode to get the YouTube option that's what I usually have to do on my phone.

Those props seems awfully close to where the water may be?

Could look different from another angle but they seem close to the level of the floats on the wingtips.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Just logged in to fix the youtube link and see Zaph posted it for me.

Merry Christmas, sir.

nice....happy christmas to yas

Great. Now I don’t have to waith one and a half months of delivery time for ebay purchases.

originally posted by: Forensick
Those props seems awfully close to where the water may be?

Could look different from another angle but they seem close to the level of the floats on the wingtips.

I know eh...would be nice to see video of it take off and landing.

originally posted by: The Great Day

originally posted by: Forensick
Those props seems awfully close to where the water may be?

Could look different from another angle but they seem close to the level of the floats on the wingtips.

I know eh...would be nice to see video of it take off and landing.

Im sure its perfectly designed, I dont think the Chinese are that stupid, but I wonder if it has any limitation less that a WW2 Catalina for example? Like you can land it in the Ocean, refuel and carry on?

I dont really understand the military requirement here, no-one else seems to be looking at it. I understand the Chinese expansion plans include some dubious owned/created islands, but these islands have runways and a Navy seems to be fine for every other nation?

The only "recent" war i can recall in taking an island was the Falklands and I dont see the UK MOD citing a shortage of amphibious aircraft to protect their sovereignty?

This can carry 50 people? An MV-22 carries about 30, the Merlin 20, Chinook 55 and all these can disembark on land, what is this thing going to do, reverse them onto a shoreline? Bit of a sitting duck?

a reply to: anzha

Go China!

originally posted by: Forensick
Those props seems awfully close to where the water may be?

Could look different from another angle but they seem close to the level of the floats on the wingtips.

It's misleading, but the sea plane doesn't actually float on the wingtip floats. They're just there as outriggers precisely to keep the props clear. The seaplane floats on the keel. So the real water level is not between the tip floats. It is between the point on the keel at the surface and the outrigger float. If one of the floats is in contact it's because the plane is not level. The other wing is in the air.
Usually bigger seaplanes have lower floats though because you want to keep them from gaining all that momentum rocking left or right. Minimize the forces by not allowing it to roll very far.

theaviationist.com...

A litte more info.