Slashdot Mirror
World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft Goes Into Production In China
stephendavion (2872091) writes "Chinese aircraft manufacturer China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) has started trial production of its TA600 amphibious aircraft, claimed to be the world's largest of its kind. With an expected maiden flight late next year, the Chinese plane would replace Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft as the largest of its kind globally."
Take a look at a side profile illustration of the CA-600, on this Korean language page. The TA600 has a huge maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 tons, but looks a bit puny compared to Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules.
Most likely to aid in their claim on uninhabited islands in the South China Sea. Amphibious planes would allow for quick small arms transport to distant/remote islands.
The Hercules, aka Spruce Goose, is not amphibious: it's a seaplane, period.
This is an amphibian: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...
The Goose never flew again because the war was over and the government had stopped paying for it. Hughes made the one flight only to prove he had actually built a working airplane and not defrauded the taxpayers with a phony project.