Tuesday, February 27, 2018

  Largest amphibious aircraft in production: world record set by China's AG600 (VIDEO)

   BEIJING, China -- With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127ft) and powered by four turboprop engines, China's homegrown AG600 is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours, thus setting the new world record for the Largest amphibious aircraft in production , according to the World Record Academy .

Photo: Flight AG600 is roughly the same size as a Boeing 737 and has four turboprop engines. It has a capacity of carrying 50 people and has a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 tonnes. The wingspan is of 38.8 m. It took eight years to develop the airplane and is known as "protector spirit of the sea, islands and reefs". ( enlarge photo )

    "Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," the chief designer, Huang Lingcai, told Xinhua.

    The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with the state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported. ( enlarge photo )

The GUINNESS WORLD RECORD (TM) for the Largest amphibious aircraft, set by The Russian Beriev A-40 'Albatross' aircraft, which is capable of taking off and landing on both land and water, has a maximum takeoff weight of 86 tonnes (189,600 lb), a wingspan of 42.5 m (139 ft) and is 45.7 m (150 ft) long. It is powered by two turbojet engines with 15,000 kg (33,069 lb) of thrust each.

   GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (TM) also recognized the world record for the Largest firefighting aircraft, set by Global SuperTanker Services, founded in 2015, which uses a converted Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet as an aerial firefighter. It is capable of carrying 74,200 litres of water or fire retardant a distance of 6,400 km. It is designed to drop its load onto wildfires from a height of just 120–240 m at around 260 km/h. The aircraft has a wingspan of 64 m and there is just one firefighting 747 in service globally.

   While it is about the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than the billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 97 metres and a length of 67 metres and made only one brief flight, in 1947.