Year-end retrospective. I think, these facts will speed up the seaplanes to spread to the world. Maybe a new seaplane golden age will be soon?
1. The legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan’s “retired project”, the SkiGull maiden flight was the biggest sensation of this year. Rutan only showed pictures about it in summer, and his versatile seaplane elevated into the air in this fall. I hope that it can quickly take off from water.
Rutan promised this little beautiful aircraft to his wife, because Tonya acquired seaplane pilot licenc in this year. They plan a trip around the world without landing at airports, we’re going to write a lot of them.
2. At long last the Chinese built a new large flying boat in the world. Fifty-personal AG 600 Dragon will only be slightly larger than the Japanese seaplane ShinMaywa UC2. The Dragon maiden flight is expected early the first half of the next year.
3. For many years, while a new seaplane got from the first take-off of to the series manufacturing. The American ICON aircraft factory this year celebrated this event. We hope that the ICON A5 amphibious seaplane more factories will be built and they able to fly as soon as possible on the five continents.
4. The great success of this year to Europe again has a scheduled seaplane airline. Three Twin Otter seaplanes of the German-Malaysian investors named Croatian European Coastal Airlines had flying and they are mounting the amphibious floats to two further Twin Otter. The seaplane airline’s founding CEO Captain Martin reached this result 15 years, in which much helped the Croatian prime minister first trip with the Twin Otter seaplane.
5. This year Chinese were the most active in the seaplane market. Spring Viking Air and a big Chinese company signed strategic partnership for 50 Twin Otter series 400 in Paris. Summer Chinese investors acquired a majority stake in the world’s largest seaplane airline, a Canadian Harbour Air Group.
Autumn they started the flight test of the Beriev Be-103 seaplane in China, because they are going to build joint Russian-Chinese aircraft factory the six personal seaplane. But last year the Chinese investor bought the French start-up Lisa Airplanes and it continues preparations for the manufacture of AKOYA seaplane in France.
(Pictures from the company)
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Could be sixth: the Australian Michael Smith that flew round the world in a Searey. PeterBrown PeterBrown proposes to her on our Facebook site.
Trip around the world a big deal, recently Iren Dornier flew around the Earth with renovated Dornier Do-24ATT seaplane ten years ago.
Even someone proposes a new best of things?