China Expects test world's largest seaplane around end 2015

China expects to test-fly next year its first domestically developed seaplane, which is intended to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft.
Trial production of the TA-600 aircraft, formerly known as Dragon-600, will start, around the end of this year or the beginning of 2015, as the design has been completed.
The aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 metric tons and a maximum range of more than 5,000 kilometers, will be larger than a Boeing 737 and could be used for a variety of operations such as passenger transport, marine environmental monitoring, firefighting and maritime search and rescue.
The TA-600 will be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, surpassing Japan's Shin Maywa US-2. It is designed to carry up to 50 people during search and rescue missions.
The company's market research estimates there is demand for 60 of the seaplanes in China.
The country began developing the aircraft five years ago.
chinadaily