China's AG600 amphibian makes maiden flight.

[Super VC-10]

The maiden flight of China's AVIC AG600 has taken place. The aircraft is the world's largest amphibious aircraft capable of operating on land or sea.

AG600 Kunlong, world's largest amphibious plane, in maiden China flight - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-42471045)

[Alan Baker]

A pity the UK government didn't wait for this rather than spending all that money on an airport on St. Helena!

[ATC Watcher]

Obviously the BBC has never heard of tbe Martin Mars, nearlly twice as large (71m wingspan ) with MTOW 75 tons and able to carry 133 pax . 2 are still flying in Canada as fire fighters .

[Grizzz]

Coulson owns the Mars, both of them. Only one currently flyable, other caught in a malaise about museum donation or something. Google earth for Sproat Lake on vancouver Island to see where they both are. Very impressive aircraft. The flyable one did not fight fires here this year, politics has effectively grounded it.

[Kulverstukas]

Strange :mad: of pumped-out ShinMaywa US-2 and An-12...

[Peter G-W]

Presumably the BBC discounted the Mars as it is not amphibious?

[Nige321]

Obviously the BBC has never heard of tbe Martin Mars, nearlly twice as large (71m wingspan ) with MTOW 75 tons and able to carry 133 pax . 2 are still flying in Canada as fire fighters .

If you'd taken the time to actually READ what the BBC wrote, you'd see that:
a) They have heard of the Martin Mars and
b) They emphasise 'in production'...

Still, lets not interupt a bit of BBC slagging...

[pattern_is_full]

The Martin Mars is not amphibious - it cannot land on or take off from anything but water, and had no integral landing gear.

It could have motorized "beaching gear" bolted on temporarily once on the surface, to crawl out of the water onto a ramp, for maintenance or other needs. As did its sibling, the PBM Mariner:

https://www.beamng.com/images/imported/2015/09/d8e274c8-21d6-411b-b766-013c62e32eb0.png

So "largest amphibious aircraft" is correct with regard to the AG600, which has integral retractable landing gear for solid runway operations.

[ATC Watcher]

Oh my Oh my ! I dared to criticize the BBC...:E
You are all right of course, what made me post about the Mars is the comparison with the Spruce Goose in the end or the article., also not " in production" :)

For the rest , very sorry to hear of the Mars current situation , I was fortunate to be offered an in depth visit in one of them when they still had 3 in Vancouver Island i.e. long ago. Magnificent aircraft .

[troppo]

Whilst we are splitting hairs in the Christmas spirit, isn't the AG600 'under development', whilst the Be-200 is 'operational and in production'?
Also, 'largest' is what? Wingspan, MTOW or...?