Although extinct in the United States military arsenal, there are a couple of countries where the amphibious “Flying Boat” is still kept not only operating, but even seeing new builds. It seems that some nations, particularly those with large coastlines and island chains to look after, still see a benefit in a long-legged patrol/rescue aircraft which requires neither runway nor carrier to land.
One operator is China, where the AVIC AG600 fills a useful transportation niche, particularly in China’s territorial aims in the South China Sea.
Russia has produced a handful of Beriev Be-200s, a twin-turbofan powered amphibian used primarily for firefighting operations.
A number of fire services agencies, including some in the United States and Canada, operate the Canadair CL-215 or CL-415 amphibians.
But of the newer amphibians, there’s nothing quite like the ShinMaywa US-2. Oh, China’s new bird comes close, but the JASDF actually has their four-engine monster in operation – as seen in the video below.
It sure looks ungainly waddling around on land with those long gear legs, but I’ll bet that’s a sight for sore eyes if you’re stuck on a boat that’s in distress, or a downed aviator in trouble.