An Indian company has announced it’s buying 15 modernized versions of the venerable Grumman Albatross for use as regional airliners. The deal between New Delhi-based Apogee Aerospace and Amphibian Aerospace Industries of Australia is worth $420 million and includes establishing a “future hub for amphibious aircraft manufacturing and regional export.” Amphibian Aerospace Industries acquired the type certificate for the Albatross and its military variant, the HU-16. The new aircraft will have PT-6 turboprops, glass cockpits, and interiors customized for their roles. The company says the aircraft is the only certified transport category (more than 19 seats) amphibious plane in the world. It will carry up to 28 passengers or 10,000 pounds of cargo, depending on configuration.
India has thousands of miles of coastline and lots of far-flung islands, and Apogee sees markets in all those areas for passenger, freight, and military applications. The company appears to be updating existing airframes to get started and claims to be ready to deliver to the Indian company within 18 months, but it also seems to be planning to build new aircraft using the existing type certificate. A total of 466 airframes were built from 1947 to 1961, and the Coast Guard retired its last Albatross in 1983. Only a handful are still airworthy and are in private or corporate hands (Red Bull operates one) and there are some in desert storage in Arizona.
Could they please consider adding the Gweduck to their plans? I would love to see that airplane start hitting the market!
“The company says the aircraft is the only certified transport category (more than 19 seats) amphibious plane in the world.”
Boeing 314, Saunders-Roe Princess, I think a few others are out there. Not in current production, but many were larger than the Albatross.
Those two are probably a poor example, neither are amphibious, nor do they exist anymore. Well, unless sunken wreckage is enough to say 314s still exist. I think what they claim is accurate, there are only a few amphibians that are as large or larger but they are military use (US-2) or likely not certified for transport use (Be-200). Historically large flying boats with passenger capacities of over 19 like the Boeing 314, Saunders Princess, Short Empire, are not that uncommon, but amphibious aircraft that with seating for more than 19 passengers are rare enough that the only others I can think of are the early Sikorsky clippers (S-40, had to look the model up).
Nice to see this plane make a comeback after so many years.
I wish AAI all the best with its enterprise, and I will have even greater confidence in its prospects when I read about the first delivery.
Japan, China and other nations still use amphibians for SAR, maritime patrol, ASW…. Why not get the U.S. back into this? Granted, we have long-range aircraft that perform these roles -but would you set one down in the water for a rescue or re-supply?