An Australian company, Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI), plans to build a new-production version of the Grumman Albatross in Sydney. The G-111T will be powered by twin 1,700-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67F turboprop engines and have a modern glass cockpit. Grumman produced 466 of the amphibious airplanes, powered by two nine-cylinder Wright Cyclone radial engines, between 1949 and 1966. AAI, which bought the type certificate for the Albatross in May 2016, is pitching four versions of the G-111T: combi passenger/cargo; mede-vac; aeromedical; and search and rescue. According to AAI chairman Khoa Hoang, the G-111T will be the only new-production, large transport-category amphibious aircraft for passenger, cargo, and utility missions.
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