Antilles Seaplanes Is Building NEW 'Super Goose' Amphibs

The ANN crew (thanks to ANN refugee, Kevin O'Brien) has a slightly rude name for those intensely visual images and stories that come our way involving certain 'special' aircraft that are unusually exciting, interesting and abnormally attention-getting... we call such images "Plane Porn."

Well, if a modernized Grumman G-21, screaming along in full turbo-prop splender doesn't qualify for that term, very little else can. A few weeks back, while goofing off, uh, working hard in covering the annual Lee Bottom Fly-In, ANN's Aero-TV crews caught their first gander of "The Goose..." and they haven't been quite same since. An upgraded and modified version of the Grumman G-21 flying boat, Antilles Seaplanes, LLC is in production of new "Antilles Super Goose" amphibious aircraft.

Based on the legendary Grumman G-21 Goose, Antilles tells ANN its version has been modernized to current day aviation standards to include turboprop engines, the latest in glass panel avionics, carbon fiber composite material technology, interior environmental systems, and a variety of other technological improvements over the original airplane.

A highly specialized version of the Goose is also being developed by Antilles for potential use by Special Forces operations. The "Antilles Super Goose" is a versatile twin engine, 10-seat amphibian, designed to take off and land on water (minimum depth of 36 inches in oceans, bays, rivers or lakes), paved runways, remote grass strips, rough dirt strips, and snow. The landing gear is fully retractable.

Offering speed, rough water capability, cross wind ability, payload, range, economics, and ruggedness unmatched by any other aircraft in its class, Antilles calls its variation of the storied Goose a true multipurpose airplane. It can swiftly adapt as global civilian, military, government and special humanitarian support needs dictate.

The Goose has a large interior, with additional storage areas in both the nose and the tail. The aircraft is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engines that produce a cruise speed of over 200 knots (approximately 230 miles per hour), a useful load in excess of 5,500 pounds, and a range of over 1,200 nautical miles (six hours plus instrument flight reserves).

Antilles also offers a Goose with piston engines of 450-600 horsepower each.

Take A Gander At The Antilles 'Super Goose' With Aero-TV

FMI: www.antillesseaplanes.com,  www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews