Demise of the flying Boat?

 Beriev A-40 and Be-200.

Russia now is the only country to still build and sell flying boats that are dedicated to that particular role and the Be-200, which is a civil version of the larger A-40 has proved itself in the fire fighting role, easy to fill on landing, with an immediate take-off it can just keep working!

Very little is known about the Russian A-40 flying boat and what its long-range role with the Russian navy is, but perhaps this is the last line of a successful aircraft that maintained the Soviet naval defenses from 1945?

Other countries that maintain the flying boat is the peoples republic of China, which have adapted the Antonov An-12 to this role, but it is believed Russia has supplied the Chines navy with the A-40 and the BE-200!

While the rest of the world has abandoned this effective concept, with Japan and the U.S. retiring the last of there aircraft, many other countries have purchased the civil Be-200 for several roles, Greece, India and others and so the story will continue for some time yet?

Unmanned Craft. Part-One.

At Sea.

We tend to quickly forget that when we come to discuss unmanned its either in the air such as the U.S. Reaper or the Israel Scout drones or other Robotic devices used on land?

But there are as many equally strange under-water counterparts also and many of them have still never been seen from mini-subs (Midgets) to remote torpedoes?

In fact the first remote Torpedo was a development by a man called Brennan at the Chatham British Royal Naval yard in Kent, SE-England. U.K. From the expertise gathered by manned mini-subs during World War-II (1939-45), remote devices have proved very successful ever since.

Many more countries have developed their own types from the major powers, some are simple while others expensive and very complex.