The world's largest floatplane that looks like remarkably like Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose just completed its first sea trial in China – take a look

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ce39139021b4c03013e09a3-2400/ketchikan airport jsayre64.jpg" border="0" alt="Ketchikan Airport " data-mce-source="Jsayre64, Wikimedia Commons" data-link="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ketchikan_airport_terminal,_Alaska.JPG" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ketchikan_airport_terminal,_Alaska.JPG">Jsayre64, Wikimedia Commons</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>A pilot and a passenger are dead after a Taquan Air Beaver floatplane crashed in southeast Alaska near Ketchikan on Monday afternoon, according to a press release from Ketchikan Gateway Borough.</li><li>The circumstances that led to the crash - the second in seven days - are not yet public, and names of the victims have not yet been released.</li><li>One week ago, on May 13, two sightseeing planes collided midair near Ketchikan - a popular desitation for tourists and cruise ships - killing six people.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>A pilot and a passenger are dead after a Taquan Air Beaver floatplane crashed in southeast Alaska near Ketchikan on Monday afternoon, according to a press release from <a href="https://www.kgbak.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=120">Ketchikan Gateway Borough</a>. There were no others on board the plane.</p><p>The circumstances that led to the crash - the second in seven days - were not yet known, and names of the victims have not yet been released.</p><p>This crash happened in Metlatkatla Harbor at around 4 p.m. local time, and 15 members of the volunteer fire department responded.</p><p>One week ago, on May 13, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-seaplane-crash-deaths-injuries-details-2019-5">two sightseeing planes collided midair near Ketchikan</a> - a popular desitation for tourists and cruise ships - killing six people.</p><p>One of the two planes, an Otter, was operated by Taquan Air. The other, a Beaver, was operated by Mountain Air. Everyone on board the Beaver plane was killed, and one passenger from the Otter was killed, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/15/us/alaska-plane-collision-wednesday/index.html">CNN reported</a>.</p><p>Investigators from the National <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Safety Board (NTSB) are looking into the cause of the midair crash.</p><p>In a Monday night tweet, the NTSB responded to the most recent incident.</p><p>"NTSB dispatched investigators from Anchorage Regional Office to investigate May 20, 2019, crash of Taquan Air Havilland DHC-2," <a href="https://twitter.com/NTSB_Newsroom/status/1130690492268724224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1130690492268724224&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ktva.com%2Fstory%2F40506096%2Fntsb-plane-overturned-in-waters-near-metlakatla">the agency tweeted</a>. "While owned by same operator involved in May 13, 2019, mid-air collision, plane was not on sightseeing flight, was a commuter flight."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bmw-x7-suv-review-tech-cruise-control-voice-command-parking-assistant-2019-5">We tested BMW's largest SUV to see if its tech features are helpful or gimmicky - here's the verdict</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/C0611B0G-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

2 dead in second floatplane crash in Alaska one week after 6 were killed in a midair crash

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I spent $1,200 to spend five hours in Alaska's Katmai <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/best-us-national-parks-according-to-frequent-solo-traveler-2023-11">National Park</a>.</li><li>To visit, guests must take a plane into Katmai and attend "bear school."</li></ul><p>When I first heard the cost of visiting Katmai National Park, I audibly gasped — $1,200 per person for a package that included a round-trip plane ticket, lunch, and five hours in the park.</p><p>My husband and I wanted to splurge for our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/castle-blueblood-steak-house-casa-loma-toronto-review-2023-10">first wedding anniversary</a>, so we booked the tickets. The excursion (including the scenic flight to get there) ended up being my favorite part of our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/alaska-luxury-resort-review-tordrillo-mountain-lodge-2023-8">trip</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/alaska-luxury-resort-review-tordrillo-mountain-lodge-2023-8">to Alaska</a>.</p><p>Here's why I would recommend Katmai National Park to anyone who can swing it in their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/bloggers-budgeting-travel-tips-2018-10">travel budget</a>.</p><h2>Katmai National Park is famous for its brown bears</h2><div type="image" title="A brown bear walking on a beach surrounded by trees." height="1152" width="1536" msid="106156215" hostid="261" sizebytes="518400"></div><p>Unlike some national parks known for their geological features or historic significance, Katmai is known for its famous residents: the bears.</p><p>Roughly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/planyourvisit/bear-watching.htm"><u>2,200 brown bears</u></a> live in the park, allowing visitors unprecedented access to witnessing these creatures in the wild.</p><p>The bears are able to thrive because of the <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.insider.com/visiting-remote-national-parks-great-basin-nevada-what-its-like-2023-1">park's extreme</a> <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.insider.com/visiting-remote-national-parks-great-basin-nevada-what-its-like-2023-1">remoteness</a>. The park is so remote that guests have to arrive by either plane or boat.</p><h2>It took us almost 2 hours to fly into Katmai</h2><div type="image" title="A floatplane parked in the ocean" height="3024" width="4032" msid="106156217" hostid="261" sizebytes="788106"></div><p>For our flight to the national park, we booked with a company called Fly Katmai and headed to the small hangar at 8 a.m.</p><p>Parked next to the hangar was our ride for the day: a floatplane.</p><p>Floatplanes, which can take off from and land on water thanks to special floats on the bottom, are a popular way to get around in Alaska, as so much of the state is inaccessible any other way.</p><p>I'd never been on a floatplane, so I was excited for the experience.</p><p>After being treated to coffee and snacks, we met the five other passengers joining us on our journey.</p><p>My husband and I managed to sit directly behind the pilot, which meant he could easily point things out to us during the flight (which was helpful because it was quite loud).</p><div type="image" title="Emily, wearing an orange hat, a beige coat, and blue jeans, smiles while on the plane." height="2268" width="3024" msid="106156459" hostid="261" sizebytes="374916"></div><p>It took about an hour and 45 minutes to fly to Katmai from Anchorage, Alaska. And when I say my face was glued to my window the entire flight, I mean it.</p><h2>The scenic flight alone was worth the price</h2><div type="image" title="The view of gorgeous mountains from the plane." height="1152" width="1536" msid="106156461" hostid="261" sizebytes="323008"></div><p>The landscape seemed to change every five minutes, from glassy water to lush fields and stunning glaciers.</p><p>Our pilot even swooped down to a few valleys, where we saw our first bears fishing in the streams.</p><p>Around 10 a.m., our floatplane landed gently on the water — a perfect introduction to Katmai National Park.</p><h2>Before we could explore, we had to attend 'bear school'</h2><p>With hundreds of bears roaming around, the park rangers want to make sure guests don't scare the animals (or put themselves in danger).</p><p>So, the first stop after arrival was sitting through the 15-minute "bear school" to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-bear-attack-2019-4">learn the safety rules to follow around bears</a>.</p><p>There was one golden rule above all else: Don't run. Running can trigger a bear's predatory instinct.</p><p>Instead, the rangers taught us to travel in groups and talk (or sing) loudly so we didn't surprise any bears.</p><p>We were also instructed to put any food or scented items in special "food cache" buildings so the bears weren't attracted to any tasty smells on us.</p><p>We were free to explore after getting our "bear school graduate" pins to prove we attended.</p><p>Although there were plenty of park rangers around, it was emphasized that in Katmai, you're <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safety-tips-from-female-solo-traveler-all-50-states">responsible for your own safety</a>.</p><h2>We tried to make the most of every minute in the park</h2><div type="image" title="A brown bear in a small waterfall." height="1536" width="2049" msid="106156462" hostid="261" sizebytes="377676"></div><p>With only five hours in the park, my husband and I speed-walked to the most iconic spot in the park: Brooks Falls.</p><p>To get there, you walk on a mixture of trails and raised platforms that were built to safely observe the bears in the river and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/best-waterfalls-in-the-us-2018-3">waterfall</a> below.</p><p><a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nps.gov/places/brooks-falls-platform.htm">In July</a>, guests can see dozens of bears in Brooks Falls at once, catching the salmon swimming upstream to spawn. This, of course, draws quite the crowd — meaning the small platforms can reach capacity quickly.</p><p>We visited in September, another prime month to see the bears in action, as they're actively trying to bulk up for winter.</p><p>Since there are far fewer visitors in autumn, there were times when we had a whole platform to ourselves. This allowed us unfettered viewing access.</p><p>At one point, we could see 14 bears scattered throughout the river. In total, we saw upwards of 40 bears on our trip.</p><h2>Our included lunch was better than we expected</h2><p>Included with our flight was lunch at Brooks Lodge.</p><p>I half-expected a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/eating-every-subway-sandwich-review-and-photos">deli sandwich</a> and chips, so when we were treated to a buffet of chicken, steamed vegetables, soup, and cake, I was thoroughly thrilled.</p><p>However, we ate quickly and headed back out to the park to make the most of our time.</p><h2>Our last few hours in the park ended with a surprise</h2><div type="image" title="A bear and her cub walk along the beach near the floatplane." height="3024" width="4032" msid="106156463" hostid="261" sizebytes="2075094"></div><p>After enjoying some final bear viewing, we made our way back to our plane.</p><p>As we approached, our pilot quietly motioned for us to hop on the plane's float. We looked to our right, and a mama bear and her cub had just emerged from the trees down the beach from us.</p><p>We held our breath as they moseyed toward us, totally unbothered by us tiny humans. Finally, the cub got a burst of energy and ran by, with his mom reluctantly following.</p><p>This showed us the unpredictability of running into bears in Katmai National Park.</p><h2>Our flight home was even more picturesque</h2><div type="image" title="A rainbow over lush greenery is seen from the window of the plane." height="3024" width="4032" msid="106156466" hostid="261" sizebytes="807564"></div><p>When I thought our excursion couldn't get any better, we were treated to a rainbow just after taking off for our return flight.</p><p>Our pilot swooped down for one last view of the valleys, where we saw more bears, caribou, and even a pack of wolves.</p><p>We <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/trying-popular-burger-restaurant-alaska-reviewed-arctic-roadrunner-photos-2022-9">arrived back in Anchorage</a> just before 5 p.m., where we followed the bears' lead and treated ourselves to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/review-popular-chef-best-salmon-recipe-photos">salmon dinner</a>.</p><p>Overall, the day couldn't have gone any better. I'd wholeheartedly recommend the trip to Katmai to any nature lover <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/important-things-to-know-before-going-to-alaska-from-local-2022-5">visiting the</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/important-things-to-know-before-going-to-alaska-from-local-2022-5">Anchorage area</a>.</p>

I paid $1,200 to spend 5 hours in Alaska's extremely remote Katmai National Park

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My family moved from LA to a remote island in <keyword id="12020240" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alaska" source="Orion">Alaska</keyword> because we wanted to be closer to nature.</li><li>Every summer our island gets massive <keyword id="11930971" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cruise" source="Orion">cruise</keyword> ships with people ready to explore what we call home.</li></ul><p>In late April or early May, the population of our <a href="https://www.insider.com/family-moved-from-la-to-a-remote-island-in-alaska-2022-3">sleepy little town</a> on an <a href="https://www.insider.com/i-moved-my-children-to-a-remote-island-in-alaska-2021-12">island in Alaska</a> doubles, triples, or quadruples, depending on the day.</p><p>From our living-room window, we watch as the massive cruise ships sail into town, depositing thousands of tourists, hungry for salmon or <a href="https://www.insider.com/mom-how-i-keep-kids-entertained-in-winter-alaska-2022-1">hiking</a> or a zip line tour through the rainforest.</p><p>The relationship between our town and the tourists is both important — many people here rely on the seasonal income — and somewhat fraught, at times the island can feel slightly overrun.</p><p>Other than during the summer of 2020, when COVID-19 shut down all the cruises, it's been a fact of life every summer that I've lived here. </p><p>I don't work in the tourism industry, so I don't have a stake in the ships' comings and goings. But neither am I annoyed by the tourists. In fact, their presence is a reminder of something special: that I get to live in a place people pay a lot of money — and in some cases wait their whole lives — to come and see. </p><h2>It's a pretty magical place</h2><p>For those who don't want to pay for a floatplane tour of Misty Fjords or aren't inclined to spend the day on a charter fishing boat, it might be enough to simply wander through the Tongass National Forest to feel they've experienced southeast Alaska.</p><p>The forest here feels primeval, with its old-growth evergreens and mossy undergrowth. I'm well versed in the sounds and smells of the forest because every morning I take my husky-Lab mix, a curious one-year-old, up the Rainbird Trail. There are three access points, and I like to mix it up . Sometimes I walk from my house up to our small college campus and start there. Other times I walk down the hill and across the Third Avenue Bypass, with its spectacular views of the water and the mountains, and up the stairs to one of the other trailheads.</p><p>Most mornings, it's just us up there, but not because it's not a heavily used trail. It is. But there simply aren't that many people in this town, so the odds of there being more than a handful of walkers at the same time are slim. So I can let Birdie off her leash, watch her as she races ahead of me or scurries around the back of a tree sniffing for other dogs who've come before. </p><p>Other days, our whole family piles into the car and disembarks in the Ward Lake parking lot, where we loop the lake and follow the changing seasons. For the record, the smelliest time of year is when the salmon start dying. My 3-year-old sometimes steps on a dead fish that has washed up on shore just to feel the squish of it under his shoes, which is age-appropriate but slightly gross.</p><p>We often drive out to the beach, and even at the beaches there is evidence of the rainforest — as if the woods stopped only because the ocean got in their way. We take some firewood and tea, and even on chilly, drizzly days, we can still manage to have fun: digging in the sand, beachcombing at low tide, or swinging on a sturdy rope that hangs from one of the trees.</p><p>The tourists see these places, too, and I'm so happy when I happen to see them discover the magical places we love. But I've come to realize the difference between us: They're making memories that they can tell their friends back home, while we're living our everyday lives.</p><p>Cruise-ship season reminds me of how fortunate I am to live here and makes me appreciate this slice of the world even more than I already do.</p>

It's cruise-ship season in Alaska. It reminds my family of how special our life is on our remote island.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The utility that submarines showed during <keyword id="12002681" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="world-war-i" source="Orion">World War I</keyword> prompted navies to build many variants.</li><li>One was cruiser submarines, which relied on large deck guns as much as they did on torpedoes.</li><li>Navies invested heavily in cruiser subs, but their long ranges and firepower didn't make up for their flaws.</li></ul><p>Submarines showed early in their existence that they could have an outsize impact in major wars.</p><p>They were so effective that major naval powers set out to build different kinds of submarines for different missions. The Japanese even attempted to create <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japans-i400-plane-carrying-subs-meant-to-attack-us-wwii-2020-11" target="_top">dedicated submarine aircraft carriers</a>.</p><p>These radical <keyword id="12002679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="submarine" source="Orion">submarine</keyword> designs had wide appeal but ultimately had limited utility, especially cruiser submarines.</p><p>Designed in the inter-war period, these massive subs relied just as much on large guns and turrets as they did on torpedoes.</p><h2>Submersible warships</h2><div type="image" title="German navy U-boat 155" height="904" width="1280" msid="85833793" hostid="261"></div><p>Cruiser submarines trace their origin to two models of the Imperial German Navy during World War I: the <a href="https://uboat.net/wwi/types/?type=U+151" target="_top">Type 151 class</a>, which had seven subs, and the <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.php?ship_id=type-139-attack-submarine-imperial-germany" target="_top">Type 139 class</a>, which had three.</p><p>Both types had torpedo tubes - two on the Type 151s, which had storage for 18 torpedoes, and six on the Type 139s, which could store 24 torpedoes - but their primary armament were two massive 5.9-inch deck guns normally fitted on surface warships, which were located in front of and behind the coning tower.</p><p>Their massive size and displacement - about 200 feet to 300 feet long and over 2,000 tons submerged - allowed them to sail much farther than smaller submarines and without assistance.</p><p>Type 151 and 139 boats operated in the waters off the Azores, Africa, and even the <a href="https://monitor.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/world-war-i.html" target="_top">East Coast of the US</a>, sinking dozens of ships. One Type-151 boat, U-156, became the first foreign warship to <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-tiny-cape-cod-town-survived-world-war-is-only-attack-american-soil-180969691/" target="_top">shell</a> the continental US in 70 years when it fired on a Cape Cod town in July 1918.</p><p>Conceptually, the boats functioned more like navy cruisers than true submarines - hence the name.</p><p>Cruiser submarines could patrol large areas independently for long periods of time, escort friendly vessels, ambush or engage enemy ships with guns and torpedoes, lay mines, and even conduct shore bombardment.</p><p>They also exploited an interesting loophole in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Five-Power-Naval-Limitation-Treaty" target="_top">Washington Naval Treaty</a> in 1922, in which major naval powers of the world agreed to limits on the number, weight, and caliber of most warships.</p><p>Submarines, however, were practically unregulated. Cruiser submarines, with large torpedo stores and large guns, were a way to augment the power of any surface fleet without violating the treaty.</p><h2>Multiple models</h2><div type="image" title="US Navy submarine USS Nautilus" height="673" width="840" msid="85833794" hostid="261"></div><p>All of the major naval powers built cruiser submarines in the inter-war period.</p><p>Britain's <a href="https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/book-review-x-1-the-royal-navys-mystery-submarine/" target="_top">HMS X1</a> had four 5.2-inch guns in two twin turrets and displaced some 3,600 tons submerged.</p><p>The Soviet Union's 12 K-class boats were armed with two 4-inch guns, and, at 320 feet long and 2,600 tons submerged, were the largest Soviet subs until the 1950s.</p><p>Italy had two types of cruiser submarines: the Ettore Fieramosca and the four <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.php?ship_id=ammiraglio-cagni-italian-attack-submarine" target="_top">Cagni-class</a> boats.</p><p>The Germans built some of their <a href="https://www.historynet.com/type-ix-u-boat.htm" target="_top">Type IX</a> subs for long-range duty similar to that of cruiser submarines.</p><p>Several of the US Navy's nine V-boats, specifically those of the <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/narwhal-ii.html" target="_top">Narwhal subclass</a>, became cruiser submarines, each armed with two 6-inch guns. They saw extensive service during <keyword id="11938566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="world-war-ii" source="Orion">World War II</keyword> and were perfect for <a href="https://coffeeordie.com/makin-island-raid/" target="_top">inserting</a> and supporting Marine Raiders on special operations, as well as transporting supplies to guerrillas in the Philippines.</p><div type="image" title="Japanese Type-B1 submarine I-15" height="510" width="1440" msid="85833796" hostid="261"></div><p>The most well-known <keyword id="12002680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cruiser-submarine" source="Orion">cruiser submarine</keyword> among Western countries was France's <a href="http://www.hisutton.com/Surcouf.html" target="_top">Surcouf</a>. It had two 8-inch guns in a single turret and had two external swiveling torpedo mounts with three tubes each, in addition to the standard internal torpedo load. It also carried a floatplane for reconnaissance and to provide targeting.</p><p>Japan embraced cruiser submarines more than any other power. Due to the large size of the Pacific, Japan's navy prioritized the ability to cover long distances, especially with its submarines.</p><p>The Imperial Japanese Navy had multiple classes of cruiser submarines, most notably the <a href="http://www.combinedfleet.com/type_j1.htm" target="_top">Type J1</a> and <a href="http://www.combinedfleet.com/type_b1.htm" target="_top">Type B1</a> classes. The four J1 boats had two 5.5-inch guns. The 20 B1 boats only had one gun each but were also each equipped with a floatplane.</p><p>The submarines were highly effective, particularly early in the war, when they sank multiple US ships - including the carrier USS Wasp and cruiser USS Juneau - and bombarded the US mainland on two <a href="https://www.historynet.com/built-during-the-civil-war-but-shelled-by-the-japanese.htm" target="_top">separate</a> <a href="https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-only-time-japan-bombed-mainland-usa-lookout-air-raids-924eb976c623" target="_top">missions</a>.</p><p>Japanese cruiser subs were also effective transports, facilitating <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-033/h-033-1.html" target="_top">the transfer of critical technology between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan</a>.</p><h2>Ultimately unsuccessful</h2><div type="image" title="Soviet submarine K-21" height="1332" width="2000" msid="85833798" hostid="261"></div><p>Despite their long ranges and massive firepower, cruiser submarines failed to catch on.</p><p>It became obvious that they were being used to skirt the limits of the Washington Naval Treaty, and restrictions on submarines were included in the following <a href="https://totallyhistory.com/london-naval-treaty/" target="_top">London Naval Treaty</a> in 1930</p><p>Moreover, the boats had shortcomings.</p><p>They were nowhere near as well armored as surface warships, which meant they couldn't use their deck guns against warships unless the odds were heavily in their favor. Firing and operating the guns also proved difficult in the submarines' confined spaces, particularly in rough waters.</p><p>Despite early successes for the Japanese and good use by the Americans, cruiser submarines had poor wartime records overall, especially as navies fielded more advanced anti-submarine capabilities.</p><p>Nearly all of Japan's cruiser submarines were lost in action, including all but one of the B1 boats, as were three of Italy's four Cagni-class boats and almost half of the Soviet K-class boats. Surcouf did see service with the Free French Naval Forces, but it disappeared en route to the Pacific in 1942.</p><p>Ultimately, the cruiser submarine concept was ditched in favor of smaller subs dedicated to using torpedoes, but the concept of subs with long-range capabilities lived on, leading to the development of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-us-navy-nuclear-powered-submarines-dominate-the-seas-2021-1" target="_top">cruise- and ballistic-missile subs </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-us-navy-nuclear-powered-submarines-dominate-the-seas-2021-1" target="_top">early in the Cold War</a>.</p>

Navies around the world had big plans for 'cruiser submarines,' but they fell apart during World War II

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Japan's enormous I-400-class subs were supposed to bring the fight to US shores, launching planes to drop bombs on American cities and bases during during <keyword id="6357515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="World-War-II">World War II</keyword>.</li><li>But wartime shortages limited the program, and the tide of the war turned against Japan, foiling the ambitious project.</li></ul><p>On August 28, 1945, two US destroyers intercepted a massive Japanese submarine several miles off the coast of Honshu, Japan's biggest island. The submarine, which was larger than either US ship and nearly as wide, surrendered without incident.</p><p>A day later, the US submarine USS Segundo found a similar Japanese submarine nearby. After a brief escape attempt, the Japanese crew, knowing the war was over and they were out of options, surrendered.</p><p>The captured submarines were enormous — 400 feet long and 39 feet wide, easily making them the largest submarines in the world at the time. They also had a massive empty chamber in their center, leading the first Americans who boarded them to believe they were for cargo.</p><p>Later the Americans learned the truth: The chamber was actually a hanger, and the two vessels were <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/59092/operation-storm-by-john-j-geoghegan/9780770435738" target="_top">I-400-class</a> submarine aircraft carriers — one of the Japanese Empire's greatest secret weapons.</p><h2>A new weapon</h2><div type="image" title="Japan submarine I-400" height="1951" width="2500" msid="79119525" hostid="261"></div><p>The I-400-class, known to the Japanese as the Sen Toku type, was the brainchild of Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Combined Fleet and mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack.</p><p>Yamamoto, knowing Japan could not withstand the US's full might once it recovered from Pearl Harbor, was convinced that attacks on mainland American cities would dissuade the US from striking back in the Pacific.</p><p>But Japan could not spare the carriers or battleships needed for such attacks. Inspired by the success of Germany's U-boats, Yamamoto decided on a new weapon: submarine aircraft carriers.</p><p>The concept was not new. Submarines had experimented with carrying aircraft as early as World War I, and Japan's new <a href="https://www.historynet.com/type-b1-i-boat.htm" target="_top">Type B-1</a> submarine was equipped with a hangar for a Yokosuka E14Y1 floatplane.</p><p>But those subs could only carry one aircraft used only for reconnaissance. Yamamoto wanted subs capable of holding multiple aircraft that could carry the largest bomb or torpedo in the Japanese arsenal.</p><h2>The only purpose-built submarine aircraft carriers in history</h2><div type="image" title="Japan submarine I-400 Seiran" height="436" width="800" msid="79119526" hostid="261"></div><p>Yamamoto submitted a proposal for such submarines on January 13, 1942. A little over a year later, Japan began building the first purpose-built submarine aircraft carriers in history.</p><p>The subs were truly a marvel of engineering. Double-cylinder hulls supported the sub's massive weight and provided stability on the surface. The hulls were also covered in an anechoic coating, based on a German design, to absorb sonar waves.</p><p>They had a heating system to warm aviation fuel before takeoff, a compressed air catapult to launch the planes, and a hydraulic crane to lift the planes from the water after they landed.</p><p>The hangar carried three specially designed <a href="https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/all-and-nothing-2590902/?page=1" target="_top">Aichi M6A1 Seiran</a> floatplanes that could fold their wings, tail fins, and horizontal stabilizers. The planes could carry one Type 91 torpedo, two 551-pound bombs, or one 1,874-pound bomb.</p><p>For takeoff, the Seirans would be loaded on the catapult, fitted with floats, armed, and then launched. All three could be launched in 30 to 45 minutes.</p><p>The subs were also heavily armed, with one 14 cm deck gun aft of the hangar, three triple-mounted and one single-mounted 25 mm AA guns on the deck, and eight torpedo tubes. They were designed to travel thousands of miles without refueling.</p><h2>Too late to make a difference</h2><div type="image" title="Japan submarine I-400" height="635" width="800" msid="79119527" hostid="261"></div><p>The original plan called for 18 <keyword id="10243241" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="i-400">I-400</keyword>s to be built to bomb cities on US coasts. But by the time the first I-400 was completed, Japan had suffered major setbacks that hampered the project.</p><p>Yamamoto, the subs' chief advocate, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-vengeance-us-kills-pearl-harbor-planner-isoroku-yamamoto-2018-12" target="_top">was killed in an air battle in April 1943</a>. Without his backing, the program was no longer given top priority and the order was cut from 18 to 5.</p><p>Wartime shortages meant only three were completed. The first, I-400, was commissioned in December 1944. I-401 followed a month later and I-402 in July 1945.</p><p>By the time the first two subs were completed, the war had turned decisively against the Japanese. Conventional bombing of US cities with so few aircraft was pointless, and <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/fact-japan-wanted-drop-plague-bombs-america-using-aircraft-21555" target="_top">plans</a> to drop plague-infested flea bombs to start a pandemic were called off because they were too extreme.</p><p>A plan was made to use the subs to launch a kamikaze attack on the Panama Canal to slow down American ships, but by July 1945, most of the US Navy was already in the Pacific.</p><h2>One last plan</h2><div type="image" title="Japan submarine I-400" height="1005" width="800" msid="79119528" hostid="261"></div><p>A final plan was made to attack the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_top">major U</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_top">S Navy </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_top">base</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_top"> at </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_top">Ulithi Atoll</a>. I-400 and I-401, each with an accompanying sub, would rendezvous off Ulithi and launch six Seirans in a kamikaze attack.</p><p>The Seirans were even painted in US markings in an attempt to deceive the Americans, a violation of the rules of war.</p><p>But the attack never happened. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, forced the Japanese to surrender on August 15. A day later, the subs were ordered to cancel their attack.</p><p>As they returned to Japan, they launched their Seirans into the sea, fired all torpedoes, and destroyed all documents. Shortly after the subs surrendered, the commander of the Ulithi attack, Cmdr. Tatsunosuke Ariizumi, shot himself.</p><p>After the war, the Soviets made it known they wanted to inspect the I-400s. Unwilling to let the new weapon fall into the wrong hands, the US scuttled them.</p><p>I-402, damaged in a previous US air raid, was sunk off the Gotō Islands on April 1, 1946. The other two were taken to Pearl Harbor and studied extensively before being scuttled in May and June 1946. Their final locations were kept secret until I-401 was discovered in 2005. I-400 and I-402 were discovered in 2013 and 2015, respectively.</p><p>Although they never saw action, the I-400-class revolutionized submarine warfare, showing that subs could carry offensive weapons capable of hitting land-based targets.</p><p>This led directly to today's ballistic-missile submarines — in fact, the I-400s were the largest submarines ever constructed until the nuclear-powered missile submarines of the 1960s.</p>

Japan built monster plane-carrying subs to attack US cities during World War II, but they never fired a shot

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11993049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-special-operations-command" source="Orion">US Special Operations Command</keyword> is shifting its focus toward competition with a near-peer power.</li><li>To do that, it wants to ensure it can still use its all its platforms against a sophisticated enemy.</li></ul><p>During the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, US forces had the decisive advantage of air superiority.</p><p>Conventional troops and special operators knew that they could almost always call in airstrikes or <keyword id="12387938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="close-air-support" source="Orion">close air support</keyword> against an enemy force. But that capability might not be available if a conflict with China and Russia breaks out.</p><p>In contested airspace, the <keyword id="12387933" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ac-130" source="Orion">AC-130</keyword> <keyword id="12387936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gunship" source="Orion">gunship</keyword> and <keyword id="12387935" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mc-130" source="Orion">MC-130</keyword> transport aircraft - some of the most capable and loved aircraft in the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) arsenal - will be in danger of becoming irrelevant, unable to do their missions amid the thicket of Chinese and Russian air defenses.</p><p>So SOCOM is looking for new ways to use those venerable aircraft. By equipping AC-130 with cruise missiles and turning the MC-130 into a float plane, US commandos may be able to keep them in the fight.</p><h2>An even deadlier aircraft</h2><div type="image" title="Aircrew load cannon aboard AC-130" height="1303" width="2000" msid="87267239" hostid="261"></div><p>For over six decades, the different variants of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ac130-gunship-has-supported-special-operations-for-55-years-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the AC-130 have been supporting conventional and special-operations troops</a>, seeing action in all major and minor conflicts since the Vietnam War.</p><p>The <keyword id="12387934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ac-130j" source="Orion">AC-130J</keyword> Ghostrider, the latest iteration of the gunship, is a deadly machine with an arsenal of 30 mm and 105 mm cannons, Hellfire and Griffin missiles, and smart munitions.</p><p>The AC-130 is an ideal close-air-support platform. It can stay over targets for very long periods and dish out incredible firepower. But that ability to stay on station for long periods is also one of the aircraft's main downsides, as it's relatively slow and vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.</p><p>Historically, the AC-130 has operated almost exclusively at night to enhance its strengths and compensate for its vulnerabilities.</p><p>Now SOCOM wants to develop a "Stand-Off Precision Guided Weapon" that the AC-130 can fire from long distances, allowing it to strike targets while staying out of the reach of enemy fire.</p><div type="image" title="AC-130 firing cannons" height="1317" width="2000" msid="87267240" hostid="261"></div><p>According to a recent <a href="https://www.sbir.gov/node/1965707" target="_top">solicitation</a>, the command is looking for a cruise missile with a range of at least 230 miles and up to 460 miles with a warhead of at least 13 pounds but potentially up to 37 pounds.</p><p>Cruise missiles are subsonic munition that fly at low altitudes, making them harder to detect, but SOCOM is also wants it to have electronic systems that enable it to acquire and reacquire targets after it has been fired.</p><p>Some within <keyword id="12110952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-force-special-operations-command" source="Orion">Air Force Special Operations Command</keyword>, which is part of SOCOM, are skeptical of the weapon.</p><p>"No matter the threat, air-to-air or air-to-ground, having a precision-guided cruise missile just enhances the performance and capability the AC-130 already has, but I don't believe that equipping a stand-off precision-guided cruise will make it any more relevant, due to the capabilities and limitations of the aircraft," B.A., a former AC-130 gunner, told Insider.</p><p>"Other aircraft platforms would be a better choice for that type of weapon system. The AC-130 was made to sit in the sky, fly counterclockwise in a circle, and engage anyone who is actively engaging the good guys. Precision missiles wouldn't hurt, but let's not 'Call of Duty' accessorize our AC-130's!" B.A. added.</p><h2>A special-operations floatplane</h2><div type="image" title="MC-130P MC-130J and MC-130H special operations aircraft" height="1335" width="2000" msid="87267242" hostid="261"></div><p>Gunships aren't the only ones looking to stay relevant in an era of great-power competition. SOCOM is also working on modifying the MC-130J Commando II transport plane to expand its utility to address the challenges of a near-peer war.</p><p>AFSOC fields about 60 MC-130s, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mc130-transport-plane-has-support-special-ops-mission-since-vietnam-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the aircraft is the backbone of AFSOC's fixed-wing fleet</a>.</p><p>The MC-130J Commando II, the latest version, specializes in the infiltration, exfiltration, transport, and resupply of special-operations units in semi- or non-permissive environments. It can also conduct air-to-air refueling of special-operations helicopters and carry out psychological operations by broadcasting messages and dropping leaflets.</p><p>MC-130s can land almost anywhere in the world, including on beaches, deserts, and highways. They can't land on water, but that might change by 2023.</p><p>AFSOC is working with the Air Force Research Lab's Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-special-operations-command-turning-mc130j-into-flying-boats-2021-9" target="_top">an amphibious capability for the aircraft</a> that would allow it to land on water too.</p><p>The program is developing a removable amphibious float modification to allow the MC-130J to land and takeoff on water if needed.</p><div type="image" title="AFSOC MC-130J Commando II float amphibious plane rendering" height="393" width="812" msid="87267243" hostid="261"></div><p>Early digital renderings of the amphibious aircraft show a pair of skids attached under the fuselage. SOCOM is using a rapid prototyping schedule that it says will allow for an operational capability demonstration in 17 months.</p><p>"This is really great news, and it also makes perfect sense," a former MC-130 pilot told Insider. "China is our main adversary now and in the future. If as a community we want to conduct effective expeditionary operations in that part of the world, we need to have an amphibious option."</p><p>The MC-130J Commando II Amphibious Capability, as the program is known, "is vital to future success because it will allow for the dispersal of assets within a Joint Operations Area," Maj. Kristen Cepak, AFSOC technology transition branch chief, said in a <a href="https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2774017/teaching-the-commando-new-tricks/" target="_top">press release</a>, adding that dispersing amphibious MC-130s would make it much harder for an enemy to target them.</p><p>The Air Force has been working on a number of concepts to make its aircraft harder to target.</p><p>Under the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, for example, F-35 fighter jets could operate in small numbers from small islands in the Pacific, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-commandos-practice-new-airfield-operations-2021-9" target="_top">increasing their survivability and expanding their operational</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-commandos-practice-new-airfield-operations-2021-9" target="_top"> potential</a>, especially in a vast area like the Pacific where China's military is expanding its reach.</p><p>New capabilities will help the military adapt to great-power competition, but that new era requires a shift in mentality too. The US military has grown accustomed to operating with free reign and with few casualties, but a conflict with a near-peer threat is certain to require more risk and, most importantly, more sacrifice.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

US Special Operations Command wants to transform its biggest planes to gain an advantage against China

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57042085dd08952a138b49dc-601-451/screen shot 2016-04-05 at 3.29.20 pm.png" alt="google medical drone" data-mce-source="U.S. Patent and Trademark Office" /><p class="source"><span>U.S. Patent and Trademark Office</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Google was recently awarded a <a href="http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&amp;docid=09307383&amp;IDKey=1B5166BDD3B7&amp;HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D9%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DGoogle.ASNM.%2526OS%3DAN%2FGoogle%2526RS%3DAN%2FGoogle" target="_blank">patent</a> that could propel medicine into the future.</p><p>The patent, first spotted by <a href="http://qz.com/655314/google-wants-to-call-drones-to-medical-emergencies-at-the-push-of-a-button/" target="_blank">Quartz's Mike Murphy</a>, outlines a system where drones would bring medical aid to people in distress. That means if you're in a dire situation and 911 simply isn't going to cut it, or you need supplies before an ambulance can get there, a drone could come save the day.</p><p>The system works like this: the person in need or someone nearby could summon the drone using a portable box <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">that would allow you to enter what kind of medical problem needs to be addressed, like anaphylatic shock or cardiac arrest.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The drone would read where the portable box is located using WiFi, a cellular connection, or maybe even a plain old telephone service connection. It would then fly autonomously to deliver the appropriate supplies, like an epipen. The drone could also be semi-autonomous in this scenario and piloted by someone else, the patent explained.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57042085dd08952a138b49dd-800-600/screen shot 2016-04-05 at 3.29.31 pm.png" alt="google drone medical service" data-mce-source="U.S. Patent and Trademark Office" /><p class="source"><span>U.S. Patent and Trademark Office</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>The portable box would also allow you to select what exactly you want the drone to bring, although you could get away with just entering your medical condition. Once it arrives, the drone could provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the supplies via video.</p><p>To ensure the drones can help anyone in any situation, Google noted that flying robot could come in many forms, like a floatplane that can land on water if need be.</p><p>Once the drone is on its way, it would send a medical support request to the nearest dispatcher to ensure an ambulance is also on the way.</p><p>The system could shave time off the traditional method of calling 911 by eliminating the time it takes to dial and connect with the dispatcher, Google explained in the patent. The drone could also arrive faster because it doesn't have to deal with normal traffic conditions.</p><p>This is not the first time the tech giant has shown interest in a communicative drone system. <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/google-project-wing-drone-project-will-use-delivery-robots-2016-1" target="_blank">Google filed a patent in October for its delivery drone system</a>, dubbed Project Wing, to work with on-the-ground, four-wheeled robots. The drone would work with the land robot to deliver packages in a more efficient matter.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-goes-cuba-american-company-2016-3">Google just opened an internet store in Cuba</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Azank4MjE6fhL9_r9H4Qd6wL4avycbEQ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'Azank4MjE6fhL9_r9H4Qd6wL4avycbEQ',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "floatplane" and got 8 results

The world's largest floatplane that looks like remarkably like Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose just completed its first sea trial in China – take a look

Thomas Pallini

2 dead in second floatplane crash in Alaska one week after 6 were killed in a midair crash

Sarah Gray,Sarah Gray

I paid $1,200 to spend 5 hours in Alaska's extremely remote Katmai National Park

Emily Pogue

It's cruise-ship season in Alaska. It reminds my family of how special our life is on our remote island.

Liz Bolton

Navies around the world had big plans for 'cruiser submarines,' but they fell apart during World War II

Benjamin Brimelow

Japan built monster plane-carrying subs to attack US cities during World War II, but they never fired a shot

Benjamin Brimelow

US Special Operations Command wants to transform its biggest planes to gain an advantage against China

Stavros Atlamazoglou

Google is thinking about using drones to delivery emergency medical help

Danielle Muoio