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I was looking in to to lifting containers with a helicopter. A Ericsson air crane can lift a light container but not a fully loaded one. Sucking the sand away, seams like the most reasonable alternative.

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A Mi-26 should be able to do it. Unloading a container ship with a heavy-lift helicopter is probably cost-prohibitive though ;-}

No an Mi-26 could not do it. It's maximum lift capacity is 44,000 lbs[1], and these shipping containers weight up to 67,200 lbs[2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-26

[2] http://containertech.com/about-containers/container-load-cap....

The weight of every container is known. Placement on the ship is carefully determined by computer so that the ship does not capsize or split. The heavy ones would be at the bottom.

Does this make it easier? There's 20,000 cans onboard.

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