China's newest flying boat just stretched its sea legs with a successful first flight in open waters.
The AG600 Kunlong seaplane successfully lifted off from the Yellow Sea just off of Qingdao in East China, Xinhua reported, marking the next step towards certification for the enormous aircraft that's launching a comeback for flying boats.
Airborne for just over a half-hour on July 26, it was the first over-water flight for the aircraft away from the calm reservoir in Hubei from where it first flew. The real-world trial would see the seaplane surrounded by boats and ships also traversing the waters.
It's the latest development for the Aviation Industry Corporation of China – with the craft billed as the world's largest seaplane – that comes just under three years following its first flight in December 2017, Forbes reported at the time. The past few years have seen China's aircraft manufacturers produce rival offerings to Boeing and Airbus, though their designs been criticized for being similar to current aircraft in the West and developed using clandestine methods, IndustryWeek reported.
But AVIC is now leading the charge for a new era of flying boats, with the Kunlong resembling Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose – a World War II-era flying boat intended for the US military that never entered service – but already proving to be a more viable concept with multiple successful flights and orders from Chinese organizations.
Take a look at the AG600 Kunlong flying boat.