China’s first large amphibious aircraft completes its maiden flight

China’s first large amphibious aircraft, the AG600, completed its maiden flight in Guangdong Province on Sunday. It is believed to be the biggest in the world.

The aircraft named “Kunlong,” took off from the Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in the city of Zhuhai at about 9:30 am. and lasted about an hour.

Huang Lingcai, the chief designer said “Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft,”

According to the AVIC, the amphibious aircraft, with a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes and a top cruising speed of 500 kilometers per hour, can fly for 12 hours at a time.