China Builds World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft

By Bridget O'Donnell

China has completed building the world's largest amphibious aircraft, according to state media reports.

The AG600, roughly the size of a Boeing 737, took seven years to build and will be used to "perform marine rescue missions and fight forest fires." The aircraft, which can take off and land on both land and in water, was produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and was unveiled in Zhuhai this weekend.

The aircraft can fly up to 4,500 km and collect 12 tons of water in as quickly as 20 seconds. And look, it even kind of resembles an amphibian (you know, the animal kingdom kind):

Previously, the world's largest amphibious aircraft was the H-4 Hercules (otherwise known as the "Spruce Goose"), which debuted in the 1940s and was intended to transport Allied troops during World War II. But development of the plane dragged on, and the aircraft — developed by Henry J. Kaiser and Howard Hughes — didn't make its first flight until 1947, two years after the war ended.

State media have boasted that the AG600 is "very useful in developing and exploiting marine resources," and we're sure its unveiling has absolutely nothing to do with China's military agenda in the South China Sea.

[Images via Pinterest, CCTV, Daily Mail]

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