THE FLYING WHALE

China’s first home-grown large amphibious aircraft, the AG600, soars into the sky on its maiden flight from Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, on December 24, 2017.

The AG600 is one of the world’s largest amphibious aircraft and also China’s third newly developed large aircraft following the Y-20 cargo transporter and the C919 passenger plane. The new amphibious superjumbo will be used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires and marine monitoring.