China's Hubei Research Institute has designed a 15-seat passenger-carrying ekranoplan designated the DXF-100, which is now undergoing trials on Taihu lake in Jiangsu province.
The craft is believed to be the first ekranoplan to be constructed in China. Work on the design of the craft has previously been the preserve of Russian or Soviet design bureax, which have built numerous craft ranging in size from small six-seaters used as water taxis, to the 500t missile-carrying craft known as the Caspian.
The Chinese craft is one of a series of new ekranoplans, according to Li Xu'e, president of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology.
The DXF-200 has a top speed of about 140kt (260km/h) and an endurance of 2h. The craft will cruise at a height of 3-16ft (1-5m) above the surface of the water.
Source: Flight International