Part boat, part plane, part sci-fi: China debuts consumer flying watercraft

The Soviet “sea monster” is back – and this time it’s for sale.

A Chinese company has completed the maiden flight of a passenger craft that skims just above the water’s surface using ground-effect technology, reviving a concept once associated with the Soviet Union’s giant Cold War-era experimental vehicles.

Chinese mobility company Navee on Thursday showcased its WaveFly 5X on Lake Taihu in Suzhou, eastern Jiangsu province, as it raced to commercialise what it said was the world’s first consumer-oriented wing-in-ground-effect craft.

The WaveFly 5X rides on a cushion of compressed air trapped between its wings and the water below, allowing it to travel at high speed while flying only 30cm to 50cm above the surface.

The effect reduces drag and improves energy efficiency, enabling the vehicle to operate without the infrastructure or training requirements typically associated with aviation.

Navee said the craft – capable of taxiing, taking off and docking directly from calm waterways – was designed to be operated more like a boat than an aircraft, meaning users would not require a pilot’s licence or professional flight training.

The two-seat vehicle has a maximum payload of 140kg and can reach speeds of up to 85 km/h. It offers a range of up to 80 kilometres and uses hot-swappable batteries that can be recharged in minutes.