The prototype SN1003, a new generation of the Dornier Seastar amphibious aircraft, has successfully performed its first flight at Oberpfaffenhofen airport in Germany. The flight was performed by Dornier Seawings' test pilot crew and took 31 minutes.

The Seastar SN1003 attained the required approvals from EASA and LBA, the German civil aviation authority, on 19 March 2020.

The latest generation Seastar is significantly improved from the original, which was designed and developed by Claudius Dornier Jr. in the 1980s. The new variant is equipped with a full digital glass cockpit, highly efficient propellers, several systems including air-conditioning and stern thruster, plus a corrosion-resistant composite structure that results in reduced maintenance, keeping costs significantly down particularly in sea water operations.

The operational concept of the Seastar is to enhance short to medium haul trips with lower costs and flight time but higher safety and capacity, efficiently connecting land and sea through the sky. The new generation Seastar has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,100 kgs, a maximum cruise speed of 180 kts and 900 nm as a maximum range.

Possible customisable interiors include cargo, VIP, passenger and special mission configurations.

“The first flight was completed successfully and confirmed the nice handling qualities of the Seastar. All systems functioned correctly. The advanced avionic system reflects the state-of-the-art in cockpit design and is a good baseline for future development,” comments Wolfram Cornelius, chief test pilot.