China’s media is reporting that a significant milestone for the AG600 large amphibious aircraft in having successfully completed all compliance flight tests in ground takeoff and landing in crosswind conditions.
Xinhau claims that the aircraft has now obtained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, marking its successful development and approval for market entry.
The aircraft has been developed specifically for fire and emergency rescue and response.
The AG600 is promoted as the world’s largest civil amphibious aircraft in terms of takeoff weight, with a maximum of 60 tonnes. It is capable of carrying 12 tonnes of water for firefighting operations, with a cruising speed of 220 kilometres per hour (136 mph) and an operational range of 4500 kilometres (2796 miles)
Two AG600 aircraft recently underwent crosswind compliance flight tests at Xilinhot, in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The results of these tests met requirements, verifying the safety and reliability of the AG600 in strong crosswind conditions, AVIC is reported to have said.
“Its obtaining of the type certificate issued by the CAAC manifests that China can independently develop the world’s latest generation of large civil amphibious aircraft,” AG600 series aircraft chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua.
“AG600 is a plane that can swim and a ship that can fly,” said Huang.
Its configuration consists of an integrated aircraft-shaped upper body and a ship-bottom-shaped lower body. On each side of its wing, there is a float over four meters long to prevent the aircraft from overturning sideways during its taxiing on the water surface.
AG600 has a minimum level flight speed of 220 km per hour, a minimum operating flight altitude of 30 to 50 meters above the treetops, and a designed service ceiling of 7,600 meters above sea level, according to data from the developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It has a length of 38.9 meters, a height of 11.7 meters, and a wingspan of 38.8 meters.
For a quick look at the engineering behind this aircraft, the developer has produced this short video.
