The AVIC AG600 amphibious aircraft has completed maiden flight from the Zhuhai airport in Guangzhou, China on Sunday. The AG600 is th...
The AVIC AG600 amphibious aircraft has completed maiden flight from the Zhuhai airport in Guangzhou, China on Sunday.
The AG600 is the first amphibious aircraft developed in China and currently the largest of the type in the world.
The aircraft can takeoff/land from sea or land and is designed for fire fighting and marine rescue missions. It is equipped with floats on either wings for stability while operating in sea.
The one hour long first flight was carried out without any clitches, and confirmed the airworthiness of the aircraft with basic maneuvers.
The AG600 features a single hull, cantilever monoplane layout equipped with retractable, tricycle-type landing gear and is powered by four domestically manufactured WJ-6 turboprop engines.
With a maximum take off weight of 53.5 tons, the aircraft is 37 meters long, 12.1 meters high, and has a wingspan of 38.8 meters.
Typical operating characteristics include a cruising speed of 500 km per hour, flight endurance of 12 hours or 4,500 km range.
In its fire fighting role, the AG600 can scoop 12 tons of water from sea within 20 seconds and drop over fire zones from a minimum altitude of 50 m, and during sea rescue missions, it can transport 50 persons and operate during waves of 2 m high.
In addition to water searches at low altitude, the AG600 can carry out rescue operation under complicated weather conditions, such as in 2-meter-high waves, and save more than 50 people during each emergency water rescue.
