China’s large amphibious aircraft gains major progress

A customer takes image of an AG600M firefighting plane in Jingmen, central China’s Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 giant amphibious plane household is seen as key aeronautical tools for China’s emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Business Company of China (AVIC), the nation’s main plane-maker, to fulfill the wants of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, in addition to different crucial emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — China’s independently-developed AG600 giant amphibious plane has gained vital progress by finishing crucial flight assessments and getting the primary batch of buy agreements, the developer introduced on Tuesday.

The AG600M plane, a full-configuration firefighting mannequin belonging to the AG600 plane household, efficiently performed pivotal assessments Tuesday morning, together with scooping and dropping water, mentioned the Aviation Business Company of China (AVIC), the nation’s main plane-maker.

At 10:05 a.m., the AG600M plane carrying 12 tonnes of water took off from the bottom runway at Zhanghe Airport in Jingmen, central China’s Hubei Province.

It consecutively performed the flight assessments of aerial water dropping, touchdown on a close-by reservoir and taxiing scooping, taking off once more and dropping water over the preset space, after which efficiently touchdown on the reservoir at 10:16 a.m., mentioned the AVIC.

The very day, AVIC Common Huanan Plane Business Co., Ltd., signed the primary batch of buy agreements on 4 AG600M plane with Everbright Monetary Leasing Co., Ltd., and signed an intent buy settlement on two AG600M plane with the HNCA Aviation Gear Leasing Co., Ltd., respectively.

The profitable completion of flight assessments and acquiring buy agreements marked that the AG600 amphibious plane’s key mission capabilities have been verified, and will open the market, mentioned He Shengqiang, AVIC deputy basic supervisor.

Each main strikes highlighted that China’s independently-developed aeronautical tools may help the nation’s emergency rescue capabilities, mentioned He.

Codenamed Kunlong, or water dragon in Chinese language, the AG600 is significant aeronautical tools for China’s emergency-rescue system. It performs roles in serving forest firefighting, maritime search and rescue, and different crucial emergency rescue missions.

The AG600M is particularly designed to fight forest fires. Its most take-off weight is 60 tonnes, with the water-carrying capability as much as 12 tonnes and the flight vary reaching 4,500 km. It might probably conduct low-altitude flight at low pace, enabling it to drop water extra exactly over the hearth websites.

Following up, the AG600M will enter the airworthiness section. Extra variants of the AG600 plane household are underneath growth, mentioned the developer.

The AVIC commits to sustaining the nation’s emergency rescue system and making certain individuals’s life and property by pushing ahead the plane’s progress and different very important aeronautical tools.