China’s AG600 seaplane, developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) for emergency rescue and firefighting missions, has received formal approval for production. Deliveries are expected to begin in August, China Daily reports.
Head of the central and southern regional administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Li Shuangchen, presented the plane’s production certificate on Wednesday at a ceremony held in Zhuhai.
The AG600 is the world’s largest amphibious aircraft and the second to be made in China, following the long-retired SH-5. It is capable of rescuing 50 people in search and rescue missions and collecting 12 tonnes of water within 20 seconds, to fight fires across thousands of square meters. The AG600 has already undergone successful field testing for aerial fire suppression in the mountains of northern China’s Changbai region.
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The 38.9 metre-long plane has a wingspan of 38.8 meters, making it about the same size as a Boeing 737. It is the final member of a large-scale aircraft trio built domestically by China. The other two are the Y-20 military transport plane, developed by the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, and COMAC’s C919 passenger jet.
The AG600 programme began in 2009 and involved tens of thousands of researchers and engineers from more than 300 institutions and enterprises. The first prototype was completed in 2016 and took its maiden flight in 2017, in Zhuhai. It experienced its first water-based takeoff and landing at Zhanghe Reservoir in Jingmen, Hubei province, in 2018.
Four AG00 prototypes have since completed extensive testing across the country to ensure the model meets safety and performance standards. To date, two customers have placed orders for a total of six AG600 aircraft.
