China's AG600 amphibious aircraft begins certification flight tests

AG600M, an amphibious firefighting aircraft codenamed "Kunlong," conducts a water-dropping demonstration at the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua)

BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft has entered the phase of certification flight tests, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) announced on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Airworthiness Certification Center of the Aviation Administration of China issued the Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) to the first model of the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family, said the AVIC, China's leading aircraft manufacturer.

The move means that the configuration condition of this aircraft, its expected airworthiness and expected safety performance have met the TIA requirements. It also lays a solid foundation for the AG600 aircraft to complete the airworthiness certification, said the AVIC.

Prior to obtaining the TIA, four AG600 aircraft, meant for test-flight use, were sent to conduct the airworthiness compliance flight tests.

An AG600M firefighting aircraft gathers water during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022.  (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

The AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is being developed as vital advanced aeronautical equipment to strengthen the country's emergency-rescue capabilities.

The AG600 series amphibious aircraft features a unique configuration consisting of an integrated aircraft-shaped upper body and a ship-bottom-shaped lower body.

According to the AVIC, this amphibious aircraft family is China's first independently-developed large-sized special purpose civil aircraft. It is tailored to meet the needs of forest firefighting, maritime rescue and other emergency rescue missions across the country.

Notably, it is being developed with a focus on amphibious capability, versatility across multiple models, and serialized development, the developer said.

AG600 series aircraft can be fitted with equipment and facilities to meet the diverse needs of users in fields such as marine environment monitoring, resource detection, and passenger and cargo transportation.

The AG600 tech-demonstrator successfully completed its maiden flight in 2017, the first take-off from a reservoir in 2018, and the maiden flight over the sea in 2020.

The development of this type of large amphibious aircraft family is of great significance to enhancing the capability and level of China's homegrown civil aeronautical products, as well as promoting the leapfrog development of China's emergency-rescue aeronautical equipment system, said the AVIC.  ■