China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft has proven its safety and reliability through rigorous testings, the aircraft's test captain said.
The aircraft is designed to carry out rescue missions such as firefighting and maritime search and rescue in all types of terrain across the country, including operating on water.
With a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons, it can carry up to 12 tons of water, cruise at a minimum speed of 220 kilometers per hour, and has a maximum range of 4,500 kilometers.
The aircraft undergoes an average of 16 test flights per month, setting a record for China's civil aircraft testing efficiency and establishing airworthiness certification methods for amphibious planes, according to Zhao Sheng, a senior test pilot of the test flight center of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, who is also the aircraft's captain in test flights.
"The aircraft's safety has been fully verified following compliance test flights. Its performance and stability have been verified as well, meeting airworthiness regulatory requirements. There is still space for improvements. For example, during the crosswind testing, the aircraft has been tested under conditions with wind speeds of up to nine meters per second, and there is room for further improvement. We can also expand into flying in a high-altitude region. We can explore the possibility of operating in extremely high-altitude regions. These aspects still require more tests and improvement," said Zhao.
The amphibious aircraft AG600M is an upgraded model of the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family.
Compared with the other models of AG600, the aircraft is specially developed to serve firefighting missions, with extensive enhancements.
"First, the fuselage of AG600M is one meter higher than the previous models, which enhances its wave resistance and allows the aircraft to handle larger waves. The original propeller had four blades. Now it has been replaced with the six-blade propeller, with a smaller diameter. This further improves its wave resistance capabilities. The lower section of the aircraft features a large boat hull, which provides support when the aircraft is on water. Additionally, the aircraft employs a high-wing configuration, with the wings mounted above the fuselage. This design keeps the propellers above the water surface, preventing it from touching water. These unique characteristics distinguish amphibious aircraft like this one from other planes," Zhao continued.
Zhao said that the landing gear of the aircraft is mounted to the fuselage, so that it does not disturb the aircraft's movement on water.
The AG600M aircraft also has floats mounted to its wings for stability, and a tail water rudder for direction control, according to Zhao.
The AG600 large amphibious aircraft obtained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in Beijing on Sunday, marking its successful development and approval to enter the market.
Securing the type certificate validates the AG600's design compliance with airworthiness standards and lays the foundation for acquiring additional certifications, including the production certificate (PC) and airworthiness certificates (AC).
The aircraft has to go through pre-operation reviews, including flight tests, before it is put into service. Trainings for safe operation and maintenance will also be carried out.
China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft proven safe, reliable: test captain
China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft proven safe, reliable: test captain
China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft proven safe, reliable: test captain
