image: AVIC
AVIC announced that its AG600 amphibian received its type certificate yesterday. The aircraft, used for both civil and military applications, is the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, with a maximum take-off weight of 60 tons and a range of 2,645 nautical miles. Â
The aircraft will be used in civil applications for search and rescue and disaster relief efforts, including firefighting. Military applications could include troop and cargo transport, particularly for islands in the South China sea that now have Chinese military outposts.
The aircraft has a length of 127.6 feet, a height of 38.4 feet, and a wingspan of 127.3 feet, slightly larger than a typical narrow-body airliner. The aircraft can also carry 12 tons of water for firefighting missions.
“Its obtaining of the type certificate issued by the CAAC manifests that China can independently develop the world’s latest generation of large civil amphibious aircraft,” AG600 series aircraft chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua. He went on to state that the complexity of this project made this development a “tough nut to crack.”
By certifying the aircraft to international civil standards, AVIC is focusing on markets both inside and outside of China. Â The export market for this aircraft for applications ranging from maritime patrol to firefighting has been tailored to applications needed in many countries.
The development of the AG600 was initiated in 2009. Since then, the AG600 development process has taken over 15 years. The AG600 completed its maiden flight in 2017, the first take-off from a reservoir in 2018, and the maiden flight over the sea in 2020. In 2023, AG600 was tested for carrying out fire-fighting tasks.
AVIC expects to receive a production certificate for the aircraft in August, with first customer deliveries in October.
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