Developed by the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), the AG600 is the world's largest civilian amphibious aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons and the capacity to carry up to 12 tons of water. It has a cruising speed of 220 kilometers per hour and an operational range of 4,500 kilometers, making it ideal for missions such as firefighting, logistics and communication.
The AG600's development, testing and certification process represents a significant achievement in China's civil aircraft manufacturing and airworthiness sectors, with its complexity earning it the distinction of a 'tough nut to crack,' Huang Lingcai, the chief designer of the AG600 series said, cited in a Xinhua report.
The project involved collaboration across 22 cities and provinces, 292 enterprises and public institutions and 16 universities, enabling China to independently develop the aircraft's airframe, engines and key systems, according to Xinhua.
'While existing amphibious aircraft models in the global market are mostly outdated products developed decades ago, China's AG600 stands out as the most advanced contemporary solution,' Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Sunday. The expert noted that the aircraft's design process incorporated thorough market demand analyses from the outset.
Unlike previous equipment designed solely for domestic use, the AG600 was developed in strict compliance with airworthiness standards for specialized operational platforms, demonstrating China's forward-looking approach to meeting actual market requirements in general aviation operations, the expert said.
The AG600's development marks China's historical achievement in large amphibious aircraft, establishing complete research and development and manufacturing capabilities, said CCTV.
Cheng Zhihang, general director of AVIC's South China General Office, said that the aircraft features a boat-like structure with wingtip floaters for water stability, along with a stepped hull and wave suppression grooves for efficient navigation in both environments.
CCTV reported that engineers struggled to balance the vastly different properties of air and water, with their density differing by nearly 800 times. To overcome this problem, they have conducted more than 10,000 tests in wind tunnels and hydrodynamics labs, ensuring the aircraft could perform effectively in both settings, ultimately achieving technical breakthroughs that enabled successful amphibious flights.
According to Huang, the aircraft can be modified to meet various emergency rescue scenarios based on its existing platform. It can perform tasks such as island supply, maritime law enforcement and ocean environment monitoring. As a result, the aircraft will undergo series and variant development to cater to market demands, per the CCTV report.
AVIC said that it is working to secure the AG600's Production Certificate by the end of August, with deliveries scheduled to commence in October, Xinhua reported.
This achievement is not just a technological triumph but a symbol of China's expanding independence and leadership in the aerospace sector. With the certification of the AG600, the nation has reached a milestone in the development of large special-purpose aircraft, reinforcing its position as a growing force in the global aerospace industry, CCTV reported.
'Meeting strict airworthiness standards, the aircraft has strong commercial potential for forest monitoring and emergency rescue,' said Wang, nothing that the AG600 meets domestic demand while boosting China's global aviation competitiveness, driving the low-altitude economy's growth. With final certifications pending, its deployment will create new opportunities for China's aviation sector, Wang added.
Under this background, the 3rd Aviation Emergency Rescue Annual Conference 2025 will be held on June 12th-13thin Tianjin. The conference was hosted by Emergency Rescue Branch, CSAA, supported by Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, organized by Beihang University.
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