Firefighting amphibious plane makes 1st test flight

The AG600M, the fire-extinguishing variant of China's AG600 seaplane, carried out its first water-based test flight in Jingmen, Hubei province, on Monday, according to Aviation Industry Corp of China.

The State-owned aircraft maker said in a release that the amphibious plane had a four-member crew and took off from Zhanghe Reservoir in Jingmen at 8:52 am. It flew for 18 minutes and then landed back on the water.

The company said the crew verified control systems and the AG600M's overall capability during the test flight.

The firefighting model performed its first land-based test flight in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in late May.

It has a maximum takeoff weight of 60 metric tons. In a typical firefighting operation, it can collect 12 tons of water from a lake or sea in 20 seconds and use it to douse blazes over an area of about 4,000 square meters, said designers.

Next, the AG600M prototype will start tests on collecting and discharging water. After the tests, the airworthiness certification work will begin in 2024, while initial deliveries are expected to start before 2025, according to AVIC.

Wu Peixin, an aviation industry observer in Beijing, said the firefighting model will also need to carry out sea-based test flights to check its adaptability to coastal and marine operations.

"After all test flights are completed, it will go through airworthiness certification procedures within a short time and will be ready to take orders, which I think will be in large numbers, considering the rising demand for air-based fire services in the country," he said.

The AG600 is China's second model of amphibious aircraft, after the SH-5, which was developed in the 1970s for military purposes and has long since been retired from service.

With a length of 37 meters and a wingspan of 38.8 meters, the AG600 is roughly the size of a Boeing 737.These specifications make it the world's biggest amphibious aircraft, surpassing Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 and Russia's Beriev Be-200.

The AG600 made its debut flight in December 2017 in Zhuhai, taking off and landing at a local airport. Ten months later, it carried out its first takeoff and landing on water at Zhanghe Reservoir.

In July 2020, a prototype conducted the aircraft's first sea-based test flight in waters off Qingdao, Shandong province.

The AG600 is one of three large-size aircraft to emerge from the nation's efforts to become a top-tier player in the global aviation sector, joining the Y-20 strategic transport plane, delivery of which began in July 2016 to the Chinese Air Force, and the C919 narrow-body jetliner, which is expected to be delivered to customers soon.