AVIC AG600

{{Infobox Aircraft Begin

| name= AG600

| image= File:AG-600 at Airshow China 2016 (cropped).jpg

| caption=AG600 at the 2016 Airshow China, Y-20 behind

}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type

| type=Utility amphibious flying boat

| national origin=China

| manufacturer= CAIGA

| design group= AVIC Special Vehicle Research Institute

| designer=

| first flight=24 December 2017

| introduced=

| retired=

| status=Under development

| primary user=

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The AVIC AG600 Kunlong ({{zh| c={{linktext|鲲}}{{linktext|龙}} | l=Kun Dragon|s=|t=|p=kūnlóng}}) is a large amphibious aircraft designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA.

After five years of development, assembly started in August 2014, it was rolled out on 23 July 2016 and it made its first flight from Zhuhai Airport on 24 December 2017; it should be certified in 2024, with deliveries starting in 2025.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2023-07-20/china-approves-amphibious-aircraft-firefighting|title= China Clears AVIC's AG600 Amphibious Aircraft for Firefighting |website=Aviation International News}}

Development

The AG600 was previously known as the TA-600; it was designated the Dragon 600 before TA-600.

After five years of development, CAIGA started to build the aircraft in August 2014, for a first flight targeted at the time for 2015.{{cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CAIGA-To-Produce-Biggest-Amphibious-Airplane222617-1.html|title = CAIGA To Produce Biggest Amphibious Airplane|accessdate = 22 August 2014|last = Grady|first = Mary|date = 18 August 2014| work = AVweb}} Assembly was still on its way in October 2015.{{cite news |url= http://english.cntv.cn/2015/08/10/VIDE1439183161284552.shtml |title= Assembly of amphibious plane AG600 underway in China |work= CCTV |date= 8 Oct 2015 |access-date= 24 December 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171224213656/http://english.cntv.cn/2015/08/10/VIDE1439183161284552.shtml |archive-date= 24 December 2017 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}

The prototype was rolled out on 23 July 2016 at the Zhuhai AVIC factory.{{cite news |url= http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/23/c_135534988.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180129231026/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/23/c_135534988.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 29 January 2018 |title= China Focus: World's largest amphibious aircraft made in China |agency= Xinhua |date= 2016-07-23}}

At the roll-out, AVIC targeted a maiden flight by the end of 2016 and it has then gathered 17 orders, all from the Chinese government including the China Coast Guard, AVIC does not expect to produce it in large numbers.

Target markets also include export sales, with island countries such as New Zealand and Malaysia having expressed an interest.{{cite news|title=China starts assembly of world's largest amphibious aircraft|url=http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0720/c98649-8922872.html|work=the People's Daily (English Edition) |date=20 July 2015 |accessdate=28 July 2015 }}

On 24 December 2017, it made its maiden flight from Zhuhai Jinwan Airport.{{Cite news|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/24/c_136848541.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224052305/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/24/c_136848541.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 December 2017|title=China's first large amphibious aircraft AG600 takes to the skies for maiden flight |work= Xinhua|date=2017-12-24}}

In May 2018, AVIC planned to have Civil Aviation Administration of China type certification completed by 2021 and deliveries starting in 2022.{{cite news |url= http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/13/c_137176292.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180513183742/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/13/c_137176292.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 13 May 2018 |title= China aiming to deliver world's largest amphibious aircraft by 2022 |agency= Xinhua |date= 2018-05-13}}

After transfer from Zhuhai to Jingmen, the prototype started low-speed taxiing on the Zhanghe reservoir on 30 August 2018.{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/chinas-ag600-in-first-water-foray-451656/ |title= China's AG600 in first water foray |date= 5 Sep 2018 |author= Greg Waldron |work= Flightglobal}}{{cite news |url= https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/videos/worlds-largest-amphibious-aircraft-completes-high-speed-water-taxiing-tests.html |title= 'World's largest' amphibious aircraft completes high speed water taxiing tests |date= 10 Oct 2018 |author= Ben Sampson |work= Aerospace Testing International}} On 20 October 2018, the prototype AG600 completed its first water take-off and landing at Jingmen's Zhanghe Reservoir{{Cite web |last=Gady |first=Franz-Stefan |title=China-Built World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft Conducts First Water Takeoff and Landing |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/china-built-worlds-largest-amphibious-aircraft-conducts-first-water-takeoff-and-landing/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}} and on 26 July 2020, the AG600 completed its first test flight from the ocean, after taking off from Qingdao.{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/26/c_139241157.htm|title=China-developed AG600 amphibious aircraft succeeds in maiden flight over sea - Xinhua | English.news.cn|website=www.xinhuanet.com}}

An AG600M, being a dedicated firefighting model, successfully completed scooping and dropping water tests in September 2022.{{cite web|url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-s-large-amphibious-aircraft-gains-major-progress/ar-AA12iBZD?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=9803dbae3691451ccefd79aa799ef6d0 |title= China's large amphibious aircraft gains major progress|publisher=Xinhua-TechNews, September 27, 2022 (accessed on MSN.com)|accessdate=September 27, 2022}} Further variants may be developed for maritime surveillance, resource detection, passenger and cargo transport.

It is one of the three big plane projects approved by the State Council of China, along with the Xi'an Y-20 military transport and the Comac C919 airliner.{{cite news |url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2017-12-26/chinas-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibian-flies |title= China's AG600, World's Largest Amphibian, Flies |author= Chen Chuanren |date= December 26, 2017 |work= AIN}}

Design

The AG600 amphibious aircraft has a single body flying boat fuselage, cantilevered high wings, four Ivchenko_AI-20 turboprops and tricycle retractable landing gear.{{cite web |url= http://www.avic.com/en/forbusiness/civilaviation/generalaviation/amphibiousaircraft/649188.shtml |title= Amphibious Aircraft > AG600 |publisher= AVIC |date= 2015 |access-date= 5 September 2018 |archive-date= 5 September 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180905141127/http://www.avic.com/en/forbusiness/civilaviation/generalaviation/amphibiousaircraft/649188.shtml |url-status= dead }}

It can operate from {{cvt|1,500|by|200|m}} stretches of water {{cvt|2.5|m|ft}} deep,

and should be able to conduct Sea State 3 operations with {{cvt|2|m|ft}} waves.

It was developed for aerial firefighting, collecting {{cvt|12|t|lb}} of water in 20 seconds and transporting up to {{cvt|12|t|lb}} of water on a single tank of fuel and search and rescue, retrieving up to 50 people at sea.

Assembled by CAIGA, it is {{convert|39.6|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} long and has a {{convert|38.8|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} wingspan, its MTOW is {{cvt|53.5|t|lb}} from paved runways or {{cvt|48.8|t|lb}} from choppy sea.{{cite news |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/avic-rolls-out-first-ag600-amphibian-427821/ |title= AVIC rolls out first AG600 amphibian |work= Flightglobal |date= 26 July 2016 |author= Ellis Taylor}}

AVIC claims it is the largest amphibious aircraft. It is heavier than the {{cvt|41|t|lb}} MTOW Beriev Be-200 or the {{cvt|47.7|t|lb}} ShinMaywa US-2, but lighter than the prototype-only {{cvt|86|t|lb}} Beriev A-40. Previous seaplanes were heavier, as the {{cvt|165,000|lb|t|order=flip}} Martin JRM Mars or the prototypes {{cvt|100|t|lb}} Blohm & Voss BV 238, {{cvt|345,000|lb|t|order=flip}} Saunders-Roe Princess or {{cvt|400,000|lb|t|order=flip}} Hughes H-4 Hercules.

It could access remote atolls in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, claimed by several bordering nations,{{cite news |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/china-ta-600-amphibian-eyes-first-flight-in-2015-402372/ |title=China TA-600 amphibian eyes first flight in 2015 |date=5 August 2014 |work= Flight Global |author=Greg Waldron}}

as the South China Sea is subjected to territorial disputes.{{cite web|title=AG600 Kunlong, world's largest amphibious plane, in maiden China flight|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-42471045 |website=BBC |date= 24 December 2017}}

It can fly in four hours from the southern city of Sanya to James Shoal, the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims.{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/24/ag600-world-largest-amphibious-aircraft-takes-off-in-china |title=World's largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China|website= The Guardian|date=2017-12-24}}