China’s new large amphibious aircraft goes into production and final assembly

[Beijingwalker]

China’s new large amphibious aircraft goes into production and final assembly​

• AG600 can reach anywhere in South China Sea within four hours of Hainan and move cargo or passengers between Chinese-controlled islands, Xinhua says

Published: 2:02pm, 5 Jul 2024

China’s new large amphibious aircraft – the biggest in the world – has gone into batch production and final assembly, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The plane, known as the AG600, is designed for maritime patrols and search and rescue operations. From the southern island province of Hainan, it could reach any location in the South China Sea within four hours and it could be used for cargo or passenger transport between Chinese-controlled islands, according to state media.

Its developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), told Xinhua on Tuesday that the front assembly for the first batch-produced AG600 was delivered on June 30.

It took three months to produce the aircraft’s front section. Photo: CCTV

It said the delivery of the plane’s front section – which took three months to make – marked the start of batch production of the aircraft.

Final assembly of the amphibious plane will be done in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province, by AVIC subsidiary AVIC General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co, Xinhua reported.

The AG600 was developed to meet growing demand for an emergency rescue aircraft that could be used in maritime searches. Work started on the plane in 2014, with maiden flights conducted over land in 2017 and at sea in 2020, according to state media reports. Airworthiness tests began this year.

China is trying to develop more home-grown aircraft – like the AG600, the Y-20 large transport plane and the C919 single-aisle passenger jet – under a government plan to upgrade production equipment across industries through 2027.

The AG600 has been identified as a key project because of a strategic requirement to reach Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

Former AVIC chairman Qu Jingwen has previously told state media that the amphibious aircraft can take off and land at sea when waves are as high as 2 metres (6.6ft). Qu said the aircraft had the endurance to hover for two hours.

State media reports have also highlighted the aircraft’s role in providing support for navigational safety along the Maritime Silk Road – part of Beijing’s sprawling trade and investment network, the Belt and Road Initiative.

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Development of the AG600 has been delayed by technological setbacks and the Covid-19 pandemic – it was originally expected to be ready for delivery by 2022.
As with other Chinese-developed planes the aircraft maker has had to overcome problems with the AG600’s engines – in this case the WJ-6, a turboprop engine based on the Soviet AI-20 series from the 1950s.

Previous state media reports have said there are 17 AG600s on order, including for the State Oceanic Administration and the China Coast Guard.