China’s new amphibious air tanker conducts ground test of water drop system

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It can reportedly carry up to 3,000 gallons of water

AG600
Ground test for the water dropping system on the AG600.

The large amphibious air tanker being developed in China has been undergoing ground tests of the water dropping system.

The first flight for the AG600 was December 24, 2017 at Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in Zhuhai, Guangdong with high-speed taxi tests following in 2018.

AG600
Ground test for the water dropping system on the AG600.
AG600
AG600

According to information from the developers in China, the AG600 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of water, and like the CL-215/415 and Fire Boss aircraft it can scoop water from a lake and drop it on wildfires. When not fighting fires it holds 50 passengers in a military or civilian role, and has a range of 5,500 km (3,418 miles). It has four turboprop engines, can handle a wave height of two meters, and will have a maximum speed of 354 mph (570 kph, 308 knots).


Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Isaac.

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4 thoughts on “China’s new amphibious air tanker conducts ground test of water drop system”

  1. This is a massive turbine powered aircraft to only carry 3000 U.S. gallons? American made Fire Boss is tanked for 800 U.S. gallons. Not to worry about seeing this or the Russian scooper over fires in the U.S. Will the China scooper be marketed through WalMart? That might be their (China) plan. Or as we say in the fire service “stranger things have happened”.

    1. AG600 uses the WJ6 engine (Soviet based) at 4250 SHP (might be 600 more depending)
      Let’s just go with 17,000 SHP

      P-3 and C 130 current Allison engines ( of note is the USAF is upgrading the C 130 fleet’s engines)

      T56 A 101 5912 SHP X 4 = 23,648 SHP

      T56 A-14 4591 SHP X 4 = 18.364 SHP

      T56 Series IV 5250 SHP X 4 5250 SHP

      And the T56 keeps being upgraded!

      So with all this SHP between the WJ6 and all those T56 variants, why is 3000 gallons the limit? How does MTOW figure in?

  2. China, eating our lunch. If the FS would award longer contracts (10-20yrs) it would make it fiscally feasible for aerospace companies to build purpose built aircraft or vendors to purchase safer/better aircraft.

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