It can reportedly carry up to 3,000 gallons of water
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.
Ground test for the water dropping system on the 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).
Today #China‘s domestically developed amphibious aircraft #AG600 successfully conducted its first test flight for its fire extinguishing system. Codenamed #Kunlong, AG600 is the world’s largest amphibious plane. pic.twitter.com/Esl885NMun
China’s new AG600 amphibious air tanker recently completed a high-speed taxi test. The first flight for the aircraft was December 24, 2017 at Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in Zhuhai, Guangdong.
The AG600 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of water, and like the CL-215/415 and Air Tractors 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).
Above: screen grab from the BBC video showing (through dense smog) the AG600 taxiing after its first flight December 24, 2017.
China’s new amphibious aircraft that can scoop water and drop it on wildfires made its maiden flight December 24 at Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in Zhuhai, Guangdong.
(Note: the original BBC video became no longer available. On March 15, 2021 it was replaced with the video below.)
The AG600 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of water, and like the CL-215/415 and Air Tractors it can scoop water from a lake and drop it on wildfires. When not fighting fires it can hold 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).
In 2015 The Coulson Group, operator of the two huge Martin Mars water-scooping aircraft, trained 14 test pilots from China who were expected to be the first to fly the AG600 (also known as the TA-600). The training included ground, water taxi, flight, scooping, and dropping water. The pilots went through classroom and hands on training using Coulson’s Hawaii Martin Mars aircraft, actually taxiing and flying the huge flying boat.
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Above: photo posted on Twitter today by @cnmainland, Chinese Mainland News, showing their AG-600 amphibious aircraft.
The AG-600 amphibious aircraft China has been working on for several years, also known as the TA-600, is starting to take shape. The photo above included this message, very roughly translated by Google:
China has independently developed the world’s largest amphibious aircraft debut “off your veil, let me see your face .” Through hundreds of days and nights, a large amphibious aircraft AG600
It will be the largest amphibious aircraft currently in production when it makes its first flight, anticipated for later this year.
The aircraft is designed to carry 50 passengers, but can also scoop water and drop it on fires. The Coulson Group that owns two huge Martin Mars flying boat air tankers trained 14 Chinese test pilots last year who will be the first to fly the AG-600. The training included ground, water taxi, flight, scooping, and dropping water. The trainee pilots went through classroom and hands on training using Coulson’s Hawaii Martin Mars, actually taxiing and flying the huge flying boat.
Unlike the Martin Mars, the AG-600 will be truly amphibious, able to land and takeoff on water or land. Defense World has a photo of a model showing landing gear.
China could use the amphibious aircraft not only to fight fires, but to assist in their efforts to create and resupply artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Chinese pilots will be training in Canada to fly the new TA-600 amphibious aircraft now being built in China by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
Britton Coulson of The Coulson Group said their company will be training 14 test pilots during two weeks in late July who will be the first to fly the TA-600. The training will include ground, water taxi, flight, and scooping and dropping water. The pilots from China will go through classroom and hands on training using Coulson’s Hawaii Martin Mars aircraft, actually taxiing and flying the huge flying boat.
The new Chinese aircraft will have a 3,000-gallon water capacity, four turboprop engines, can handle a wave height of two meters, and will have a maximum speed of 354 mph (570 kph, 308 knots). The base model for the aircraft is the AVIC TA-600 which is designed to be used for transport, water rescue, or to carry up to 50 passengers. The air tanker version appears to have the AG-600 model name. Both aircraft are similar to what was then known as the JL-600 when we wrote about it in 2010 at Wildfire Today. The maiden flight is expected to take place in the first half of 2016.
Hawaii (foreground) and Philippine Mars in 2008. Photo by RuthAS.
Coulson owns two huge water scooping flying boat Martin Mars air tankers, with a capacity of 7,200 gallons of water which can be mixed on board with foam concentrate. However, the two planes, the Philippine and Hawaii Mars built in 1945 and now based at Port Alberni, BC, Canada, have not been used as air tankers in recent years. The Philippine Mars, which retired several years ago, is expected to be traded to the Pensacola Naval Museum in Florida in exchange for some aircraft the museum has in their inventory. British Columbia did not renew their firefighting contract for the Hawaii Mars for 2014.
Mr. Coulson said, “By the end of July both Mars will be serviceable and most likely we will have the Philippine in the water as well getting ready to fly to Pensacola”.
Philippine Mars after being repainted in its original colors, July 17, 2014. (Screen grab from a Coulson video.)
Related articles on Fire Aviation and Wildfire Today:
China is manufacturing a large air tanker that will be amphibious, able to land and takeoff from an airport or the sea. It will have a 3,000-gallon water capacity, four turboprop engines, able to handle a wave height of two meters, and will have a maximum speed of 354 mph (570 kph, 308 knots). The base model for the aircraft is the AVIC TA-600 which is designed to be used for transport, water rescue, or to carry up to 50 passengers. The air tanker version appears to have the AG-600 model name. Both aircraft are similar to what was then known as the JL-600 when we wrote about it in 2010 at Wildfire Today.
The maiden flight is expected to take place in the first half of 2016.
The nose section of the AG600.A large portion of the fuselarge of the air tanker was nearing completion on March 13, 2015.
Below is an excerpt from an article at ChinaDaily:
“The AG-600 will meet China’s urgent need for such equipment in forest fire control and maritime search and rescue, and it will form an important part of the country’s emergency response and rescue system,” Huang Lingcai, chief designer of the aircraft at the Zhuhai company said.
Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG-600 will become the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, surpassing Japan’s ShinMaywa US-2 and Russia’s Beriev Be-200, the designer said.
The AG-600, formerly known as the D-600, will have a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 metric tons and an operational range of about 4,500 km. It can be used for a variety of operations, such as passenger and cargo transport, resource surveys as well as marine environmental monitoring, in addition to its foremost tasks of firefighting and maritime rescue, according to Leng Yixun, director of general aviation products at AVIC.
“The seaplane’s major users will be government departments such as forestry authorities, the coast guard and maritime safety bureaus. We estimate our country will need at least 100 such seaplanes within the coming 15 years,” he said.
He added that his company has received 17 orders from domestic customers, including several private general aviation enterprises.
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