We now have the world’s biggest aircraft!!!!China’s first home grown large amphibious aircraft AG600 completed its maiden flight in south china. The aircraft code AG600 named ‘’kunlong’’ successfully soared into the sky from the jinwan civil aviation airport in the city of zhuhai which lasted about one hour.
Its succesful maiden flight makes china among the worlds few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft. The aircraft powered by 4 domestically bult turboprop engines, has a 39.6 meter long fuselage and a 38.8 metre wingspan. the amphibious aircraft with a maximum take off weight of 53.5
tonnes and a top cruising speed of 500km per hour can fly for 12 hours at a time.
State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) [SASADY.UL] has spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires.
However, state media has also noted its potential use in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei all have overlapping claims.
The AG600’s chief designer, Huang Lingcai, was quoted in the official China Daily earlier this month as saying it can make round trips without refueling from the southern island province of Hainan to James Shoal, claimed by China but which is located close to Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo.
Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media.
The aircraft has received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies. It has a maximum flight range of 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes.
It can use conventional airports and also land and take-off from the sea.
China is in the midst of a massive military modernization program, ranging from testing anti-satellite missiles to building stealth fighters and the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, to add to an existing one bought from Ukraine.