The AG600 "Kunlong," the world's largest civil amphibious aircraft developed by China, has received its production certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, marking the beginning of its mass production. This is a milestone in China's emergency response aviation capabilities.
The AG600, with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tonnes and a wingspan comparable to a Boeing 737's, is specifically designed for missions such as forest firefighting, maritime rescue and aerial patrol.
A versatile workhorse guardian
The technological marvel is a workhorse designed to address real-world crises.
In its firefighting mode, it can scoop up 12 tonnes of water in just 20 seconds and release it over an area of 4,000 square meters — equivalent to 10 basketball courts — in a single pass. Compared to traditional firefighting teams, it can achieve what hundreds of personnel would take hours to accomplish.
In maritime rescue operations, it can respond much faster than conventional ships. It has a range of 4,500 km and can carry 50 individuals per mission, enabling it to perform effectively in both domestic and international scenarios.
Besides its capability to perform low-altitude searches overwater, the AG600 is also equipped to conduct surface rescues in challenging weather conditions, including waves as high as two meters.
A sky-sea hybrid engineering marvel
The most challenging aspect of the design was achieving an integrated aerohydrodynamic layout.
To ensure that, the lower fuselage of the AG600 is designed as a V-shaped hull. The AG600 has a streamlined fairing on the lower fuselage that wraps around the retracted main landing gear, reducing aerodynamic drag.
However, the fairing is located relatively close to the wing, creating an additional airflow channel between them, which could potentially lead to lateral-directional instability, affecting flight safety.
Its designing team conducted countless analyses and tests to refine the design, ultimately finding a solution. They added a flow diverting device to the side of the fuselage just below the wing and were able to "split" the airflow, thus improving the lateral-directional characteristic of the Kunlong.
During the three years it took for the overall design, the team conducted more than 30,000 wind tunnel and water dynamics tests. The integration of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics was hard-earned through rigorous testing, laying a solid foundation for the Kunlong.
Shaping the future of global aviation
From initial concept to full certification, the AG600 represents a 15-year journey of engineering commitment.
There have been milestones after milestones — from the land-based first flight in 2017, to water takeoffs in 2018, and sea trials in 2020.
In the field of specialized aircraft development, large amphibious aircraft area high-tech, strategically valuable asset. For many years, only a few countries were capable of manufacturing large amphibious aircraft. Russia's Beriev Be-200 and Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 are currently the mature models in the world. The development of the AG600 has broken the long-standing technological blockade held by a few countries in this field, enhancing China's influence and voice in the global aviation industry.
China Economic News reported the Aviation Industry Corporation of China stating that the AG600 has attracted potential purchasers such as Vietnam and Australia. In the future, customized solutions will help expand its presence in international markets.
As the AG600 enters the mass production and application stage, it will be seen not only in China's blue skies and clear seas but will also increasingly appear on the international stage. There it will contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions for global safety, environmental protection and sustainable development.