China Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), one of China's largest aircraft manufacturer companies, announced that four prototypes of the AG600M aircraft, a full-configuration firefighting model belonging to the AG600 family of large amphibious aircraft, have begun flight test missions.
AVIC said its fourth AG600M firefighter prototype had successfully completed its maiden flight on Saturday at Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong Province.
During the 17-minute flight, the aircraft performed a series of scheduled flight tests. The aircraft performed perfectly, with the control system and all other systems working stably. So far, AVIC has produced a total of four AG600M aircraft prototypes, carrying out relevant flight tests at various sites around the country.
Codenamed Kunlong, meaning "water dragon," the AG600 family of aircraft was developed as vital aviation equipment to strengthen China's emergency rescue capabilities. These aircraft will be used in fighting forest fires, sea search and rescue, and other critical rescue missions.
The AG600M, a member of the AG600 aircraft family, has been specially designed to fight forest fires. With a maximum take-off weight of 60 tons and a water carrying capacity of up to 12 tons, the aircraft can fly at low speed at low altitude and throw water towards fire areas.
AVIC has announced that it will seek to ensure that its firefighting specialized AG600M aircraft is type-certified by 2024, and will begin deliveries of the first small batches in 2025. The company will also ensure that the rescue-specific model of the AG600 aircraft family will receive the type certificate in 2025.