China’s AG600M Firefighting Aircraft Successfully Completes Cold-Weather Flight Tests
Beijing, The Gulf Observer: The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has announced the successful completion of cold-weather flight tests for the AG600M aircraft, a specialized firefighting model belonging to the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family.
Two AG600M large amphibious airplanes underwent rigorous cold-weather flight test missions at an airport in Hailar District of Hulunbuir in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, marking a significant milestone in the aircraft’s development, according to AVIC, China’s leading aircraft manufacturer.
Lasting approximately two weeks, the cold-weather flight tests were conducted in an environment with temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to minus 40 degrees Celsius. This challenging setting allowed engineers and experts to assess the AG600M’s performance under low temperatures, frost, and freezing conditions.
The tests verified the functions and performance of the AG600M aircraft’s major systems, including power, fuel, flight control, and avionics, in cold environments. Additionally, the assessments included an evaluation of the aircraft’s maintainability in low temperatures.
To conduct the cold-weather flight tests in Inner Mongolia, the two AG600M airplanes embarked on ferry flights covering around 2,000 km in six hours from Shaanxi Province to the airport in Hailar in late January. This journey marked the longest ferry flight mission completed by the aircraft and presented them with the most complicated route environment they had faced to date.
Cold-weather flight tests are a crucial step in securing airworthiness certification and gaining insights into the future operation and maintenance of the AG600M aircraft in low-temperature environments, stated AVIC.
The AG600M firefighting aircraft has entered a key phase of airworthiness compliance verification and aims to obtain the type certificate before the end of 2024. China’s AG600 aircraft family is developed as advanced aeronautical equipment to enhance the country’s emergency-rescue capabilities, with a focus on missions such as firefighting and maritime search and rescue across diverse terrains.
Compared to the technology demonstrator AG600 aircraft, the firefighting-specialized AG600M boasts an upgraded maximum take-off weight of 60 tonnes and a maximum water-dropping capacity of up to 12 tonnes, showcasing its advanced capabilities in emergency response and disaster management.
