The world's largest amphibious aircraft took off from the water for the first time (video). The world's largest amphibious aircraft made its first flight in China New Chinese amphibious aircraft

— made its first test flight from Zhuhai Airport, located in Guangdong province, reports Popular Mechanics. With the size of a civilian airliner, the AG600 is capable of taking off and landing on both solid surfaces and water. The development of the machine, called “Kunlong”, took seven years. The aircraft is multi-purpose and will be used to combat forest fires, in maritime rescue operations, as well as for patrolling Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea.

The first flight of the AG600 took place without any water. Instead, the car took to the skies for about an hour, after which it landed at the same airport from which it took off. The development and assembly of the AG600 was carried out by the Chinese state aviation company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is also responsible for the development of Chinese military fighters J-10 and J-20, heavy transport aircraft Y-20 and the Z-10 attack helicopter, notes Popular Mechanics.

With a wingspan of almost 37 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 53.6 tons, the AG600 is almost as large as civilian aircraft. Airbus airliners 320 and 737. The aircraft has a hybrid design that allows it to take off and land both on water and on land. The manufacturer says the vehicle is made from 100 percent Chinese parts, including its four WJ-6 turboprop engines, which were designed back in the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

Kunlong is capable of carrying up to 50 passengers, making it very useful for evacuation sea ​​vessels in emergency situations or for the transfer of people from the mainland, which is not equipped with take-off and landing infrastructure. According to Chinese news publications, the seaplane, if necessary, is capable of drawing 12 tons of water in 20 seconds, which it can then use to extinguish fires in difficult to reach areas.

Landing AG600 after test flight

As Popular Mechanics notes, after minor modifications, the AG600 can be used as a military aircraft to perform a variety of tasks: both patrolling coastal borders and as an anti-submarine aircraft. In addition, the aircraft can be used to transport military personnel and cargo to remote bases. The AG600 is capable of staying in the sky for up to 12 hours and has a flight range of up to 4,500 kilometers.

To date, the manufacturing company has received orders for 17 AG600 aircraft. The order was received back in 2016, and since then its volume has not changed. It is quite possible that after a successful test flight the manufacturer may receive foreign orders.

The Chinese seaplane undergoing ground tests today, which is now called the largest in the world, may turn out to be redesigned Russian project. About it FBA "Economy Today" said the Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, Major General Vladimir Popov.

“Indeed, the dimensions of the AG600 amphibious aircraft presented by Chinese engineers are amazing - the largest Russian analogue, the Be-200, is noticeably smaller, but is designed to perform similar tasks. But few people remember that the A-40 Albatross seaplane was tested in Russia, which was tested back in the late 1980s.

That is, 40 years ago the USSR had a machine that the Chinese today are only preparing for testing on the water. But while the Union had extensive experience in the design and construction of amphibious aircraft, the PRC’s experience in this area is significantly limited,” the specialist notes.

Today, China announced that the world's largest amphibious aircraft, the AG600, developed by Chinese designers, has successfully passed ground testing. The vehicle passed steering tests on the runway in Zhuhai (Guangdong Province). At the same time, the aircraft's braking system, ability to maintain a straight line, and correction of the flight path were tested. In addition, the amphibian made a 180-degree turn on the runway. Based on the test results, engineers announced that the systems were functioning properly.

“These are just demonstration performances; tests for the suitability of the AG600 to perform the assigned tasks will only show tests on the water. This is what is called the process of “watering down” an amphibious aircraft: the engines operate in conditions of constant humidity, and water gets into them. salty water, they must have increased resistance to corrosion and meet a number of increased requirements. It is unlikely that it will be possible to bring a Chinese seaplane to an acceptable level of quality earlier than in 5-7 years,” the expert believes.

AG600 may turn out to be a “clone” of the Russian Albatross

Chinese engineers announced that the first test flight of the AG600 from land should take place in May, and a flight from the water surface in the second half of 2017. The aircraft was initially designed to extinguish fires and carry out rescue operations on water; the crew will consist of three people. Manufacturing company China Aviation Industry General Aircraft has received orders for 17 aircraft. The price has not been announced.

The amphibian is equipped with four turboprop engines and is capable of taking on board 12 tons of water in 20 seconds. The maximum take-off weight is 53.5 tons, the hull length is 39.3 meters, the wingspan is 38.8 meters, and the maximum flight range is 4.5 thousand kilometers. In addition, the aircraft is designed to carry out rescue operations on water.

“It is already clear why Chinese designers preferred turboprop engines, while Soviet scientists preferred jet engines. It has been proven that turboprop engines are more economical both in operation and maintenance. In addition to this difference, the Chinese amphibian resembles the Russian Albatross - this machine is After the collapse of the USSR, it never went into production because there was simply no money, although the state still has a high need for it.

I would not be surprised if it turns out that the AG600 was created based on the shelved Albatross A-40 project - cooperation between Russia and China in the aviation industry is so close that Chinese engineers could be given drawings of a promising amphibian - perhaps for a fee. And starting from this base, Chinese designers could conduct their development. However, it is not yet clear what the PRC will ultimately achieve - everything will be shown by tests “in combat conditions.”

In Russia, there is still a need for a modern seaplane - not only for firefighting and rescue operations, but also due to the development of the space industry. When launches from the Vostochny cosmodrome begin, patrolling of nearby waters near Sakhalin and Kuril Islands will have to carry out not only ships, but also. So that in case emergency situations be the first to be at the landing site and begin evacuating people and valuable equipment,” concludes Vladimir Popov.

An amphibious aircraft is a relatively versatile aircraft, capable of using both a land airfield and a water surface for takeoff and landing. This versatility allows you to significantly expand the aircraft’s application areas.

Flight tests of a seaplane on water allow you to check the operation of its engines in conditions of high humidity, the tightness of the hull and all control systems. Tests of the AG600 on water have been carried out since August of this year.

During a new stage of testing, which began on October 20, the AG600 drove off the shore into the water, retracted its landing gear, and then successfully accelerated and took off. After landing on the water, the plane lowered its landing gear and then drove ashore. Other details of the tests have not been disclosed.

Video: New China TV

As UNIAN reported, the Chinese-developed AG600 amphibious aircraft flew in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in December 2017.

This is the world's largest amphibious aircraft being prepared for mass production. Its length is 37 meters and its wingspan is 38.8 meters. Maximum take-off weight aircraft is 53.5 tons. The seaplane can fly over a distance of up to five thousand kilometers. The AG600 is capable of carrying up to 50 people and flying at speeds of up to 570 kilometers per hour.

The AG600 is capable of staying in the air for up to 12 hours. In the version designed for firefighting, the new Chinese seaplane will be able to draw water from reservoirs in gliding mode at a speed of 0.6 tons per second. Currently, the developers have already received orders for the supply of 17 seaplanes.

The world's largest amphibious aircraft, the AG600, successfully completed its first test flight in the Chinese province of Guangdong.

The world's largest amphibious aircraft, the AG600, developed by Chinese engineers from the AVIC aircraft corporation, made its first test flight. The takeoff took place on Sunday, December 24, in the city of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, writes Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The seaplane needed about 600 m to gain altitude. runway, after which he climbed to 2500-3000 m, where he spent a total of about an hour.

As part of the tests, the aircraft carried out several maneuvers, including descent and simulated approach to idhumkz landing. This was done to check the safety and functioning of on-board systems.

Created by the Aircraft Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the seaplane is designed to meet the needs of civil aviation. It is designed specifically for fighting forest fires and conducting search and rescue operations. Fire-fighting modification capable of collecting 12 tons of water in 12 seconds.

The maximum take-off weight of the AG600 is 53.5 tons. It can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h with a flight range of up to 4.5 thousand km and continuous stay in the air for up to 12 hours. The length of the aircraft is 37 m, the wingspan is 38.8 m. The seaplane can take off and land both at conventional airfields and on the water surface, TASS notes.

The aircraft will be produced in passenger and cargo versions. The AG600 will be the world's largest aircraft of its class. According to the chief designer, the developer has already received 17 orders for it - all from Chinese companies. Commercial operation will begin no earlier than 2021 after passing all certification procedures.

04:56 — REGNUM The world's largest amphibious aircraft, the AG-600, made its first flight in Guangdong province in southern China, Xinhua reported on December 24.

The AG-600 amphibious aircraft, codenamed "Kunlong", left Jinwan Airport in Zhuhai at 9:39. His flight lasted about an hour.

“The first flight of this aircraft puts China among the few countries capable of building large amphibious aircraft,” said AG-600 chief designer Huang Lingcai.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China congratulated everyone who took part in the creation of the aircraft, including representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, as well as the Civil Aviation Administration of the People's Republic of China and the State Aviation Company of China (AVIC).

The congratulatory telegram on the occasion of the successful first flight speaks of a huge breakthrough in the development of special purpose aircraft, carried out following the first flight of the Chinese jet passenger airliner C919, successfully held in May 2017.

The name "Kunlun" was given to the aircraft for its high expectations, where "kun" means a huge mythical fish, and "lun" means a dragon.

“The development of the aircraft took eight years. It is the result of the work of several generations of Chinese aviators,” Huang said.

The length of the aircraft is 36.9 meters. It is powered by four turboprop engines developed entirely in China, says developer AVIC. The creation of engines has been for a long time key problem, standing before the project.

The maximum payload is 53.5 tons, and the cruising speed can reach 500 km/h. On one tank the plane can stay in the air for up to 12 hours.

The aircraft was originally developed as the world's largest amphibious aircraft. Key areas of its application will be water rescue, forest fire fighting and marine monitoring.

The aircraft can carry up to 50 passengers during search and rescue operations, scoop up to 12 tons of water within 20 seconds and transport up to 370 tons of water on one tank.

“The operating radius of the vehicle is more than 4 thousand km. In addition, it can land and take off from water, which together makes the islands in the South China Sea easily accessible." ,” Juan noted.

Let us recall that back in 2006, the Chinese authorities released road map to create three major aviation projects.

In 2013, the Y-20 transport aircraft made its first flight, and in July 2016 it entered service with the Chinese Air Force.

In 2017, China flew its first passenger jet, the C919, which will soon enable the aircraft to enter the airline market currently monopolized by giants such as Airbus and Boeing. AG600 is the third project.

“A successful first flight will allow China to integrate into the global aviation industrial chain,” - stated Chen Mingsheng- one of the AG600 engineers.

Let us recall that the AG-600 was previously planned for flight tests back in May 2017. However, for unknown reasons, its first flight was postponed until the end of the year and took place just the other day.