The AG600, also known as TA-600, is the world’s biggest amphibious aircraft developed by Chinese state aircraft manufacturer, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The aircraft is intended for forest fire-fighting, ocean monitoring, ocean rescue, and maritime enforcement missions.
The first prototype of the AG600 was rolled out in July 2016 from a production facility located at Zhuhai in South China’s Guangdong Province. The first flight of AG600 is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
AG600 amphibious aircraft development
The plan for the development of the AG600 was approved by the Chinese government in 2009. The aircraft was developed by a group of 70 aircraft component manufacturers and research teams in association with more than 150 institutes across 20 provinces and municipalities in China.
The mid and forward fuselage sections of the aircraft were completed in December 2014 and March 2015 respectively. The horizontal and vertical tail reaming was completed by January 2016.
The aircraft is available in fire-fighting, search and water rescue variants. AVIC is also planning to develop other variants of the aircraft including maritime surveillance, passenger, cargo, and tourism.
Airline Jun
Cockpit
Images source from the net
Interior of prototype
Images source from the net
Orders and deliveries
AG600 aircraft received two option orders at the 10th Airshow China held in Zhuhai in November 2014, bringing the total option orders to 17. The aircraft is mainly intended for domestic market in China, especially for conducting variety of operations in the South China Sea.
Island countries including New Zealand and Malaysia have also shown interest in the AG-600.
AG600 first taxi test in Zhuhai
World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft AG600 Progressing Toward First Flight: Here
XINHUA
Design and features of the Chinese amphibious aircraft
The AG600 aircraft is designed to perform multiple tasks on both land and sea. It is a boat-type amphibious airplane with a single hull fuselage integrating cantilevered high-mounted wings, T tail-wing, and tricycle landing gear. It has an overall length of 36.9m, height of 12.1m, and a wingspan of 38.8m.
Tricycle landing gear
Image – hunan.china.org.cn
Image – hunan.china.org.cn
The aircraft can take-off and land from 1,500m-long, 200m-wide and 2.5m-deep water bodies. It has the capacity to collect 12t of water in 20 seconds and can carry up to 370t of water on a single tank of fuel.
Fire fighting capabilities
Large fire / water rescue amphibious aircraft (referred to as “Dragon 600” aircraft) in order to meet China’s forest fire, the need to develop maritime emergency rescue mission of a large amphibious aircraft. Aircraft using a single hull, cantilever monoplane layout pattern; optional four WJ6 engine, with retractable tricycle landing gear.
Dragon 600 aircraft in the implementation of forest fire fighting tasks, can draw water 12,000 kg in 20 seconds, the aircraft may be multiple trips between water and fire, drowning fire. When performing water rescue mission, aircraft stable minimum flight altitude of 50 meters, can be parked in the water rescue operations, making up to 50 rescue persons in distress.
“Dragon 600” aircraft by “a machine type, amphibious, series development,” the design concept to design, the installation of the necessary equipment and facilities according to the needs of users, in order to achieve marine environmental monitoring, resource exploration, passenger and freight transport task needs. Source caiga.cn
The aircraft can evacuate up to 50 people in a single search-and-rescue (SAR) mission on water. It can be equipped with customer-specific equipment to conduct maritime surveillance, resource detection, as well as passenger and cargo transport missions.
AG600 amphibious aircraft engine and performance details
The aircraft is powered by four Chinese-made WJ-6 turboprop engines driving four six-bladed constantspeed propellers. WJ-6 is a license-built copy of the Ivchenko AI-20 engine and generates a power output of 3,805kW (5,103hp).
WJ-6 turboprops (Ivchenko AI-20)
Designed for use as a sustainer propulsion system on two or four-engine passenger and transport multi-purpose aircrafts on short-haul and medium-haul (up to 6500 km). It powers: AN-8, AN-10, AN-12, AN-32, Be-12, IL-18, IL-20, IL-22, IL-38 aircrafts and their modifications. Meets the environmental requirements of ICAO standards. In commercial production since 1957
| АI-20К | АI-20M | АI-20D series 2 | АI-20D series 5 | АI-20D series 5M | |
| Takeoff power rating (H=0, М=0, ISA) | |||||
| Equivalent power, ehp | 4,000 | 4,250 | 5,180 | 5,180 | 4,750 |
| Specific fuel consumption, kg/e.h.p./h | 0.27 | 0.239 | 0.227 | 0.227 | 0.24 |
| Cruise power rating (H=8,000m, М=0.57) | |||||
| Equivalent power, e.h.p | 2,940 | 2,700 | 2,725 | 2,725 | 2,725 |
| Specific fuel consumption, kg/e.h.p./h | 0.21 | 0.197 | 0.199 | 0.199 | 0.199 |
| Dimensions, mm | 3,096 x 842 x 1,080 | ||||
| Dry weight, kg | 1,080 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 |
| Assigned service life, h | 20,000 | 22,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 20,000 |
| Applicability | ll-18V | An-12D Il-18D Il-38 |
An-8 An-32 Bе-12 |
An-32 | An-32B-200 |
Source ivchenko-progress.com
The aircraft can fly at cruising speed of 500km/h, maximum speed of 560km/h, and minimum speed of 220km/h. It has a maximum range of 4,500km and service ceiling of 6,000m, while the minimum level flight altitude is 50m.
The AG600 aircraft can perform take-off and landing in severe weather conditions with a wave height of 2m. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 53.5t on runways and 49t on water.
Main material source aerospace-technology.com
Updated MAY 31, 2022
Main image: cnbeta.com
Specifications
Data from AerospaceTechnology.com, Popular Science, Flight Global, Guo and militaryfactory.com
General characteristics
- Capacity: 50 passengers
- Length: 40 m (131 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 40 m (131 ft 3 in)
- Max takeoff weight: 53,500 kg (117,947 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × WJ-6 turboprops, 3,805 kW (5,103 hp) each
- Propellers: 4-bladed constant speed propellers
Engine Performance
- Maximum power output: 3,809 kW (5,180 ehp) (take-off); 2,004 kW (2,725 ehp) (cruise)
- Overall pressure ratio: 7.6:1 (take-off) to 9.2:1 (cruise)
- Air mass flow: 20.7 kg/s (45.6 lb/s)
- Turbine inlet temperature: 900 °C (1,652 °F)
- Specific fuel consumption: 0.271 kg/KW/hr
- Power-to-weight ratio: 2.8 kW/kg (1.9 hp/lb) (take-off power)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 570 km/h (354 mph; 308 kn)
- Range: 5,500 km (3,418 mi; 2,970 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 10,500 m (34,449 ft)
Source wikipedia.org
Thai Military and Asian Region 