Role as intl 'star' seen for major seaplane

China will explore exporting its domestically developed AG600 seaplane to other nations, according to a project manager at Aviation Industry Corp of China, the leading Chinese aircraft maker.

Zhao Lei, a senior manager at AVIC who oversees the AG600 project, told China Daily in an exclusive interview on Thursday at the ongoing 55th Paris Air Show that the AG600 has well-tested technologies and capabilities, and his company wishes to use the new amphibious plane to meet demand in the international market.

This is the first time that an AVIC manager has revealed the company's intention to export the seaplane.

"Over the past two years, the AG600 project has made big strides in its research, development and flight tests, and has been certified by China's civil aviation authorities. It has been used in firefighting tasks and achieved satisfactory results," he said.

Zhao said that along with the start of the AG600's commercial operations, engineers will continue to improve the aircraft's capabilities and technologies and develop variants to meet various kinds of requirements.

"We are determined to make it, like many other products of ours, a star on the international market, and hope it could help its users create value," he said.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that the Chinese seaplane is well suited for meeting market demand for firefighting aircraft.

"Current water-bombing seaplanes in foreign nations have been in service for decades and have already become old and worn out. For example, the Canadair CL-215 of Canada is a good platform, but it is limited to water-based takeoff and landing and has a low carrying capacity," he said. "By comparison, the AG600 has a larger body and modern technologies, and can take off and land on both water and at an airport."

In addition to aerial firefighting, the AG600 is capable of fulfilling other missions, ranging from search and rescue to transportation among islands, he said.

However, he said, the AG600 must overcome a major obstacle — airworthiness certification in Western countries — before it can find its way into the international market.

The AG600 is China's second amphibious aircraft model after the SH-5, which was developed in the 1970s for military purposes and has since been retired.

It is also the final member of the three large aircraft models that China has striven to design and build domestically. The other two — the Y-20 military transport plane and the C919 narrow-body jetliner — have been in active service for years.

The AG600 made its debut flight in December 2017 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, taking off from and landing at an airport. Ten months later, it carried out its first water-based takeoff and landing at Zhanghe Reservoir in Jingmen, Hubei province. In July 2020, the aircraft completed its first sea-based test flight over the Yellow Sea.

The model received its type certificate in April from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and was given its production certificate by the administration last week.

Measuring 38.9 meters long with a wingspan of 38.8 meters, the AG600 is roughly the size of a Boeing 737 passenger aircraft and is the world's biggest operational amphibious aircraft.

It has a maximum takeoff weight of 60 metric tons, a maximum altitude of 7.6 kilometers and a maximum operational range of 4,500 km.

The aircraft can be used to rescue 50 people during a maritime search and rescue mission, and in a typical firefighting operation, it can collect 12 tons of water from a lake or sea in 20 seconds to douse fires over an area of about 4,000 square meters, designers said.

AVIC has so far received orders for six AG600s from two buyers, with delivery expected to begin in August, project leaders said.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn