AG600 high-speed taxi test. Xinhua.China’s new AG600 amphibious air tanker recently completed a high-speed taxi test. The first flight for the aircraft was December 24, 2017 at Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport in Zhuhai, Guangdong.
VIDEO: Taking off from the water! #AG600, designed to be world’s largest amphibious #aircraft, completes its first #taxiing at high speed on the water. pic.twitter.com/4OicpgK8wA
— China Focus (@China__Focus) October 10, 2018
The AG600 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of water, and like the CL-215/415 and Air Tractors it can scoop water from a lake and drop it on wildfires. When not fighting fires it holds 50 passengers in a military or civilian role, and has a range of 5,500 km (3,418 miles). It has four turboprop engines, can handle a wave height of two meters, and will have a maximum speed of 354 mph (570 kph, 308 knots).
2 Comments
CHINA’S AG600 LOOKS VERY NICE ! Maybe we could buy a dozen or so from them, and try not to add too much to the trade imbalance ?
Hope the USFS is paying attention ,however, the mgmt .thereof could probably find some excuse not to buy from the Chinese . WE NEED MORE FIXED WING AIRCRAFT ,AND ESPECIALLY SCOOPERS!
I have to say that I am in love with the CL-415 with 1620 US gallons capacity. I do admire where the Chinese are going with this for fires (~3000 gallons), but their military application is clearly in support of their “permanent” aircraft carriers in the South China Sea.
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