The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd. (AVIC) recently announced that China’s AG600 “Kunlong”, a domestically developed large amphibious aircraft, successfully carried out its first water scooping and dropping drill in a natural setting at Songhua Lake in Jilin Province. This marks the aircraft’s inaugural operation outside its regular water testing base in Jingmen, Hubei Province.
The AG600 “Kunlong” carries out its first water scooping and dropping drill in a natural environment at Songhua Lake in Jilin Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The drill served as a comprehensive test of the AG600’s entire system under real field conditions. Taking off from Changbaishan Airport in Baishan City, the AG600 flew approximately 190 kilometers to Songhua Lake, where it swiftly entered operation mode to perform the water scooping and dropping drill.
The AG600 can perform two typical operational roles: airport water injection and in-field water scooping. After being injected with 12 tons of water at the airport, it can fly to the target area for water dropping and subsequently perform up to nine consecutive scooping and dropping cycles, with a total water release volume of 120 tons. The dropped water can produce rainfall equivalent to heavy rain or above, covering an area exceeding 40,000 square meters.
To date, three AG600 production aircraft have completed flight testing and are scheduled for delivery within the year. Going forward, the AG600 “Kunlong” will work with ground-based firefighting forces, contributing to the protection of national ecological resources and the safety of people’s lives and property.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
