China’s first domestically developed fixed-wing aircraft for comprehensive atmospheric environment detection completed its maiden flight on July 2 in Harbin, capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.
The Y12F aircraft for comprehensive atmospheric environment detection takes off on its maiden flight. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The aircraft is built using the Y12F platform, an 8-tonne class turboprop utility/regional aircraft developed by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd.
It has undergone large‑scale integration and modification works to accommodate over 60 mission payloads. Designed to meet the requirement for highly sensitive, multi‑parameter vertical detection of atmospheric particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10, gaseous pollutants, greenhouse gases, and cloud water physical and chemical properties, its detection accuracy and sensitivity have reached internationally advanced levels.
With outstanding payload capacity and cabin volume advantages, it is the only Chinese civil aircraft type to have been granted type certificates by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
The plane is scheduled to conduct more than 30 hours of test flights across representative regions, verifying the functionality and effectiveness of its mission payloads at various altitudes and under diverse environmental conditions.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
