China’s new large amphibious aircraft goes into production and final assembly
- AG600 can reach anywhere in South China Sea within four hours of Hainan and move cargo or passengers between Chinese-controlled islands, Xinhua says
Its developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), told Xinhua on Tuesday that the front assembly for the first batch-produced AG600 was delivered on June 30.
It said the delivery of the plane’s front section – which took three months to make – marked the start of batch production of the aircraft.
Final assembly of the amphibious plane will be done in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province, by AVIC subsidiary AVIC General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co, Xinhua reported.
The AG600 was developed to meet growing demand for an emergency rescue aircraft that could be used in maritime searches. Work started on the plane in 2014, with maiden flights conducted over land in 2017 and at sea in 2020, according to state media reports. Airworthiness tests began this year.