Sea test this year for China’s new ‘skiing’ plane after coronavirus delay: reports
- Work on prototype of AG600 back to full capacity in Hubei as maker prepares for first maritime flight, according to state media
- The size of a Boeing 737, the aircraft can collect water for firefighting, and perform patrol and rescue operations
The prototype of AG600 “Kunlong” amphibious aircraft is being worked on in Jingmen – in the outbreak’s initial epicentre of Hubei province – and will have its maiden maritime flight later this year from Zhuhai, neighbouring Hong Kong, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
The project had been suspended for over a month due to the Covid-19 epidemic in Hubei, and the prototype plane was at risk of damage without maintenance. Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) sent a reinforcement team to Hubei in mid-March, during the province’s lockdown, to start preparing for tests of the plane, according to CCTV. The developers in AVIC’s Hubei subsidiaries have now resumed working at full capacity.
“Now the plane is in good condition,” Lu Yang, deputy head of the AG600 project at the Jingmen site, told CCTV. “We are all working overtime and making up for the lost time. I believe this [sea-based trial] can be done within this year. No problem.”
The AG600 combines a plane with a boat underneath, and can take off and land on both land and water. It is designed for forest firefighting, maritime patrols, and search and rescue. It could also be used for oceanic environment observation, resource exploration and transport between islands.
A propeller-driven aircraft, the AG600 is 36.9 metres (121 feet) long with a 38.8-metre wingspan, similar to the size of a Boeing 737. It has a capacity of 50 passengers, and can fly at a maximum speed of 500km/h (310 miles per hour), with a longest duration of 12 hours.