为祖国点赞！国产大型水陆两栖飞机AG600水上首飞成功

10月20日9时05分，国产大型水陆两栖飞机“鲲龙”AG600在湖北荆门漳河机场成功实现水上首飞起降。

开车、滑行、入水；加速、机头昂起……8时51分许，由机长赵生、副驾驶陈明、机械师魏鹏和监控观察员孙康宁组成的首飞机组，按预定科目驾驶着AG600划开湖面，直插云霄。约14分钟后，AG600像一只沙鸥平稳轻盈入水、贴着水面滑行，溅起阵阵水花。

“AG-600”水上试飞成功，标志着我国成为世界上除了美国、俄罗斯、日本、加拿大以外，第五个有能力制造大型水上飞机的国家。

AG600是中国为满足森林灭火和水上救援的需要，首次研制的大型特种用途民用飞机，是国家应急救援体系建设急需的重大航空装备。按照“水陆两栖、一机多型、系列发展”的设计思路，AG600兼顾改装成海洋环境监测和保护等用途的可能性和灵活性。

AG600既能在陆地上起降，又能在水面上起降。可在水源与火场之间多次往返投水灭火，20秒内可一次汲水12吨；可在复杂气象条件下实施救援行动，起降抗浪能力不低于2米，一次能救助50名海上遇险人员。

China's independently-developed large amphibious aircraft AG600 completed its first water surface test flight on Saturday in Jingmen of central China's Hubei Province.

This is another breakthrough in China's aviation industry. The AG600, codenamed Kunlong, is designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft. It completed its maiden flight in December 2017.

With a 38.8-meter wingspan, it can take off from the land and water and has a maximum weight of over 53 tons.

From marine to amphibious

As the first of its kind in the country, AG600 was designed based on the Harbin SH-5 maritime bomber, a marine aircraft developed in 60s and 70s. However, the evolution from being marine to amphibious came with an almost impassable technological gap.

"We need to ensure both functions of aerodynamics and hydrodynamic force, integrating the features of an aircraft and ship. It requires us to coordinate the overall layout as well as aerodynamics and hydrodynamic layouts," said Huang Lingcai, the chief designer of the AG600.

China's amphibious aircraft AG600 completed first water surface test flight on Saturday in Jingmen of central China's Hubei Province. /VCG Photo

It's also a big challenge to balance the speed and feasibility.

"We want a fast-speed for the aircraft. However, to ensure a small water-load and strong wave-resistance, we need to slow it down," said Huang. "Breakthroughs were made in the calculation and analysis, as well as in testing the air-water coupling model, filling a gap in China."

The designers also developed a plate on the lower part of AG600 to suppress waves which would otherwise spit up into the engine propeller and flap. With this installed, the AG600 can ensure smooth navigation on the water.

Chen Ming, co-pilot of AG600. /CGTN Photo

Taking off on water is tougher on the structure of the plane and the skill of the pilots too.

"It is more difficult to take off on water than on land, especially on the shock resistance of the plane," Chen Ming, co-pilot of AG600, told CGTN.

Fire extinguisher and maritime rescuer

With a capacity of 50 people for search-and-rescue missions, the AG600 can collect 12 tons of water in 20 seconds and carry it up to 50 meters above the ground, and it can extinguish a fire in an area of over 4,000 square meters with one spray.

The ability to take off and land on complex sea environments makes the AG600 highly efficient for maritime rescue missions.

With top cruising speeds of 500 kilometers per hour – over 10 times that of a salvage ship – and a flight time of up to 12 hours, the plane has the endurance to carry out rescue operations under extreme weather conditions, and resist two-meter-high waves.

Its maximum rescue operation radius extends to 1,600 kilometers, which could cover most of China's sea areas and exclusive economic zones.

"The current sea rescue is mainly conducted by vessels, and a limited number of helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts. The emergency rescue mechanism, equipment and professional crew all needs further enhancement,” said Lu Guangshan, chief engineer of Aviation Industry Corporation of China. "The AG600 is a step towards addressing the needs of both the maritime economy and forest firefighting. It could also boost China's middle and long-range emergency sea rescue abilities.”

The AG600 could be also used for other purposes, such as marine environmental monitoring and transportation, as well as for tourism as the high cruising speed and large flight range would allow the aircraft to work as an "airbus," carrying tourists between airports and islands.

It is estimated that the market need, both domestically and overseas, for China's AG600 model could reach 280 planes.