Jiaolong-600 Large Amphibious Aircraft

Jiaolong-600 Large Amphibious Aircraft

In order to satisfy urgent need in extinguishing forest fire and emergency rescue at sea, provide equipment for the establishment of national emergence rescue system to serve economic and national defense development, China has an urgent demand for large medium- and long-range firefighting amphibious aircrafts.
In June 2009, relevant state authority approved the project of the development of Jiaolong-600 large firefighting/emergency rescue amphibious aircraft.
The special aircraft research institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China is to design the aircraft while China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd. is in charge of the project.
The aircraft carries a crew of three including two pilots and one mechanist. It will have a boat-shaped fuselage of big length-width ratio, T-shaped tail wing and a retractable frontal three-point landing gear. It is powered by 4 WJ6 engines and can take off from a runway not shorter than 1,800 meters or a water area 1,500 meters long, 200 meters wide and 2.5 meters deep.
It is installed with an integrated navigation electronic system, infrared and optical survey system and marine rescue and first aid facilities for speedy and effective forest firefighting and marine emergency rescue tasks.
So far, the project has entered the manufacturing stage and begun to produce parts and components of the aircraft.
Large structural parts will be made and onboard equipment will be delivered by the end of 2014 and maiden flight has been scheduled at the end of 2015.
Note: The amphibious aircraft is especially useful in giving emergency treatment to those wounded in a future naval battle in the East or South China Sea.
Source: huanqiu.com “China begins to build Jiaolong-600 large amphibious aircraft: maiden flight at the end of 2015 perhaps” (summary by Chan Kai Yee)