China's AG600 amphibious aircraft starts full-scale fatigue test

China's independently developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft has initiated a full-scale fatigue test, its developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said on Wednesday.

The test is being carried out at the Aircraft Strength Research Institute of China in Yanliang District in Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to the AVIC, the country's leading aircraft manufacturer.

The AVIC said the test will provide an important basis for the future life extension and modification of the AG600 aircraft.

The AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is vital advanced aeronautical equipment to strengthen China's emergency rescue capabilities.

It features a unique configuration consisting of an integrated aircraft-shaped upper body and a ship-bottom-shaped lower body.

According to the developer, the full-scale fatigue test is the most important test to verify the aircraft's compliance with regulations regarding the structure's damage tolerance and fatigue assessment.

The AG600 should meet both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance requirements. Its structural design, operational modes and service environments differ significantly from those of conventional land-based aircraft, according to the AVIC.

The AG600 is China's first independently developed large-sized special-purpose civil aircraft. It is tailored to meet the needs of forest firefighting, maritime rescue and other emergency rescue missions across the country.

Completing its maiden flight in 2017 and its first take-off from a reservoir in 2018, the AG600 took its maiden flight over the sea in 2020.

Moving forward, intensive efforts will be made to achieve airworthiness certification for the aircraft, the AVIC said.

(With input from Xinhua.)