AG600 "Kunlong" Batch Production Third Machine Final Assembly Offline
Recently, the third batch production aircraft (1103) of China's large-scale civil amphibious aircraft AG600 "Kunlong" was assembled and successfully completed production test flights. The third AG600 "Kunlong" aircraft in batch production has completed its production test flight.
1, Batch production breakthrough: refreshing the efficiency of special aircraft manufacturing
As a key model for the AG600 small batch production, the development of 1103 aircraft was accompanied by efficiency innovation throughout the entire process. In early July 2025, after the aircraft was transferred to the 41 system integration station, the integrated manufacturing team faced the pressure of parallel production for multiple flights. By optimizing the final assembly process and establishing a normalized quality improvement mechanism, they completed core processes such as sealing construction and system installation in just two months. In response to the unique anti-corrosion and sealing requirements of amphibious aircraft, the team innovatively adopts digital detection technology to improve the precision of excess material control to the milligram level, ensuring that every component meets batch production standards.
During the production test flight on September 27th, the aircraft completed all subject assessments including taxi testing, high-altitude cruising, and mission system verification. Its massive body of 38.9 meters with a wingspan of 38.8 meters demonstrated excellent maneuverability, and all systems operated stably and reliably. This progress is nearly 30 days shorter than the batch production of the first aircraft, confirming the maturity of the AG600 production system - from the first aircraft test flight in May 2025, to the second aircraft test flight in August, and then to the completion of the third aircraft in September, the rhythm of "one aircraft every three months" demonstrates the leap in China's special aircraft manufacturing capabilities.
2, Performance upgrade: The combat capability of the full state configuration has increased significantly.
1103 aircraft continue the full state new configuration of AG600M, with core performance reaching the world's leading level: a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons and a maximum water drop of 12 tons, allowing them to cover an area of 3000-4000 square meters in a single water drop, equivalent to the area of 10 standard basketball courts; With a cruising altitude of 7600 meters and a range of 4500 kilometers, it achieves cross regional rescue coverage from Mohe, Heilongjiang to Sanya, Hainan.
More importantly, the fly by wire flight control system and integrated avionics system carried by the aircraft have been validated and iterated by the first two aircraft, further improving response speed and reliability. The belly drain bucket can extract 12 tons of water within 20 seconds and deliver it accurately within 4 seconds, with a firefighting efficiency comparable to the two-hour workload of 300 firefighters; In the water rescue mode, with a passenger capacity of 50 and a cruising speed of 480 kilometers per hour, the rescue efficiency is 10 times that of traditional rescue ships. These performances have been comprehensively validated through flight tests of 1103 aircraft, laying the foundation for practical operation.
3, System Breakthrough: From Equipment Development to Standard Construction
The smooth advancement of the third aircraft has further driven the improvement of the supporting system. In October 2025, the "AG600 series aircraft water pumping station requirements" led by Tongfei South China were officially released. This is the world's first technical standard for large-scale amphibious aircraft water pumping stations, which specifies key parameters such as wind speed, wave height, and supporting facilities. It has been applied to the construction of water pumping stations in Jilin, Zhejiang, and other places. This standard, along with the production license and model qualification certificate, forms a "three certificates and one standard" system, marking the transition of AG600 from single machine development to industrial ecological construction.
As a result of the new national system, the mass production of this aircraft has gathered the strength of 296 enterprises and institutions from 22 provinces across the country, achieving 100% localization of the body structure and power system, and overcoming 110 key technologies such as high anti wave hull and landing gear. At present, the fourth aircraft nose has been delivered for final assembly. With the trend of "three aircraft test flights and four aircraft final assembly", the AG600 is accelerating the formation of emergency rescue capabilities. In the future, it will play a core role in forest firefighting, maritime search and rescue, and island and reef transportation, and build a strong air defense line for national public safety.
