Chinese Aviation Industry

Temstar said:

The main use is an amphibious transport aircraft, the fire fighting application is a bit of a bonus. A foreign customer once asked if China had a plane like that for purchase for fire fighting back during SH-5 days.

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So it's main job is picking up people to and from SCS islands that doesn't have an airstrip? Could something like Be-200 do a better job? Higher top speed and all that.

The Observer said:

So it's main job is picking up people to and from SCS islands that doesn't have an airstrip? Could something like Be-200 do a better job? Higher top speed and all that.

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Nah AG600's problem right now is that:

• It's too big for resupplying small islands in SCS that need flying boat resupply, smaller flying boats are available for the job
• The really big islands that could take advantage of its capacity have runways built on them now, so they can use Y-20

That's why you see it being developed for other purposes like fire fighting.

China is growing more forests by the year, and forest fire is getting common, just 2 weeks ago a forest fire broke out, as reported by CGTN below. A fire-fighting AG600 would be very useful.

Massive forest fire breaks out in SW China's Nyingchi City
Updated 22:53, 27-Oct-2021
CGTN


As for question of why not just buy be-200 from Russia.

AG600 has 2X range of be-200 (4,500km vs 2,100km), and both aircraft carry 12 tons of water for fire fighting.

Speed wise, be-200's max speed is 700km/h and cruise speed of 560km/h, while AG600's max speed is 560km/h and cruise speed is 500km/hr. Therefore be-200's speed advantage is not significant unless it need to go at max speed, but that will reduce its range.

Then there is the question on cost of the aircraft itself, cost of operation, and ease of logistic (imported vs domestic).

AVIC has established a Joint Laboratory for Turboprop Vibration and Noise Reduction Technology.

国内首个飞机实体火试验验证平台近日在航空工业津电通过验收，并交付使用。该平台可验证在不同高度、速度、温度等条件下，飞机不同舱位发生火灾后防火系统的响应速度和灭火能力，具有世界先进水平.

China's first indigenous aircraft physical fire test and verification platform has recently gained official acceptance. The platform can verify the response speed and fire extinguishing performance of the cabin fire protection systems of various aircraft under different conditions such as altitude, speed, temperature, etc.

航空工业沈阳所建立供电兼容性试验验证中心. 日前，航空工业沈阳所建立供电兼容性试验验证中心，填补了机载产品供电兼容性试验的空白。未来将在充分验证全机供电兼容性性能、提高供电效率、减轻飞机重量等方面发挥重要作用。后续，试验验证中心将逐步制定供电兼容性顶层文件和要求，形成行业标准和规范，引领飞机供电兼容性行业的发展...

AVIC Shenyang Institute has established a power supply compatibility testing and verification center. The center will fill the existing gap in the power supply compatibility testing of aviation products. In the future, it will play an important role in fully verifying power supply compatibility performance of entire aircraft, improving power supply efficiency, and reducing aircraft weight. The center will also formulate top-level documents and requirements for power supply compatibility, form industry standards and specifications, and lead the development of the aircraft power supply compatibility industry.

Assembling the engine nacelles of an AG600.

B737MAX is given the OK by CAAC ...

Someone needs to cleanup house at COMAC. The 919 should have entered service already. I know delays on any new plane are to be expected, but this is too much. China needs to cut US semiconductor and airplane imports.

gelgoog said:

Someone needs to cleanup house at COMAC. The 919 should have entered service already. I know delays on any new plane are to be expected, but this is too much. China needs to cut US semiconductor and airplane imports.

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Early this year, COMAC issued statement that one C-919 is expected to be delivered at the end of 2021. Normally, after taking delivery of an all new aircraft, the airline company will spend any time up to half a year to put their new aircraft into regular service because they will need to train and orientate aircrew and ground crew, as well as integrated into an airport's operational protocol.

We will wait and see if US will try to delay the first delivery of C-919 by imposing sanction like they did on Huawei.