It is a milestone of China's development capabilities in the large special-purpose aircraft sector and the civil aircraft manufacturing industry, said the aircraft developer Aviation Industry Corporation of China AVIC the country's leading aircraft manufacturer.AG600 is China's first large civil special-purpose aircraft developed in accordance with the requirements of the civil aviation airworthiness regulations. It is a type of major aeronautical equipment developed to meet the urgent needs of the national emergency rescue system and the national natural disaster prevention and control system, safeguarding the safety of people's lives and property.AG600 is the world's largest civil amphibious aircraft regarding takeoff weight. Its successful development also fills China's gap in the large-sized amphibious aircraft sector, according to the AVIC. It  size is slightly larger than that of the mainstream single-aisle airliners currently in the market. It has a length of 38.9 meters, a height of 11.7 meters, and a wingspan of 38.8 meters, according to data from the developer.AG600 has a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tonnes, with a maximum practical range of 4,500 kilometers. Notably, it can carry as much as 12 tonnes of water for fire-fighting missions. "It’s obtaining of the type certificate issued by the CAAC manifests that China can independently develop the world's latest generation of large civil amphibious aircraft," AG600 series aircraft chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua at an exclusive interview. China's vast territory features diverse and complex terrain, which requires a large special-purpose aircraft capable of serving firefighting and other emergency rescue missions nationwide. AG600 has a minimum level flight speed of 220 km per hour, a minimum operating flight altitude of 30 to 50 meters above the treetops, and a designed service ceiling of 7,600 meters above sea level, according to data from the developer.  (Xinhua)