China's first comprehensive atmospheric survey aircraft completes maiden flight

(ECNS) -- China's first fixed-wing platform for comprehensive atmospheric environment detection, the Y-12F atmospheric survey aircraft, just completed its maiden flight from Harbin Pingfang Airport, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

Built on a Y-12F platform, the aircraft has undergone extensive integration and modification involving more than 60 mission equipment units to enable highly sensitive, three-dimensional detection of atmospheric particulate matter, gaseous pollutants, greenhouse gases, and cloud-water physicochemistry. It is now capable of conducting integrated aerial surveys for multiple pollutants and greenhouse gases, as well as cloud-water detection.

The Y-12F is an eight-tonne-class turboprop utility and regional aircraft independently developed by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd. It offers outstanding payload capacity and cabin space. It is also the only domestically produced civil aircraft to have simultaneously obtained type certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The development team leader said the aircraft is expected to complete more than 30 hours of test flights across typical regions to verify the functionality and effectiveness of its mission equipment at different altitudes and under varying conditions.

(By Tang Yuxian)