AC313 Chinois

China is preparing to fly its AC313 medium-lift helicopter for the first time in March, leading to certification in 2011, says an official at the manufacturer Avicopter, a division of China's state-owned aerospace conglomerate AVIC.
The AC313 is a 13t helicopter that "can be extended to 15t" and the external load capacity "can be 5t", says the official. China developed the AC313 on its own rather than collaborating with foreign partners.
"The avionics system [for example] was independently developed by China," says the official, who says the helicopter is designed for "passenger and cargo transport, firefighting, search and rescue, emergency medical services, oil offshore services and VIP flights". Potential customers include government, police and general aviation firms, the official adds, who says the AC313 can carry 27 passengers or 4t of cargo.
Avicopter also manufactures the H425, a 4.25t helicopter that made its first flight in December 2004. This smaller helicopter is pitched at the same type of customers as the AC313. China is putting more emphasis on helicopter development following the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Avicopter is also carrying out a feasibility study with Russian Helicopters, the consortium that includes Mil, to develop a 20t-plus heavylift helicopter

Following a breakthrough on the technology of helicopter turboshaft engines, Chinese medium-lift helicopter has entered the prototype manufacturing stage. The Chinese R&D AC313 Modal helicopter with 13 tons of maximum take-off weight is scheduled to have its first flight at the beginning of 2010, according to Chinese newspaper People’s Daily.

The Chinese AC313 helicopter is compatible with the Sikorsky S-92, which is a four-bladed twin-engine medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft of U.S. for both the civil and military market. Its maximum take-off weight is about 13 tons. The H-92 Superhawk is a military variant of S-92, capable of taking 22 troops, carrying out military transportation, search and rescue (SAR) in battlefields. Canadian Forces is developing its variant CH-148 Cyclone as a naval helicopter for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surveillance, and search and rescue (SAR) from Canadian warships.

Recently, U.S. announced it would sell another 60 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to Taiwan. The UH-60 is also a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Its maximum take-off weight is 11.6 tons, less than the Chinese homegrown AC313. The analysts believe China chose this moment telling the world about its AC313 is trying to beat U.S. psychologically regarding the upcoming 60 Blackhawk helicopters to Taiwan.

China tests 1st self-developed heavy-lift chopper.

State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China staged a successful maiden test flight Thursday of its self-developed heavy-lift helicopter, the latest advance for the country's ambitious aerospace industry.
The 13.8-ton AC313 can carry 27 passengers or 15 injured on stretchers, and has a maximum range of 560 miles (900 kilometers), according to the Web site of the official People's Daily newspaper. It was successfully test flown Thursday morning in Jiangxi province, the paper said.
The aircraft appears to be larger version of the 7-ton Zhi-8 medium transport helicopter, itself a close copy of the French SA 321 Super Frelon. China bought 13 of the French helicopters in the 70s and at least one was reportedly disassembled for study and reverse-engineering.
China's aerospace spans military jets, commercial airliners, and even a manned space flight program.
The corporation is a central driver of that effort, having already built latest-generation fighter jets and midrange commercial airliners, and now working on a larger plane that would compete with Airbus and Boeing.
At 56 tons, the Russian Mi-26 is far and away the world's largest helicopter, twice as heavy as the American CH-47 Chinook.

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