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Helicopter Sector to Be Promoted
The Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Corp yesterday delivered four Zhi-9 helicopters to the Chinese People's Armed Police.
The company has delivered more than 100 such helicopters to both domestic and foreign clients, according to Zhang Yanzhong, general manager of the China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II), parent of the Harbin company.
The 14-seat Zhi-9 helicopter, modelled after the Dolphin helicopter, has a maximum load capacity of 2.04 tons and can fly at speeds of up to 280 kilometres per hour, Zhang said.
The demand for helicopters is on the rise thanks to rapid economic development in China, Zhang said.
Less than 80 helicopters are operated for general use in China. For every 1 million people, there are only 0.06 helicopters, he said, far less than the world average of 3.9 helicopters per 1 million people.
Moreover, about 97 per cent of China's helicopters for general aviation are imported.
"The absence of Chinese-made helicopters in the country's general aviation sector is not because home-made helicopters are of low quality, but because China's general aviation market has been all but disallowed from using helicopters," Zhang said.
China needs to map out a long-term plan for the development of the country's helicopter industry, he said.
The country should invest more in the industry and should also gradually open up its air space below the height of 600 metres to fuel the development of the industry, he said.
Industrial experts noted that the development of a helicopter industry is important for increasing the production capacity of China's military products.
Further development of the industry would also help the economy expand, they said.
Experts predict that China will need about 1,800 helicopters worth some US$4.9 billion by 2013.
Wang Jianqiu, general manager of the China National Helicopter Industry, said the development of China's helicopter industry will mainly rely on the country itself.
However, China will increase co-operation with foreign companies.
Previous joint ventures include the five-seat EC120 helicopter programme which began in 1993. China shares investment and risks with France and Singapore in this programme.
China holds a 24 per cent share in the joint venture while France-based Eurocopter owns 61 per cent and Singapore-based Technologies Aerospace holds the remaining 15 per cent.
The company had received 400 orders by the end of June this year, 240 of which have already been delivered, according to Wang.
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