China's domestically made helicopter AC311A completed a test flight in the mountainous Delingha, Qinghai province on April 24. The aircraft withstood conditions of high altitude, low-oxygen air and harsh weather.
"The helicopter's entrance to central and western China, especially the Qinghai plateau, aimed to provide an opportunity for people there to have close contact with the high-performance aircraft," said Xu Wei, vice president of AVIC Changhe Aircraft Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. The choice to complete a test flight on the plateau was also intended to showcase the helicopter's ability to cope with special climate and geographical conditions, Xu added.
The test flight lasted about two hours, and the helicopter climbed nearly 1,800 meters from an altitude of 2,900 meters. With a highest operating altitude of 4,700 meters, the plane successfully took off from and landed on the 4,100-meter-high Laha Lake tourist area.
The test flight was carried out to further expand the company's market share of police and civil helicopters in central and western China.
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