The AC313A civil helicopter, independently developed by China, successfully performed its maiden flight on Tuesday (17), announced the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), the country’s leading aircraft manufacturer. The 13-ton machine made its first take-off from an airport in Jingdezhen, East China’s Jiangxi Province.
As state news agency Xinhua reports, development work on the AC313A will now enter the flight test phase after the maiden flight, according to the developer. It is expected to receive certification by 2025 and then enter the market.
The AC313A, an upgrade of the AC313, was specially developed to meet the country’s demands on air rescue missions. The aircraft is expected to help China strengthen the national system and emergency air rescue capabilities, according to Avic.
The civil helicopter has Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and rotor protection and de-icing facilities to improve its performance and safety.
The AC313A can carry up to 28 people and up to five tons of water for firefighting missions. Capable of operating in both visual and instrument flight, the AC313A can perform in varied terrain and challenging weather conditions, such as high plateaus and extreme temperatures.
The model can work with various facilities for emergency rescue missions. This allows it to carry out missions across the country — delivery of supplies, fighting forest and urban fires, lifting large equipment, disaster prevention and relief, medical rescue, maritime rescue and search, transport to offshore oil platform, among others, according to the developer.
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