Chinese-made helicopter makes maiden flight

China's first domestically developed civilian helicopter, the AC313, has made its maiden flight in the mainland's southern province of Jiangxi.

The first ever made-in-China helicopter will mainly be used for emergency search and rescue operations, fighting forest fires, as well as passenger and freight transport, according to a report published by China Central Television.

"It's very stable and easy to operate. Its integrated avionics system makes it very convenient for pilots to handle the aircraft," AC313 pilot Xu Guolin said.

The heavy-lift AC313 helicopter, built by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), can carry 27 passengers or up to 13.8 tonnes. It has a maximum range of 900km (560 miles).

The AC313 is the latest work of China's aerospace industry, and it is considered a major shift from dependence on products from foreign companies such as Boeing and Airbus to a home-grown industry.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121277§ionid=351020403.