Chinese-European transport helo project

petty officer1 said:

Intesting picture of a new chinese version black hawk

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FreeAsia2000 said:

Is it just me or does that photo look a bit re-touched ?

Also it seems a strange design for a combat helicopter

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MIGleader said:

Purchases of the mi-17 v7 will stop very soon. with the introduction of the z-8a into PLA service, the mi-17s days are numbered. Right now, the v-7 model still has superior performance to the z-8. But the z-8 has more carrying capacity(9000kg and 38 soldiers) and a new model z-8f is set to coem out, with new pratt and witney engines.

Btw,
We may be seeing a test flight of a CMH this year, and deliveries may begin in four years.

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Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- European Union state aid regulators
approved 100 million euros ($127 million) of French financing to
European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. for the development of a
civilian helicopter in a joint venture with Chinese partners.
France will be permitted to finance 29 percent of the
research and development budget for the medium-sized helicopter to
be produced as soon as 2011 by EADS's Eurocopter unit, according
to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm in Brussels.
Eurocopter may have to pay back the French state, which owns
15 percent of EADS, depending on the commercial prospects of the
helicopter, according to the commission.
``Public-sector involvement would aim to reduce the
technological risk and encourage the firm to undertake more
extensive and more ambitious research,'' the commission said in a
statement today.
The EC175 will be able to fly in worse weather than current
helicopters with improved safety and less environmental impact,
the commission said. In an online newsletter, Eurocopter describes
the 16-passenger craft as designed for police, rescue and fire-
fighting duties as well as passenger transport.
``I am happy to be able to approve an aid project which
promotes research in a leading-edge technology sector,''
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in today's statement.
Kroes has called it her top priority to overhaul business subsidy
practices, reducing such aid and steering it away from older
manufacturing industries toward faster-growing areas.

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China AVIC II to invest over 3 bln yuan in helicopter industry - report
BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II) plans to invest
more than three bln yuan in the nation's fledgling civil helicopter industry
over the next five years, state media reported.
Citing AVIC II deputy chief engineer Ni Xianping, the China Daily said the
money will be spent on research and development, as well as cooperative projects
with foreign counterparts.
"In the next five years, we will stick to a market-oriented approach,
boosting the helicopter industry in terms of R&D and manufacturing capability,
marketing and servicing," the newspaper quoted Ni as saying.
"After figuring out our clients' specific market demands we will develop new
products and redesign existing ones to meet them," he added.
Specific projects include a new commercial helicopter, which will be
entirely self-developed, the newspaper said.
The helicopter will be certified and enter service during the 12th Five-Year
Plan period, which runs from 2011-2015. Ni did not disclose the cost of the
project, the newspaper said.
He added that AVIC II is also working on a light helicopter with a foreign
partner, without elaborating.
The company last year agreed to jointly develop a multi-purpose helicopter
with Eurocopter, an affiliate of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Company (EADS).
AVIC II will invest 300 mln eur in the Eurocopter program to 2015.

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Helicopter firm to pour US$380m into R&D
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China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II) plans to pour more than 3 billion yuan (US$380 million) into the nation's fledgling civil helicopter industry.

The money will be spent on research and development (R&D) and co-operative projects with foreign counterparts during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10).

"In the next five years, we will stick to a market-oriented approach, boosting the helicopter industry in terms of R&D and manufacturing capability, marketing and servicing," Ni Xianping, deputy chief engineer of AVIC II, the country's only State-owned helicopter maker, told China Daily.

"After figuring out our clients' specific market demands we will develop new products and redesign existing ones to meet them."

Specific projects in AVIC II's five-year plan include a brand new 5.5 to 6-ton commercial helicopter, which will be entirely self-developed, and several joint programmes with international counterparts, said Ni.

During the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05), AVIC II made significant breakthroughs in mastering new key rotor, transmission and avionic systems technologies under the international China Medium Helicopter programme.

Those developments are now allowing the company to work on its new 5.5 to 6 ton multi-purpose commercial helicopter, which will fill a blank in the domestic market.

"Therefore, it will take less investment to roll out the new helicopter," said Ni, although he did not reveal how much the new project will cost.

The new helicopter will be powered by the latest version of the PT6C-67C engine, produced by Canada's Pratt & Whitney. It is intended to fulfil domestic needs for passenger and cargo transport, offshore services, and corporate use.

The major development work for this version of helicopter is scheduled to be completed during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, and the helicopter will be certified and enter service during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15).

Ni believes working on the helicopter's development themselves will enhance AVIC II's engineers' R&D capability, allowing them to grasp core technologies in helicopter design and production. Meanwhile international co-operation should provide an opportunity for China to roll out advanced products in the short-term.

The deputy chief engineer said AVIC II is currently working on a one-ton light helicopter with a foreign partner. He could not release more details due to commercial reasons.

"Negotiations are still ongoing. We expect to reach a final agreement soon," said Ni.

AVIC II last year hammered out a deal with Eurocopter, an affiliate of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, to jointly develop a multi-purpose helicopter.

The Chinese national helicopter maker will invest 300 million euros (US$360 million) in the joint programme, which it is an equal partner in, during the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plan period.

"It is, so far, the largest co-operative programme we have been involved in. The designing of the helicopter is running to schedule," said Ni.

Regarding co-operation with foreign partners, AVIC II is also working at sub-contracting manufacturing projects.

The Chinese helicopter and light aircraft maker is busy negotiating with a Western counterpart on a new outsourcing manufacturing contract. The contract will produce the airframe of a helicopter for the Western company.

"The value involved will not be significant. However, the sub-contracts will keep us well informed and updated on the latest developments in the global helicopter manufacturing industry," said Ni.

AVIC II already produces the airframe of the US Bell 430 helicopter under a sub-contract.

Besides the new helicopters AVIC II plans to make either by itself or in partnership with international counterparts, the company is also to redesign its existing products and produce more tailor-made new models catering for clients' specific demands.

The modifications and customization will involve AVIC II's flagship products, such as the Z-11, Z-11MB1, Z-9A and Z-9H425.

"We believe civil helicopters have a bright market perspective with the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai World Expo on the horizon," said Ni. "As market demand increases, the industry will provide more opportunities for further technical development."

According to AVIC II's market research, there will be a robust market demand for as many as 2,763 civil helicopters in China by 2026.

The State has made developing helicopters and other aircraft a clear priority during the 11th Five-Year Plan period. Yet despite the strong market potential, there is a big restriction on AVIC II's plans.

"The country's long-standing restriction on the use of airspace below 3,000 metres is a big concern," said Ni.

It was once reported that China is likely to open most or even all of its low-altitude airspace around 2010. But the Air Traffic Control Committee of the Central Military Commission has never confirmed the news.

AVIC II's ultimate target is to squeeze into the top level of world helicopter makers by 2020, in terms of both product portfolio and production value.

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China's aviation sector is expected to need 2,763 civil
helicopters of all types between 2006 and 2026, said Zhang
Hongbiao, general manger of the China No.2 Aviation
Industrial Corporation (CAIC).

Zhang said that his company would take about 15 years to
grapple the core technologies in helicopter design and
production, and try to make China one of the world's top
helicopter producers by 2020.

The country's helicopter industry began in 1956, and over the
past 50 years it has produced more than 800 helicopters
from 30 models. China has also participated in the design
and production of international models including the EC120,
S92 and CA109.

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China: Turbomeca and Beijing Changkong Machinery form joint venture company

During Air Show China (Zhuhai, China), Turbomeca (SAFRAN Group) signed a "Joint
Venture Contract" with Beijing Changkong Machinery (AVIC II company), in view of
creating the first joint venture company between Turbomeca and an AVIC II
company: Beijing Turbomeca Changkong Aero-Engine Control Equipment Co. Ltd.

This joint venture will assemble and test hydro mechanical units of turboshaft
engines for both Turbomeca and Beijing Changkong, for their respective markets.
It will be located 50 km North of Beijing in the Chinese partner new plant,
located in a high-tech park.

Fuel Control Units (FCU) and Hydro Mechanical Units (HMU) will be assembled and
tested in this new joint venture. The joint venture entry into operation with
its relevant production agreement is targeted to be in October 2007.

Among the control system concerned, the WZ8C HMU (licensed Arriel 2C) powering
the H425 helicopter designed and produced by Harbin Aviation Industry, an AVIC
II company.

The joint venture intends to hold the JAR 21G Approval.

This agreement marks a major advance in the development of Turbomeca's
helicopter business in China and the role Turbomeca intends to play, as well as
for SAFRAN's expanding range of partnerships in the country.

In China, one helicopter out of two is equipped with Turbomeca engines or
licensed products. Today, about 500 Turbomeca engines are being operated in
China.

As a reminder, a cooperation framework agreement was signed in 2005 with AVIC II
(China Aviation Industry Corporation II), concerning the delivery of 200 Arriel
2C helicopter turboshaft engines to China, along with a partial production
license. Turbomeca and AVIC II started working together in the 1980s, with a
license for the Arriel 1 engine, initiated by China National South Aero Engine
Corporation (SAEC).

About Turbomeca

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