China develops new generation of high-speed aircraft

[cirr]

Updated: 2013-09-08 23:51

By Zhao Lei ( China Daily)


China is developing helicopters with the ability to fly at speeds twice the current average, according the country's major aircraft maker.

Lin Zuoming, chairman of Aviation Industry Corp of China, said the company is developing new-generation helicopters that can travel up to 500 kilometers an hour.

A model of the Jueying-8, an unmanned, high-speed helicopter, on display at the Second China Helicopter Expo on Thursday in Tianjin.


"We have been keeping pace with other countries in the research and development of ultrafast helicopters," he added.

Lin was speaking after models of several new-concept helicopters were presented at the Second China Helicopter Expo, which concluded in Tianjin on Sunday. His company produces a wide range of helicopters, from ultra-light models to heavy-lift helicopters.

The Blue Whale tilt rotor aircraft being developed by AVIC's Helicopter Research and Development Institute will have a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons and a payload of up to 30 tons, an engineer at the institute told People's Daily.

He said the Blue Whale will be able to reach speeds of up to 700 km/h.

The aircraft will be able to perform vertical takeoffs and landings in areas with complex geographical conditions and conduct disaster relief supply airdrops and other heavy-lift duties.

It also can serve a wide range of military purposes such as battlefield reconnaissance, patrols and air-to-ground strikes.

The Jueying-8, an unmanned, high-speed helicopter with coaxial rotors, was also featured at the expo. The aircraft, with much of its airframe made of composite materials, was designed to test the feasibility of ultra-fast helicopters.

A prototype of the Jueying-8 is expected to make its maiden test flight in 2015, and designers hope it will achieve a maximum speed of 400 km an hour.

Russia and France have also begun to develop ultrafast helicopters.

Russian Helicopters, the leading Russian designer and manufacturer of helicopters, announced in May that it is cooperating with industry and defense authorities in Russia on the development of a high-speed helicopter, which is expected to perform its first test flight before 2020.

Meanwhile, the Eurocopter X3, an experimental high-speed compound helicopter being developed by the European helicopter giant, has been reported to be the fastest helicopter in the world, after reaching a top speed of 472 km/h during several test flights in June.

Ultrafast helicopters like the Eurocopter X3 will be able to conduct search-and-rescue missions, border patrols, passenger transport and a host of other military operations, China Aviation News reported.

Fang Yonghong, director of unmanned helicopters with the Helicopter Research and Development Institute, said China has cracked core technologies in key areas such as rotors, flight control and avionics, and developed a wide variety of unmanned helicopters.

In addition to high-speed helicopters, the institute is also developing an all-electric helicopter, Fang said.

"Seeing that AVIC has the confidence to display those advanced, new-concept helicopters at the expo, we can conclude that China has authentically achieved substantial progress in helicopter research and development," said Wu Peixin, an editor at Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"The appearance of these helicopters indicates Chinese designers and technicians have accumulated profound experience in composite material and engine research."

After the unmanned prototype of Jueying-8 passes tests, it's highly possible that designers will develop manned variations of the aircraft, Wu said.

China develops new generation of high-speed aircraft |Sci-Tech |chinadaily.com.cn

 

[cirr]

Over 100 helicopters sold at China expo

(Xinhua)

08:26, September 09, 2013

More than 100 helicopters were sold at the Second China Helicopter Expo in the northern city of Tianjin.

The event, which ended on Sunday, attracted more than 300 enterprises from the industry home and abroad, according to the organizer.

More than 8,000 industry professionals and some 40,000 visitors attended the four-day event.

China's latest-concept unmanned helicopter, JY-8, made its debut at the expo. The helicopter can reach a maximum speed of 400 km per hour.

Also at the event, China's Changhe Aircraft Industrial Group and U.S.-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. signed an agreement on co-producing S-76D commercial utility helicopters.

China's helicopter industry has been on a steady rise over the last decade.

The country's industry will enter a critical period in the next three to five years, said Cai Yi, general manager of the helicopter branch of Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Industry experts predict that the number of helicopters in the country will grow by over 30 percent annually over the next decade.

Over 100 helicopters sold at China expo - People's Daily Online

 

[confound thinker]

Oh man ..looks pretty advanced....
Well Done

 

[cirr]

China intends to cooperate with foreign firms in R&D

2013-09-09 08:33

China Daily Web Editor: qindexing

China is promoting cooperation with foreign countries in helicopter research and development, an executive from the national aircraft manufacturer said.

"The government has been negotiating with Russia on cooperating in heavy-lift helicopter development since 2009," said Cai Yi, general manager of Avicopter, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp of China.

Cai made his remarks during the four-day Second China Helicopter Expo, which concluded in Tianjin on Sunday.

"We are looking forward to deepening cooperation with Russia and other nations that have advanced technologies in the civil helicopter sector," he added.

Though details on the Sino-Russian cooperation have not been finalized, Avicopter designers have begun to create a vision for it.

Huang Chuanyue, deputy chief engineer at Avicopter, is optimistic about such a cooperative venture.

"China and Russia can supplement each other in heavy-lift helicopter technologies. Russia has rich experience in research and development in this field, and China is better when it comes to composite materials and aerodynamics," he said.

Avicopter, the only helicopter manufacturer in China, is also working with Eurocopter, the largest helicopter company in the world in terms of revenue, on the development of the AC352, known as the EC175 by the European company.

The AC352 is the first helicopter cooperative project in which China and a Western nation have shared the same responsibilities and profit, Cai said.

He said comprehensive cooperation between China and other nations can take place because China has made tremendous progress in the helicopter industry.

"Among all kinds of aircraft developed by China, our helicopter series are most capable in the competition of technologies with foreign countries," Cai said. The technology gap between China and those countries in the helicopter sector is narrower than that in other aviation fields, he added.

The AC352 will fill the need for a 6-metric-ton-capacity helicopter market in China and boasts one of the most advanced multipurpose helicopters in the world, said Lu Weijian, Avicopter's chief designer of the aircraft.

He added the project has received purchase intentions for more than 130 AC352s, and the helicopter will conduct its maiden flight in China next year. Once it enters the market, each side will receive 50 percent of income from sales no matter who makes the sales.

"This is a good example of how we can benefit from international cooperation," Lu said.

Regarding engines, China has also made huge strides in international cooperation.

The WZ-16 turboshaft engine, a joint effort of French helicopter engine giant Turbomeca and Aviation Industry Corp of China, will conduct a test by the end of this year.

Philippe Couteaux, Turbomeca's vice-president for airframe, said the successful development of the engine is a "major milestone" for the two countries' cooperation in the helicopter industry.

"In the past, our only advantage when seeking foreign companies or institutes to cooperate with us was our low costs, leaving us at a disadvantage in cooperation," said Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"Now China has begun to enjoy an equal partnership with foreign helicopter magnates thanks to the rapid development in our technological and manufacturing capabilities."

He said China has created a complete helicopter industry and made remarkable progress in the research of avionics and material sciences.

"However, we still fall behind in some key technologies such as engine techniques. The shortage of well-trained, skilled workers is also a problem."

In some plants, managers have been annoyed by the failure to mass-produce parts as good as those from Western companies even though the Chinese infrastructure and equipment are more advanced and modern than those at foreign companies, he said

"This situation is caused by outdated management methods and an incompetent quality control mechanism, which are fields in which we should learn the most from cooperation with foreign enterprises," he said.

Wang said it is not necessary for civil helicopters to use technologies and parts developed entirely by China.

"Developing our own helicopter industry doesn't necessarily mean we shall get rid of other nations' advanced techniques or equipment. It is unrealistic that we develop a totally new helicopter all by ourselves in a short time."

He suggested China improve its research and development capability in the helicopter industry by launching more cooperative projects with foreign countries and making full use of existing agreements.

China intends to cooperate with foreign firms in R&D - Headlines, features, photo and videos from ecns.cn|china|news|chinanews|ecns|cns

 

[Srinivas]

Not a new design but Aero industry in China is progressing.

 

[Akasa]

Updated: 2013-09-08 23:51

By Zhao Lei ( China Daily)


China is developing helicopters with the ability to fly at speeds twice the current average, according the country's major aircraft maker.

Lin Zuoming, chairman of Aviation Industry Corp of China, said the company is developing new-generation helicopters that can travel up to 500 kilometers an hour.

A model of the Jueying-8, an unmanned, high-speed helicopter, on display at the Second China Helicopter Expo on Thursday in Tianjin.


"We have been keeping pace with other countries in the research and development of ultrafast helicopters," he added.

Lin was speaking after models of several new-concept helicopters were presented at the Second China Helicopter Expo, which concluded in Tianjin on Sunday. His company produces a wide range of helicopters, from ultra-light models to heavy-lift helicopters.

The Blue Whale tilt rotor aircraft being developed by AVIC's Helicopter Research and Development Institute will have a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons and a payload of up to 30 tons, an engineer at the institute told People's Daily.

He said the Blue Whale will be able to reach speeds of up to 700 km/h.

The aircraft will be able to perform vertical takeoffs and landings in areas with complex geographical conditions and conduct disaster relief supply airdrops and other heavy-lift duties.

It also can serve a wide range of military purposes such as battlefield reconnaissance, patrols and air-to-ground strikes.

The Jueying-8, an unmanned, high-speed helicopter with coaxial rotors, was also featured at the expo. The aircraft, with much of its airframe made of composite materials, was designed to test the feasibility of ultra-fast helicopters.

A prototype of the Jueying-8 is expected to make its maiden test flight in 2015, and designers hope it will achieve a maximum speed of 400 km an hour.

Russia and France have also begun to develop ultrafast helicopters.

Russian Helicopters, the leading Russian designer and manufacturer of helicopters, announced in May that it is cooperating with industry and defense authorities in Russia on the development of a high-speed helicopter, which is expected to perform its first test flight before 2020.

Meanwhile, the Eurocopter X3, an experimental high-speed compound helicopter being developed by the European helicopter giant, has been reported to be the fastest helicopter in the world, after reaching a top speed of 472 km/h during several test flights in June.

Ultrafast helicopters like the Eurocopter X3 will be able to conduct search-and-rescue missions, border patrols, passenger transport and a host of other military operations, China Aviation News reported.

Fang Yonghong, director of unmanned helicopters with the Helicopter Research and Development Institute, said China has cracked core technologies in key areas such as rotors, flight control and avionics, and developed a wide variety of unmanned helicopters.

In addition to high-speed helicopters, the institute is also developing an all-electric helicopter, Fang said.

"Seeing that AVIC has the confidence to display those advanced, new-concept helicopters at the expo, we can conclude that China has authentically achieved substantial progress in helicopter research and development," said Wu Peixin, an editor at Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"The appearance of these helicopters indicates Chinese designers and technicians have accumulated profound experience in composite material and engine research."

After the unmanned prototype of Jueying-8 passes tests, it's highly possible that designers will develop manned variations of the aircraft, Wu said.

China develops new generation of high-speed aircraft |Sci-Tech |chinadaily.com.cn

Did anyone disclose when the Blue Whale might be seen as a prototype?