China gets a 'giant' to reach out to inaccessible highlands

Asia's largest helicopter, built by China and weighing about 13 tonnes, on Thursday received the stamp of approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of the country.

The move means that the massive helicopter -- AC313 -- is officially approved to enter the market, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

After four years of research, the AC313 is also the world's first civilian helicopter to receive an "A-category" airworthiness certificate at an altitude of 4,500 meters, the AVIC said.

The aircraft can be deployed for emergency rescue operations, forest fire prevention, transport, offshore operations, medical aid, sightseeing and business trips, the AVIC said.

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About 25 per cent of China's territory is located 3,000 meters or more above sea level, requiring emergency rescue authorities to use helicopters in more remote areas, said Yu Feng, board chairman and general manager of AVIC Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Co Ltd.

"Natural disasters in the plateaus of west China require immediate rescue but restrict the construction of roads and airports, which demands the appearance of large civil helicopters," Yu told Xinhua, adding that the AC313 project was launched after 2008's fatal earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province.

The AC313 completed two trial flights to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 2010 and 2011 climbing an altitude of 8,500 meters, making it the first domestic aircraft to be able to fly in the highlands, the AVIC said.

According to recent reports AVIC, China's state owned helicopter producer, is in talks with its Russian counterpart to jointly develop a 33-tonne heavy-lift helicopter as Beijing lacks heavy duty choppers.

"China can produce helicopters with a take-off weight from one ton to 13 tons, but only the United States and Russia can produce choppers with lift-off weight of more than 20 tons," Xia Qunlin, deputy general manager of Avicopter, a joint venture of AVIC had said in November.

Avicopter and Russian Helicopters are now discussing its feasibility, which includes sizing up the model's market and determining both sides' investment shares and division of work, he had said.