China's brand-new multirole helicopter, the AC332, successfully completed its first full-state flight in Binhai New Area, Tianjin Municipality on Friday, with its developer saying that the aircraft will provide strong support for emergency rescue, transportation and general aviation needs from people in the country's vast plateau areas.
During the development of the AC332, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) focused on the urgent need for helicopters with excellent plateau performance, so it decided to independently develop a product with performance and operating costs comparable to those of advanced foreign counterparts and realize advantages in terms of its plateau performances, Ma Dequan, general manager of AVIC Tianjin Helicopter Co Ltd, told us on the sidelines of the helicopter's first flight.
The AC332 enjoys noticeable advantages in major performance parameters including plateau performance, maximum takeoff weight, maximum cruising speed, and maximum range, making it capable of carrying out multiple tasks in both plain and plateau regions, Ma said.
This type of helicopter can be widely used in missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, plateau operations, maritime operations and others, according to Ma.
