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Airbus Helicopters H175 Certified in China
By: Mark Huber
Caption: Chinese certification of the Airbus H175 super-medium twin-engine helicopter clears the way for deliveries in the country later this year.
Word Count: 213
The Airbus H175 super-medium-twin helicopter has received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), clearing the way for delivery of four of the aircraft in the country later this year. The H175 received its nod from EASA in 2014 and the current in-service fleet of 53 in 13 countries has amassed 185,000 flight hours on missions including offshore energy, search and rescue, public services, and private and business aviation.
A pair of 1,776-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-67Es power the H175, which features the Helionix avionics system with four-axis autopilot. The helicopter has seating for up to 18 (utility configuration), a cruise speed of 150 knots, and a range up to 590 nm, depending on load.
Airbus developed the helicopter in cooperation with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), with Avic's Avicopter responsible for manufacturing the fuselage and certain subassemblies. Under that agreement, Chinese-produced helicopters are badged AC352s; are powered by the Chinese-built WZ16 engine, a locally produced variant of the Safran Ardiden 3C; and are available for sale only within China and proximate countries. The CAAC certified the AC352 last year. Deliveries of new H175s into China suggest that the AC352 production line has not yet fully matured.