China developing high-speed helicopters

TIANJIN - China is developing helicopters with the ability to fly at speeds twice the current average, the president of China's major aircraft maker said on Thursday.

Lin Zuoming, president of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said China is striving to make helicopters that can achieve a speed of 500 kilometers per hour.

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AVIC produces a wide range of helicopters, from ultra-light varieties to high-altitude adaptive helicopters.

"We have mastered core technologies of third-generation helicopters," said Cai Yi, general manager of AVIC's helicopter company. "AVIC civilian helicopters can join the ranks of the world's most advanced."

AVIC said it has cracked core technologies in key areas like rotors, flight control and avionics.

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

The country's helicopter industry will enter a critical period in the next three to five years, Cai said.