Bell Helicopter will move manufacture of the Bell 430 airframe
to China under an agreement signed last month with Hafei Aviation
Industry Co. Ltd. The Chinese company also plans to start license
manufacture of the Eurocopter EC 120 this year.
Based in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province,
AVIC II's Hafei will become the world's only manufacturer of complete
airframes, tails and sponsons for the Bell 430. The nine-passenger,
twin-engined Bell 430 was introduced in 1996 as a multirole executive,
utility or emergency medical service helicopter. Bell delivered
seven 430s last year and 14 in 2001, bringing the worldwide fleet
to just over 100.
Hafei also plans to license-produce EC 120 helicopters, according
to General Manager Qu Jingwen. The company is in talks with EADS
Eurocopter and the China Aviation Technology Import and Export
Corp. to secure the necessary airworthiness licenses. An agreement
is expected later this year, with the first aircraft to roll out
next year. China owns 24% of the EC 120 program, and AVIC II sister
company Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Corp. is the sole supplier
of fuselages, fuel and operating systems for the five-seat helicopter.
It can produce up to 10 fuselages a month.
The Hafei company currently produces the Z-9 Dauphin-based helicopter,
which it developed after completing license manufacture of 60
Dauphins. The latest civil model is the 14-passenger H410A with
Turbomeca Arriel 2B1 engines, and plans are under way for a more
powerful H425 with Arriel 2C engines.
Hafei also manufacturers the 19-passenger, Pratt & Whitney-powered
twin-turboprop Y-12 light transport. The Twin Otter-class aircraft
was the first Chinese aircraft to win certification by the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration.
