As reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, on April 7, 2023, the first flight prototype (serial and tail number "0002", registration number B-0CAA) of the new Chinese medium commercial helicopter AC332 made its first full-fledged flight in Tianjin. The helicopter was built in Tianjin at the new helicopter-building enterprise Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. of the Chinese state aircraft corporation Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), where it is planned to conduct serial production of the AC332 from about 2025.
The first flight prototype (serial and tail number "0002", registration number B-0CAA) of the new Chinese medium commercial helicopter AC332 in the first flight. Tianjin, 07.04.2023 (c) Sun Fanyu / XinhuaThe AC332 is actually the first civilian helicopter of a new generation, developed in China "from scratch", and not by developing or imitating any foreign designs or foreign assistance in one form or another.
The helicopter has been developed in the AVIC system since 2010, initially in the three-ton category under the A3X2 program, however, after demonstrating the layout of the advance project at the Chukhai Air Show in November 2014, the project was not heard of for several years, and, apparently, the program was resumed after a radical revision after 2017. In the last few years, R&D on AC332 has been carried out, apparently, primarily within the framework of the program for improving the national management system of the PRC in emergency situations by strengthening and improving the aviation rescue system and its capabilities in accordance with the 14th five-year plan of the PRC (for 2021-2025). Thus, the helicopter is planned mainly for use as a rescue and medical. AVIC states that the AC332 is designed to "meet the needs of air transport, search and rescue operations and medical assistance," including in mountainous areas.
The construction of AC332 is being carried out at a specially built AVIC under its program in Tianjin new enterprise Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. For the first time, the prototype AC332 was presented in Tianjin at the end of 2020, but the first flight took place only now. The certification of the machine and the start of deliveries are now optimistically planned for 2025.
The AC332 helicopter is made in a four-ton class (the maximum take-off weight of the prototype is stated at 3850 kg) and must carry up to 10 passengers. The helicopter is equipped with two new AES100 turboshaft engines with a take-off capacity of 1000 kW each developed by the Chinese engine-building enterprise China National South Aviation Industry Co., Ltd. in Zhuzhou (Hunan), part of the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) in the AVIC system. It is believed that the AES100 engine is an upgrade of the WZ-9 turboshaft engine produced in Zhuzhou of the Chinese Z-10 combat helicopter.
The AC332 helicopter has a four-bladed main rotor, a fenestron-type tail rotor in the channel, a skid landing gear and large sliding doors. A cruising speed of 260 km/h, a maximum flight range of 693 km, an almost ceiling of 6000 m and the possibility of taking off with a full load from a height of 4500 m are declared.
Presumably, the AC332 should replace the civil derivatives (AC312 and others) of the Z-9 military helicopter (produced since the early 1980s of the licensed version of the French Arospatiale/Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphine 2) in the AVIC commercial helicopter line in the four-ton class, which are considered to have a crowded passenger cabin and insufficient engine power. It is possible that a military version will also be created on the basis of the AC332, primarily to replace the Z-9C naval military helicopters.
Having announced the first flight of the AC332 prototype, AVIC Corporation simultaneously announced on April 7 that it had received 24 launch orders for this helicopter (including six optional ones) from an unnamed "operator", which, presumably, is one of the state emergency rescue services.
The first flight prototype (serial and tail number "0002", registration number B-0CAA) of the new Chinese medium commercial helicopter AC332 in the first flight. Tianjin, 07.04.2023 (c) Sun Fanyu / Xinhua
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The first flight prototype (serial and tail number "0002", registration number B-0CAA) of the new Chinese medium commercial helicopter AC332 in the first flight. Tianjin, 07.04.2023 (c) Luming Yu / www.jetphotos.comVideo:
