The S-76/AS365/EC155/Bell 412/AB139 segment gets even more crowded !
Another of the industry's worst-kept secrets, first touted at Heli-Expo in February. I'm not convinced over the civil focus of China's interest, though...
China in deal with Eurocopter to develop new helicopter
Agence France Presse 12/5
China on Monday signed a cooperation deal with the European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter for the development of a new 6-7 tonne civil helicopter.
The deal was signed in Paris during a visit to France by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
The new 16-seater helicopter named the EC175 will go into development in 2006 and production is due to start in 2011, Eurocopter -- a subsidiary of the European consortium EADS -- said in a statement.
Eurocopter and the Chinese company ACIC II will each invest €300m to develop the new helicopter, the statement said.
"Production will be shared on a 50/50 basis and each country will have its own assembly line. Sales forecasts for this latest-generation helicopter call for 800 to be sold worldwide over the next 20 years," it said.
I/C