Category Archives: China

China, Germany, helicopter market, photos, prototype, technology, Uncategorized, USA

Key form factor for eVTOL

11/08/2022 author

Is it the final key form factor for most of eVTOL?

It is compatible with vertical take-off, vertical landing and fast cruise speed.

It stores the energy far from the cabin and it keeps the propellers above the embarking passengers.

The streamlined twin boom design, may be the answer, holding the lifting propellers and pushing propellers behind the fuselage.

This design is more and more adopted by companies with the most promising capabilities: Volocopter and Airbus in Germany, Beta Technologies in the USA and Autoflight in China.

VoloConnect (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

CityAirbus NextGen (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

Beta Technologies Alia-250c (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

Autoflight Prosperity 1 (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

Even Honda unveiled a similar design in artist’s view:

Honda eVTOL concept (screenshot from Youtube video)

China, helicopter market, prototype, technology, videos

New eVTOL, Autoflight in test flight

29/06/2022 author

The Chinese company Autoflight released the full video of an automated flight including transition to cruise configuration.

The twin boom structure shows an elegant solution to the battery storage as well as streamlining the vertical-lift propellers during the cruise phase.

Despite the vibrations seen during transition, the design deserved to attract attention and is surely promised to a great future.

China, helicopter market, photos, Uncategorized

Avic Z-19E, Harbin Aircraft exports the light attack helicopter

09/09/2015 author

AVIC_Harbin_Aircraft_Z-19E_export (1) — Harbin Aircraft Z-19 E, export version by AVIC

The aircraft is displayed with a wide range of armament: KD-9 air-to-ground missiles, 57 mm rockets, TY-90 air-to-air missiles, and a 23 mm machine gun pod. 90 mm rockets are displayed on the side. However, considering the heavy rocket launcher, it may not be possible for the Z-19E to fly with both the 90 mm rockets and the anti-tank missile launcher.

Continue reading Avic Z-19E, Harbin Aircraft exports the light attack helicopter →

Airbus Helicopters, China, Eurocopter, experience, France, videos

EC225: Destination China

24/04/2015 author

End of 2013, Airbus Helicopters delivered a H225 (formerly EC225) to the Chinese company COHC. The following movies tell the adventure.

Temporarily designated F-WWOA, later B-7151, the french helicopter was conveyed to China by Jean-Charles (pilot), Gérard (pilot) and Marc (mechanic) via Greece, Oman and India.

Spoiler: the flight ends well. At 11:00 a.m. on November 20, an EC225 LP helicopter of China’s CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC), registration number B-7151, arrived at Shenzhen Nantou Helicopter Airport from Macau, which is the 3rd EC225 introduced by COHC this year.

All pictures are extract from the movies, copyright Airbus Helicopters

Part 1: From Marignane to Greece and Crete

Marignane-Iraklion-EC225-Airbus — Marignane-Iraklion, EC225 Airbus Helicopters

They took off November 6th in the early morning, LFML (Marseille, France), good weather. Cruise ground speed: 166 kt, slightly more than 300 km/h.
In this part, you will enjoy views of the Mediterranean coast, how you prepare the mooring of the aircraft for the night, and what internal auxiliary fuel tanks look like.

When you buy a helicopter, you can generally have 3 possibilities to get it delivered:

by plane, usually an Antonov 124, which is quick and the helicopter arrives almost ready to fly, but expensive
by ship, much cheaper than by plane, but very long
by conveying, where the helicopter flies from the manufacturing plant in Marignane to the location of the customer

Part 2: From Crete to Oman

Via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, you will discover the maritime arabian oil fields, how to park in a tight spot, and the importance of the last inspection of the aircraft at the end of the day.