FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2014.PDF
Cover story: civil helicopters option open for where our aircraft can go." Changhe and Harbin are also relative newcomers to the Chinese civilian market, having only secured CAAC approval over the last two years to sell civilian variants of the indigenous 2t Z-ll and 4t Z-9, respec tively. Both helicopters are fruits of a long standing relationship between Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and Eurocopter, which the European company hopes even tually to parlay into a broader partnership that could include co-production. A Changhe official, however, says the company is exploring partnerships with several manufacturers in hopes of assem bling helicopters designed and certificated in Europe or North America. "We want to co-operate with all the big helicopter com panies, but we [still] need to negotiate this," says the official. Eurocopter confirms Changhe is in "talks with this company [and] a number of Eurocopter competitors". Agusta- Westland meanwhile has negotiated a deal for production of A109E helicopters in Changhe. However, AgustaWestland and Eurocopter declined to be interviewed. AgustaWestland earlier sold technology to Changhe and Harbin parent China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II), one of the two companies created from the split of AVIC in 1999. AVIC II is using this and other technology sold by Eurocopter to develop a new 6t military attack helicopter dubbed the Z-10, which will likely be assembled at Changhe or Harbin. Partner search Harbin is also courting potential joint ven ture partners, with Eurocopter a possible suitor. Harbin discussed a possible deal with MDHI last year before that company decided to team with Hongdu, an AVIC II subsidiary that until now has only pro duced fixed-wing aircraft. This month Harbin affiliate Hafei Aviation Industry signed a supplier deal with Bell over the production of Bell 430 airframes, fuselages and tails. A Bell official UHHHHnmWM Wuhan says the company is not currently seeking a Helicopter co-production deal - the parts manufac- plans to tured by Hafei will be exported to Canada begin for final assembly - but hopes the new part- assembling nership will be expanded over time. "We Enstrom understand the way into the Chinese mar- helicopters ket is to have local production," an official next year says. "To start a project like this, we feel it's a good way to learn from each other." Harbin has been building the Z-9, an indigenous version of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, for the military market since 1982 under a licence deal with Eurocopter. The company is now looking for its first civil ian sale of the Z-9. At the same plant, Harbin manufactures the cabin and tail boom for the Eurocopter EC 120 and, start ing later this year, an even larger chunk of the Bell 412. Some of this business is done under Hafei, but Hafei and Harbin share the plant and directors. Changhe's Z-ll resembles the Euro copter AS350B but is claimed to be locally developed. Changhe also builds a heavy military helicopter, the Z-8, based on the Aerospatiale SA321. Changhe is now focusing sales efforts on new upgraded versions of the Z-8 and Z-ll. Changhe claims to have so far sold and delivered one Z-11MB1 to a civilian cus tomer. At the same factory, the company manufactures the tail pylon and horizontal CHINA'S HELICOPTER AND REGIONAL JET MANUFACTURERS China Aviation Industry Corp Shanghai Aviation Industrial Xi'an Aviation Group Chengdu Aircraft Industry Shenyang Aircraft Industry Commercial Aircraft Company China Aviation Industry Corp Hafei Aviation Industry and Harbin Aircraft Industry Hongdu Aviation Industry Changhe Aviation Industries Other manufacturers (outside Wuhan Helicopter Shanghai Chinese Little Eagle Science and Technology I (AVIC I) (ARJ21 horizontal stabiliser and final assembly) (ARJ21 wing and centre fuselage) (ARJ21 nose) (ARJ21 tail section) in charge of ARJ21 programme management and sales from Shanghai) II AVIC II) (Co-located in Harbin each company owns a 24.5% stake of joint venture with Embraer to assemble ERJs; they also run a helicopter plant manufacturing the Z-9 and components for EC120 and Bell 420) (joint venture with MD Helicopters to assembly MD Helicopters) (manufactures Z-8 and Z-11 helicopters and also produces S-92 components) AVIC) (plans to assemble Enstrom helicopters) joint venture with Sikorsky assembling Schweizer helicopters) Mongolia Xi'an Chengdu Kunming stabiliser for the Sikorsky S-92 and is expected to soon begin assembly of A109s. A source close to Eurocopter says the manufacturer hopes to renew licensing deals with AVIC II and eventually expand its partnership to include licensing of more modern types and possibly co-pro duction. But he says a joint venture deal with Changhe or Harbin is not imminent and estimates it will be about another five years before the civilian helicopter market in China is developed enough. "There is no extreme pressure to come to a deci sion," the source says. "The pressure will really come when there's a market." Licensing plans But he acknowledges growing competi tion from companies trying to make their first inroads into the China market is adding urgency to forge partnerships with local companies, possibly well ahead of market demand. The appointment this month of Euro- copter's first China-based executive indi cates Eurocopter is committed to trying to match rivals' joint ventures. Agusta Westland and Bell also are expected to appoint China-based executives within the next year. "It's natural all companies will try to come here. There are not many grow ing markets," the source says. • "C3 Harbin Shenyang Beijing y ^ -^ > <c Wuhan Jingdezheng ^Shanghai Hangzhou T Nanchang Guangzhou &EHI Vietnam 52 16-22 SEPTEMBER 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
