China's first domestic-made large civil helicopter completed its test flight Thursday in east China's Jiangxi Province.
The AC313 helicopter took to the sky at Lumeng Airport in Jingdezhen City at 9:40 a.m. and landed at 10:05 a.m.
The AC313 has a maximum takeoff weight of 13.8 tonnes and can carry 27 passengers or 15 wounded people. It has a maximum range of 900km (559 miles), said Sun Cong, deputy chief engineer of designer and manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
It was designed for a variety of uses, including search and rescue, fighting forest fires, and assisting in fighting fires in cities.
The AC313, designed in line with airworthiness regulations and was made in less than a year, reaches the standard of third-generation helicopters, Sun said.
AVIC 1 International Leasing Company and China Flying Dragon Special Aviation Company signed contracts to purchase five AC313 copters following the test flight.