The first flight of domestic new generation medium-sized helicopter AC352 was successfully completed.

　　CCTV News:This morning, the successful first flight of a new generation of domestic medium-sized helicopter AC352 marked a new breakthrough in China’s aviation industry and high-end manufacturing. CCTV reporters also directly hit the performance of AC352 after its launch.

　　CCTV reporter Wu Jie:The domestic new generation of medium-sized multi-purpose AC352 slowly lifted off the ground and then hovered in the air steadily, which was its first test flight and a key step in the whole development process. The helicopter’s fuselage is very spacious, the widest part is more than two meters, and it can carry up to 14-16 passengers at a time.

　　The advanced integrated avionics system is adopted in the AC352, which can reduce a lot of burden for the pilot during the flight and make him concentrate more on the flight action. We see that it is now rotating around the nose, which shows good flight performance. The AC325 is also the best in riding comfort and the most maneuverable in driving among helicopters of the same class in the world.

　　In addition to testing flight movements, doing some high-speed passing is also one of the necessary test contents for the first flight.

　　Now we see that the AC352 has landed slowly, the whole first flight has been successfully completed, and it is slowly taxiing towards us. So at this special moment of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the helicopter industry in China, we are also very proud to witness a brand-new achievement of the aviation industry in China.

　　How to repair AC352 both internally and externally

　　As a new achievement of China’s high-end manufacturing industry, AC352 can be said to be both talented and attractive, handsome and fashionable in appearance, and its interior always embodies the people-oriented design concept. Our reporter also paid a close visit to this world-class medium-sized helicopter before the first flight to see how AC352 can be repaired both inside and outside.

　　It is easy to use in flight driving and comfortable and safe for passengers. The spacious fuselage of AC352 makes the ride conditions inside not bad compared with those of high-end commercial vehicles. The specially designed low rotor makes the internal noise level 4 decibels lower than the airworthiness standard, and the huge porthole makes the scenery in the air unobstructed, which is the leading design in similar helicopters. In terms of details, AC352 is the ultimate pursuit of safety.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:The door of the helicopter is 1.4 meters wide, and people can get down soon. In case of emergency, it is convenient to evacuate.

　　Even in the event of an extreme crash, the AC352 will reduce the injury caused by the accident through the linkage of the landing gear fuselage seat.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:How much energy should the landing gear absorb, how much energy should the body structure absorb, and how much energy should the seat absorb? It is normal for the driver, and I can bear that energy, so I can ensure safety.

　　Reporter:This concept is somewhat similar to the anti-collision design of our car.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:Right, that’s right, which means it’s very safe.

　　At the same time, we found that when preparing for the first flight, the top cabin of AC352 can be completely opened, and the engine and complex transmission mechanism inside are completely exposed, which also makes it very convenient for aircraft maintenance personnel to work.

　　Luan Yuqing, deputy stationmaster of AVIC Hafei Flight Test Station:There was no such push-pull design of engine compartment before, so it would be more complicated to open the covers of various overhauls when we were overhauling. With this design now, it will be much easier for us to get to work after the whole opening.

　　Pilots fly easily, passengers sit comfortably, and ground maintenance staff work conveniently. This is the best embodiment of the people-oriented concept of China helicopter design and manufacturing on AC352, and it is also the place that designers are most proud of.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:Finally, the plane will be given to them, and I will satisfy them. Everyone who sits on it tells you that I am comfortable, without vibration or noise. That’s really nice. It can meet the needs of society and provide public services to society. That’s the final evaluation.

　　China and France jointly aim at the gap in the world helicopter market

　　As a helicopter jointly developed by China and Europe, the research and development road of AC352 is also full of legends. In the development of this type of helicopter, China’s aviation industry has completed the introduction and learning from abroad to equal cooperation, and it has completed the gap with the western helicopter industry for decades in just 12 years.

　　At the beginning of the 21st century, China has just completed the introduction of the 5-ton helicopter Zhi 9. At that time, the aviation people in China were thinking about where the civilian helicopters in China should go next. Although some helicopter models developed by international cooperation are advancing, in the eyes of Lu, the current chief designer of AC352, there is a difficulty that must be broken through.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:What is the so-called difficulty? It’s how we build a better plane. We have been thinking about what our users think and what the market needs. This is important, and this is our most difficult.

　　Thus, in 2002, a market survey for a new generation of civil helicopters began, which may be the first time that the developers of China helicopter considered who will use the aircraft and what kind of demand it needs to meet completely before the design of a helicopter.

　　Yang Guangchao, Director of AVIC AC352 Helicopter Project:We have found that in the future helicopter market in the world, some people say that this medium-sized helicopter is called super-medium-sized helicopter, and the market potential of this helicopter is very great.

　　At this time, the European helicopter developers on the other side of the ocean also reached the same conclusion, so a cooperation across the eastern and western hemispheres began. Although in the 1980s, China developed the famous multi-purpose helicopter Zhi -9 through international cooperation, at that time, it was more about introducing technology and learning from each other’s successful experience. This time, researchers from China and Europe will share the technical problems in the development according to the ratio of half to half. Moreover, at that time, everyone’s goal was to develop the best 7-ton civil helicopter in the world.

Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AC352 Helicopter of AVIC:Let’s decide what is the goal of the product, what are the specific indicators, and what tasks can be performed? Also want to design together. Therefore, the preliminary design was carried out in Marseille, and the technical requirements of the whole machine were determined. After the technical scheme, it took another year to go back to their respective offices to carry out detailed design.

　　Yang Guangchao, Director of AVIC AC352 Helicopter Project:In 2004, China and France signed a framework agreement on the joint development of advanced medium-sized multi-purpose helicopters. Then in 2005, China and France signed a cooperation contract for the joint development of medium-sized multi-purpose helicopters. In January 2006, China and France officially launched the joint development of this AC352 helicopter.

　　Close to customer needs, easy to maintain and lower fuel consumption.

　　How to measure the capability of a helicopter? Designers tell us that apart from flight performance, the most difficult thing for AC352 is to consider the needs of helicopter users in its design. Compared with the progress of technology, the change of design and manufacturing concept of AC352 has left a valuable wealth for China’s civil helicopter industry.

　　Before AC352, civil helicopters in China were basically born out of military helicopters. To design a good civil helicopter, we must always think about future users. Chief designer Lu said that pilots, passengers, and even later crew members, as long as they use this plane, their feelings should be carefully designed, which is a great difficulty in developing AC352.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:After going up and sitting down, different drivers can adjust the height of the seat up and down, that is to say, sitting down, and then he touches each switch, and you can easily operate it in place.

　　Reporter:Well, how do we do this in the design to make the pilot sit comfortably?

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:My design distance is designed according to the specified driver’s height to achieve this point. I will use this on the electronic prototype during 3D design and project design to test this and meet this requirement.

　　The maintenance workload is very low, and the time for the plane to leave again will be greatly accelerated, just like when you take a flight, for example, the plane will land, and I can leave in half an hour, which is more convenient for passengers, right?

　　Meticulous design, but also with the production of Excellence to achieve. In order to make it convenient for future users and meet the design requirements, the doors of AC352 can be interchanged, that is to say, if the doors are broken, users can buy and install them themselves just like fitting parts for cars. Compared with the automobile industry, which has a production scale of tens of thousands of vehicles, the production scale of aviation manufacturing industry is much smaller, and it is difficult to achieve parts exchange.

　　It is in this determination that AC352 is also changing the face of civil helicopter production in China: domestic engines are used to realize the "China Heart" for China helicopters, while fuel consumption is lower and maintenance is easier; Equipped with advanced avionics system, pilots can even land automatically at the touch of a button like automatic parking. These previously unimaginable functions have been realized on this helicopter which embodies the painstaking efforts of China aviation people.

　　Lu Weijian, Chief Designer of AVIC AC352 Helicopter:For more than ten years, there has been a painful and happy enjoyment process, because we have entered the aviation industry, which is what we have to bear. The first flight is just a node in my whole research and development process, a node that everyone pays attention to. But I am more concerned about when I can go to the market, how I can meet the requirements of users, provide public service products for the society, and make our due contribution to promoting the development of production economy.