[photopress:Hiller_helicopter.jpg,full,alignright]A joint venture between US Hiller Aircraft Corporationand a new Chinese aviation company will set up a plant in Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, to produce civilian helicopters. The two companies have agreed to invest US$15 million in a company to produce civilian light helicopters used for spraying pesticide, fighting forest fires, rescue operations and other projects.
Construction is expected to start this year and the plant will begin working next year with the aim of producing five helicopters in its first batch. In is intended the plant will be capable of producing 500 helicopters annually after three to five years and its annual production value will exceed RMB200 million (US$25.87 million).
Zhang Hongbiao, general manager of China Aviation Industry Corporation II, said in an earlier report that China will need more than 2,763 civilian helicopters from 2006 to 2026 so the prospects look pleasing.
Source: Shanghai Daily