The Z11 helicopter is solely Chinese made, designed in China and manufactured by the Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Ltd.

Z11 was the only helicopter in China to gain such a permit after passing all necessary flight tests, said Wang Zhong, director of the Aircraft Test Flight Department of the administration.

This indicated such helicopters could be produced and sold for civilian use in China, a major step of Chinese helicopter producers toward marketization and industrialization, Wang said.

Z11, which is expected to be on the market next year, can accommodate a maximum of six people, has a top flying weight of 2.2 tons, cruising speed of 240 km per hour, maximum distance of 600km, and safe cruise duration of four hours.

It has been through a series of flight tests since the end of 1999 and proved to be the equal of the world's modern helicopters of the same type, including about five hours of cruising, two hours of cruising at -38 degrees Celsius, and incident-free flying of 1,332 km in temperatures ranging from six degrees Celsius to -43 degrees Celsius.

Light helicopters like Z11 account for about 50 percent of the world's total number of helicopters. They are widely used in such areas as training, scouting, rescue work, fire fighting and tourism.

China has 90 civil helicopters, mostly imported from other countries.

(People's Daily December 24, 2002)