COATESVILLE, Pa., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky
Aircraft Corp. announced today that Yunnan Jingcheng Group accepted
delivery of the first S-76D™ aircraft that will operate in
China. The aircraft is configured
for transportation of corporate and government VIPs. Sikorsky is a
subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
Sikorsky recently announced at the 2014 Asian Business Aviation
Conference & Exhibition that the Civil Aviation Administration
of China (CAAC) had issued a
validation type certificate for the S-76D™ aircraft, allowing
Sikorsky to begin delivering the commercial helicopter to customers
in China.
"After just finalizing the CAAC certification, we are excited
that we were able to deliver an aircraft to one of our valued
Chinese customers," said Ryan
McFeaters, General Manager, Sikorsky Aircraft – China. "We see opportunity for growth in the
Chinese helicopter market, and the delivery of this aircraft
symbolizes the continued success of Sikorsky products in
China."
Jingcheng also flies a Sikorsky S-92® helicopter for use in
transporting corporate and government VIPs. In September 2013, a second S-92 aircraft was
purchased with delivery expected in November
2015.
With the delivery of this aircraft, nearly 40 S-76® aircraft
will operate in China. In
China's intermediate aircraft
market segment (7,000 to 15,000 lbs gross weight), the
S-76® occupies more than 35 percent (the highest) of the
total.
In September 2013, Sikorsky
Aircraft and Changhe Aircraft Industries Corp. signed an agreement
for Changhe to produce S-76D™ commercial helicopter cabins for
Sikorsky. Changhe serves as a second source for S-76D cabins, with
deliveries scheduled to begin in 2016 and production volumes based
on market demand. Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic also supplies the cabins.
The S-76D helicopter has quickly proven popular with customers,
with a current backlog exceeding $650
million. Sikorsky has delivered more than 800 S-76
helicopters to customers globally since 1979, contributing daily to
a growing 6.4-million-plus fleet flight hours total.
The S-76D helicopter's baseline equipment includes powerful and
efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW210S engines; an advanced THALES TopDeck ® integrated avionics
system and four-axis autopilot; Health and Usage Monitoring System
(HUMS) incorporated into fleet monitoring and analysis; active
vibration control; and all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor
blades. A Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) for all-weather
capability will be available as an option.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in
helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies
Corp., based in Hartford, Conn.,
provides a broad range of high technology products and support
services to the aerospace and building systems industries
worldwide.
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SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.