China and Russia progress in talks to produce heavy-lift helicopters

China and Russia have made progress in talks to produce a new model of heavy-lift helicopters, a well-placed Chinese source said Wednesday. 

The two sides have reached consensus on technical terms, split of responsibilities, and a roadmap to implement the project, said Huang Chuanyue, deputy chief engineer of Avicopter, the helicopter arm of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC). 

Avicopter's partner is Russian Helicopters. The two agreed to cooperate on the project in 2015. A year later, the two governments signed a deal, giving the project the go-ahead. 

Huang revealed the latest development at a helicopter industry forum held in the city of Tianjin. 

He said the new helicopters will be made primarily to meet the needs of Chinese clients. 

The helicopter will be designed with a take-off weight of 38 tonnes, with internal cargo capacity of 10 tonnes and external sling capacity of 15 tonnes. It will be able to fly over plateaus higher than 3,000 meters and maneuver among mountains, Huang said.

The helicopter will be fitted with aero-engines on a par with those on Russia's Mi-26, he added.