The second prototype of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) 4.5t Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) has conducted its first flight.

The 20-minute flight took place on 5 December at the company’s Sacheon production facility. It included forward flight, circling, and other maneuvers.

The first prototype of the LCH flew in July 2018 in France. The 5 December test is significant because it involves a helicopter built by KAI in South Korea. The LCH is based on the Airbus Helicopters H155.

First Korea-produced LCH

Source: KAI

The first Korea-produced LCH flew for 20 minutes on 5 December

The LCH’s Sacheon sortie follows the maiden flight of its military variant, the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), in July. The LAH also performed a flying display at the Seoul ADEX defence show in October.

The 4.5t LCH is expected to be ready by 2021, with the LAH to be available from 2023.

Corrected: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the LCH’s weight.

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