Paul Lewis/TOKYO
MITSUBISHI HEAVY Industries (MHI) expects to roll out its first prototype MH2000 helicopter by the middle of July, and to begin flight-testing the helicopter by the fourth quarter.
The MH2000 is Japan's first indigenously developed civil helicopter and, therefore, its development and planned flight-test programme is being closely scrutinised at all stages by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).
A private roll-out of the ten-seat helicopter is subject to the completion of initial ground tests necessary for certification, says MHI managing director Takashi Nishioka.
According to Nishioka, MHI is planning to conduct a 800h flight-test programme, employing two prototype machines. Two static airframes have already been built and are now being used for load and tie-down testing.
MHI hopes to have the twin-engined MH2000 certificated by the JCAB by April 1997 and to deliver the first production series helicopter by September/October. Production of long-lead components has already begun.
The privately funded MH2000 programme is based on MHI's RP1 technology-demonstrator helicopter, first flown in 1994. The RP1 was used to develop and test the MH2000's 595kW (800shp) Mitsubishi MG5 turbo-shaft engine, gearbox and composite blades.
Design criteria have focused on passenger comfort, performance, safety and low price, says Nishioka. The MH2000 will have a maximum take-off weight of 4.5t and a maximum speed of 150kt (275km/h). It will have an active-noise-suppression system and an optional global-positioning-system-based collision-avoidance system.
The company had hoped to sell the helicopter for less than '300 million ($2.77 million), but the fly-away price now appears to be closer to '400 million a unit. MHI has set a "conservative" production target of 200 helicopters over ten years.
Source: Flight International
