MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce (MTR) is proposing its MTR390 powerplant for a new 5-5.5t helicopter concept now being studied at Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing (HAMC) in China.
Although few details are available, Aviation Industries of China confirms that such a concept is under discussion, but stresses that no go-ahead has been given yet.
According to MTR, the helicopter will be a derivative of HAMC's lighter Z-9 Haitun - a licence-built version of the Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin 2. To date, HAMC has built an initial batch of 50 Z-9s, powered by Chinese-built Turboméca Arriel 1C turboshafts, and is producing a second batch of 30.
The new helicopter will have two engines in the MTR390 class, giving it 960kW (1,300hp) take-off power. Eurocopter believes that China will eventually approach European industry for co-operation in the programme.
MTR's bid is part of a new drive to find a market for the engine beyond the Eurocopter Tiger attack-helicopter programme.
According to programme director Anton Janssen, the MTR390 is also being proposed for civil and military programmes, including Korean Air Aerospace division's multi-purpose helicopter, the Japanese Fuji advanced medium-twin helicopter, the Kawasaki Heavy Industries AH-X attack-helicopter derivative of the OH-X scout and the Hindustan Aeronautics advanced light helicopter. Janssen says that MTR is also pushing the engine as an alternative to the LHTEC T800-LHT-800, to power the enhanced higher-take-off-weight Agusta A129 Mangusta, and as an option for Westland Super Lynx upgrades, again in competition with the T800.
MTRmanaging director Hans Fischer says that MTR will reach the end of its 390 development phase this year.
He adds that the helicopter is to receive civil certification from the German Federal Aviation Office , which will be accepted by the US Federal Aviation Administration under an agreement between the authorities. "We believe we will be able to complete activities connected with civil certification by the middle of this year," says Fischer.
Source: Flight International
