South Korea's Samsung Aerospace has racked up five new Chinese orders for the Samsung Bell SB427 helicopter during the Aviation Expo China show in Beijing.
The new orders bring total Chinese sales of the helicopter to six, while the worldwide orderbook stands at "about 90" aircraft, says Samsung.
Two of the new customers, which have ordered two SB427s each, are not named. The third, with an order for one helicopter, is the Hainan Aviation Sport Association.
The first Chinese customer for this type is Broad Air Conditioning, which ordered one helicopter last December. This came shortly after a memorandum of understanding with Beijing Capital General Aviation for three SB427s was signed at Air Show China 98 in Zhuhai.
Broad is to take delivery of China's first SB427 in February, although this aircraft will initially fly on a temporary certificate to be issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Full CAAC certification is expected in March, says Samsung.
Other Chinese operators are also understood to have shown interest in the helicopter. Samsung, which is responsible for marketing the type in South Korea and China, says that it would consider placing final assembly with Changhe Aircraft if the Chinese market exceeds 250.
Samsung says that the helicopter is to be certificated in Canada in November, followed shortly after by the first delivery.
Source: Flight International
