A helicopter practises for the coming China Helicopter Exposition in a helicopter base of Aviation Industry Corporation of China in the Airport Area of China Pilot Free Trade Zone of Tianjin, north China, Sept. 7, 2015. The exposition will be opened on Sept. 9. (Photo: Xinhua/Wang Huan)
An exhibition will be held in Tianjin from Sept. 9 to 13 to display helicopter models brought by Chinese and foreign producers for China's emerging civil helicopter market.
Enstrom Helicopter's two-seat TH180 and AgustaWestland's luxury AW109, dubbed as the "ferrari of the air" and priced at 60 million yuan (9.4 million U.S. dollars), are scheduled to be showcased.
More than 160 foreign companies have registered to attend the exhibition, the organizing committee of the 3rd China International Helicopter Exhibition said on Monday.
The exhibition is China's first professional expo on helicopters approved by the State Council, jointly held by Tianjin Municipal Government, state-controlled Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the Army Aviation Department under the General Staff Department of People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Chongqing General Aviation Co. Ltd., which purchased U.S.-based Enstrom in 2011, brought the company's two models Enstrom 480B and TH180 to the exhibition.
Liu Xu, vice-president of the company, said the TH180 model, which makes its China market debut at the exhibition, is a good trainer aircraft and for private customers. While the 480B model will take parts in 7 air shows during the exhibition.
Also present at the exhibition is the AW139 luxury craft priced at 130 million yuan and the AW119, a light model for air patrol and tourist sight-seeing, according to organizers.
