Article Posted on : - Dec 19, 2009

The EC175 helicopter.

MARIGNANE, FRANCE (BNS): European defence firm EADS has added another variant to its Eurocopter family of helicopters � EC175.

The 7-ton class utility helicopter EC175 took to the skies here on its maiden test flight on Friday.

The chopper has been designed and developed in cooperation with the China Aeronautics Industries Group Corp., a longstanding Eurocopter partner, the company said.

The EC175 project was conceived four years ago in 2005.

The new generation EC175 has a multirole design and it can carry out a number of civilian missions. Depending on its configuration, the helicopter is capable of carrying up to 16 passengers.

Eurocopter, which has received an order to supply around 114 EC175s to 14 countries so far, expects to start their delivery in 2012.