Changhe Aircraft Industries Group (CHAIG)

Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Co., Ltd. (sometimes referred to as CHAIG), under the leadership of Aviation Industry of China, is located in the famous porcelain capital, Jingdezhen City. The company has the capability of development and series production of multi-type, multi-series, multi-model of helicopters and subcontract production of aviation parts and assemblies.

Changhe Aircraft, established in 1969, covers the area of 1.29 million sq. meters and 0.22 million sq. meters are construction area. There are more than 4,300 employees, which consists of 450 administrators, 510 engineers and 100 Q.A personnel and 1500 operators . The total asset is about RMB 4,300,000,000 [nearly 600 million US dollars] and more than various 4000 sets of equipment. The company has strong technical capabilities on scientific research and production, and preferable cold and heat processing capability and means. Moreover, Changhe Aircraft has strong physical & chemical test, metrology, avionics, flight test, digital management and manufacture capability. Now, Changhe Aircraft establishes and completes the management system and management regulation according to the management pattern of the modern aviation enterprise. The company also improves the serial production capability and completes the quality assurance system.

The company has more than four decades experience in developing and manufacturing helicopters, including the development and series production for Z-8 and Z-11 helicopters, and nearly 400 employees involved in the material purchase, manufacture, and inspection and delivery work of S-92 program. By developing two types of Tail Rotor Pylon with completely different structures, the company has formed one talented team that is familiar with all kinds of process specifications and working manners of Sikorsky, which has established the strong base for international cooperation.

At the same time, the company actively expands the international cooperation on development and manufacture of the helicopter, and widely cooperates with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of U.S.A and Agusta of Italy. Meanwhile, Changhe Aircraft introduces advanced manufacture technologies and management experience and builds up well enterprise image in international helicopter industry. The S-92 Tail Rotor Pylon in cooperation with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation had come into series production. Jiangxi Changhe-Agusta Helicopter Co., Ltd. invested jointly by Agusta and Changhe Aircraft, unveiled in Sep 19, 2005, which gets high attention of the industries and the media.

In 1995, Changhe Aircraft participated in the S-92 international team led by Sikorsky, and is responsible for the development and production of S92 Tail Rotor Pylon, the serial production of the S92 Horizontal Stabilizer. From 1995, Changhe Aircraft has established the partnership with Sikorsky. Both companies have different complementary advantages and have established good mutual trust relationship since Changhe Aircraft has complete helicopter production facilities, well-trained human resources and competitive labor cost available, which have laid solid foundation for further cooperation. Various respective advantages of both parties have been fully employed for the cooperation of helicopter production, which improves the market competitiveness of the helicopter product to the utmost extent.

Changhe Aircraft continuously increases the investment on facility upgrade to optimize manufacture environment, and builds up modernized NC machining center, composite material production line and helicopter production line one after the other. The company introduces excellent advanced equipment, builds up and completes computer network system and Intranet system, increases the capability construction of NC machining, makes full use of modern information technology to improve the state-of-the-art level and efficiency of manufacture. In order to speed up the industrialization and the series production capability for helicopter, Changhe Aircraft is working on the strategic adjustment for production layout.

In recent years, the company continuously strengthens the management, and prepares management systems of "Working Flow", "'5S'Management" and "Enterprise Culture", which further optimizes working flow, working system, and enhances working criterion and efficiency. At the same time, the company strengthens quality management and carries out whole process control for product quality. The company puts "5S" Management in practice all-rounded, boosts "6 Sigma" Management step by step, and then forms fairly complete management system. The company had passed the certification of GJB9001A-200 quality system, supplier quality system review by Italy Agusta and had passed FAA Audit for S92 program. In order to accommodate to international cooperation and keep the quality assurance system consistent with international aviation industry, the company started the certification of IAQS9100-2000.

In order to adapt to development strategy for international cooperation and subcontract production, Changhe Aircraft has been constantly strengthening the development of the design team, and has introduced the graphic workstation and CATIA & NASTRAN design and analysis software. The newly established design team had participated in Z-8 re-engining program, Z-11 aerial shooting modification program and the modification work for Z-8 civil transport helicopter. The team has accumulated much experience on structure design and stress analysis, and the team may undertake the engineering liaison and engineering support of international cooperation program.

The facility upgrade constantly made by the company greatly improves the capability of production and processing and the production capability in sheet metal, NC machining, welding, riveting, and heat & surface treatment has been improved greatly. In addition, with the experience acquired on the existing subcontract production program, the company has completely possessed the capability for subcontract production of all kinds of aircraft structures, systems, major assemblies, subassemblies and parts, and satisfactory subcontract production and cooperation production may be provided to the customers at a competitive cost.

Complete quality assurance system is available in this company, and it has been certified to GJB/Z9001-2001 by the New EraCertification Center(XQC), the certification authority for state military industry quality assurance system. For the cooperation of both S-92 program and A109E program, the quality assurance system of the company was approved by Sikorsky and Agusta successively, and it passed review by FAA in 2002, and then passed a second review in 2006.

In year 2004, AviCHANGHE signed the agreements with AgustaWestland about the cooperation of the A109E program, which includes the establishment for a joint venture to manufacture and to sell A109E helicopter, repair work for A109E in China, and subcontract production for A109E fuselage and tail boom structure. On September 19, 2005, the joint venture was formally unveiled, and the work of subcontract production and cooperation production is under way on schedule.

Jiangxi Changhe Aviation Industry Co., LTD and Schweizer Aircraft Corp, a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp of United States, held a signature ceremony of Collaboration Agreement For Subcontract Production Of S300C/S300CBi Helicopter in Zhuhai on October 29, 2006. AviCHANGHE'S Competitive edges in various market segments of the helicopters have been enhanced and strengthened through the international cooperation. Strengthen and enlarge the cooperation with the international famous helicopter manufacturer-Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and improve and upgrade the industrial manufacture competence during the cooperation, which lays a solid foundation for enlarging cooperation fields in the future. AviChanghe has optimized its product structure and made good preparations for the future proven civil market.

On July 12, 2007, Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Co., Ltd. (Changhe Aircraft) and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) held a grand signing ceremony of Collaboration Agreement For S-76C++ Helicopters in Beijing. S-76C++ cooperation program includes the manufacture and assembly for the assemblies and major assemblies of the fuselage and partial final assembly, subsequent modification for this model are also included in this agreement. This program represented the highest work share and highest technical content over any other subcontract programme in China at that time. Two phases are included in this agreement and the first phase is transitional stage, which Changhe Aircraft will complete major assembly, fuselage assembly and partial final assembly with the kits purchased directly; detail parts fabrication and sub-assembly are added in the second phase on the basis of the first phase.