The two-ton AC311 helicopter, developed and manufactured by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has a seating capacity of six and is expected to be leveraged in flight training, policing, aerial photography, search and rescue, forest fire prevention and pest control.

The aircraft is equipped with a fuel-efficient engine, a durable and flexible composite rotor system, and a highly integrated avionics system, said Wang Bin, general manager of Avicopter Corporation Limited, a joint venture between AVIC and the Tianjin municipal government.

"Its technology and performance are close to the international advanced levels. It costs about 10 to 15 percent less than similar products from other manufacturers," Wang said.

AVIC hopes to sell the AC311 helicopter worldwide, and two have been pre-ordered by police in Tianjin and Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, he said.

The AC311 helicopter is expected to be certified by civil aviation authorities in October 2011 and hit the market in 2012, Wang said. "It is expected that the market demand for this type of helicopter will reach 500 in the next 10 years."