BEIJING – An unnamed new Chinese military helicopter has made its maidenflight and is expected to improve China’s air combat capability, expertssaid.

The helicopter is equipped with a newly developed fuel system, according toan article published by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)on WeChat.

“The innovative design of the fuel system, which can be either installedinside or hung under the short wing, can save aircraft space and thusextend voyage time,” Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledgemagazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to the article, the helicopter completed its first flight inJingdezhen, China’s Jiangxi Province in 2017, and China owns completeindependent intellectual property rights.

But the article did not name the new type of helicopter or elaborate on itsapplication.

“According to the limited information released, it is highly possible thatit is a medium-sized military helicopter for transportation, and the newdesign can increase its combat capability,” said Wang.

Xi Yazhou, an independent military observer and commentator, speculatedthat the new helicopter was likely to be the Changhe Z-8, which was said tobe under development last year.

It was also the first time the CFD system was used in a test flight, whichindicates that the helicopter design could be completely homegrown, unlikeChina’s other series of helicopters such as the Dauphin, which was derivedfrom foreign designs, according to Wang.

“CFD is short for Computational Fluid Dynamics, where the flight process ofthe helicopter can be simulated on computer so that the flight status canbe observed ahead of a real trial flight, reducing risks in research anddevelopment,” Wang said.

“China has a complete and relatively advanced helicopter industry, but itstill needs further development to bridge the gap with other advancedcountries,” Wang said.