SHANGHAI, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a validation type certificate for the S-76D™ aircraft, allowing Sikorsky to begin delivering the commercial helicopter  to customers in China. The announcement was made at the 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The S-76D is the latest S-76® model to be validated by CAAC having been preceded by the S-76A™ and S-76C™ helicopters   More than 30 Sikorsky S-76 aircraft currently operate in China.

Yunnan Jingcheng Group will be the first company in China to take delivery of an S-76D helicopter. The company contracted for a new S-76D in 2012 and is scheduled to receive the aircraft this month. Jingcheng already flies an S-92® helicopter for use in transporting corporate and government VIPs. In September 2013, a second S-92 aircraft was purchased with delivery expected in November 2015.

"We are thrilled to have the S-76D certified by the CAAC. This certification helps expand our presence in a strategically important region with many potential S-76D customers," said Ryan McFeaters, General Manager, Sikorsky Aircraft – China. "We are also glad to continue working with Jingcheng, an important Sikorsky customer, and look forward to hearing of their successes with this aircraft."

The S-76D helicopter has quickly proven popular with customers, with a current backlog exceeding $650 million. Sikorsky has delivered more than 800 S-76 helicopters to customers globally since 1979, contributing daily to a growing 6.4-million-plus fleet flight hours total.

The S-76D helicopter's baseline equipment includes powerful and efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines; an advanced THALES TopDeck ® integrated avionics system and four-axis autopilot; Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) incorporated into fleet monitoring and analysis; active vibration control; and all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades. A Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) for all-weather capability will be available as an option.

In September 2013, Sikorsky Aircraft and Changhe Aircraft Industries Corp. signed an agreement for Changhe to produce S-76D™ commercial helicopter cabins for Sikorsky.  Changhe serves as a second source for S-76D cabins, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2016 and production volume based on market demand. Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic also supplies the cabins.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide.                                                        

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SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation