Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has conducted the maiden flight of a Surion transport helicopter optimised for amphibious assault operations. On Monday, the modified Surion, also designated the Korea Utility Helicopter (KUH), flew for 30 minutes with two test pilots and two technicians on boards, says KAI.
The sortie, which took place at KAI’s Sacheon factory, included ground tests, forward flight, backward flight, and hovering. The type is optimised for the South Korean marines, and features a foldable main rotor and an auxiliary fuel tank. The helicopter also has emergency floats that can be deployed in the event of a ditching.
Throughout 2015 the amphibious Surion will be tested in a range of environments, including cold weather and aboard ships.
For more photos and the complete story by Greg Waldron of Flightglobal.com, click here.
Photo by KAI
