Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is preparing for the development of the country's first heavy-duty helicopter, a company official said Thursday.

Zhang Hongbiao, director of the AVIC's science and technology committee, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the annual parliament session in Beijing, that the company has set up a team to study feasibility of the project.

He called for more investment from the government to start the project at an early date.

Heavy-duty helicopter referes to a copter with a takeoff weight of at least 20 tonnes, which is used mainly for lifting, fire fighting, transportation, construction, as well as emergency search and rescue.

China currently has developed helicopters with takeoff weights of 13 tonnes, 4 tonnes and 2 tonnes.

Last week, another AVIC official Sun Cong said the company will fly the AC313, China's first large civilian helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight of 13.8 tons, in mid-March in the eastern province of Jiangxi.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2010)