http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/geta ... emid=33347
http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotor ... ification/
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... on-366591/
http://www.helihub.com/2012/01/05/china ... nne-ac313/
Details released by the Xinhua News Agency said that the AC313 went through a strict airworthiness test regime for certification, including 200 hours of flight testing with a particular emphasis on high altitude performance with flights in Tibet and up to the Everest base camp.
With a full-load of 13 tons the AC313 can fly to an altitude of 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Test flights also concluded that with ten rescue personnel onboard and operating from the Everest base camp the AC313 would be able operate out to 350 km, allowing the aircraft to cover a major part of the 'vast Tibetan Plateau'.
The spokesman added that the AC313 is particularly well suited to high altitude operations. Trial flights reaching an altitude of 8,500m were conducted on the Tibetan Plateau.