The sky's the limit with the VA115 coaxial twin-rotor helicopter, being produced in Lishui. It's just got a CAAC certificate, allowing it to be sold. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Sales of the VA115 coaxial twin-rotor helicopter being produced by RS Helikopter GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of AviComms Technologies Co Ltd – based in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – are soon expected to take off.

That's after the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC, recently issued a certificate for the eye-catching model's entry into the domestic civil aviation market.

The VA115 is a single-seat manned helicopter with an empty weight of about 139 kilograms and a maximum takeoff weight of 260 kg, including an effective payload of 121 kg. The maximum airspeed is 140 kilometers per hour and the maximum range is 220 km.

The VA115 has adopted a German-patented coaxial twin-rotor system design, in which two identical rotors are mounted one on top of the other on the same rotor shaft. During flight, the two rotors rotate in opposite directions so that their opposite torque offsets each other. This allows the helicopter to maintain stability in the air.

According to AviComms executives, the VA115 is suitable for air patrols, inspections, flight training and air sports. Mass production of the model is expected to begin in Lishui in June and the price will be around 1.2 million yuan ($183,054).

The company also equipped the VA115 with a corresponding ground training simulator, which allows trainees to hover or fly in any direction, within safety limits, while a movable chassis with wheels enables trainees to learn helicopter flying more realistically.