russian_helicopter_industry_2010
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EXPERIENCE & INNOVATION
Welcome to Hall 1, Russian Pavilion, D-17at Farnborough 2010, 19-25 July
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Late in June, the Mil Helicopter Plant
held a mock-up review of an upgraded
helicopter design given the in-house
designation Mi-171M. It is symbolical
that the actual kick-off of the programme
on the upgrade of a most popular
medium helicopter in the world took
place on the verge of an anniversary:
35 years since the maiden flight of the
Mi-8MT, later designated as Mi-17, will
be marked in August 2010. The Mi-8/17
is the world’s most widespread Russian-
built helicopter produced by two
manufacturers – the Kazan Helicopters
(Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-8MTV-5, Mi-17-1V,
Mi-17V-5, Mi-172) and Ulan-Ude Aviation
Plant (Mi-8AMT, Mi-171). We asked Mil’s
Designer General Alexey Samusenko
to shed light on the key approaches to
upgrading the machine.
The current upgrade of the truly world-famous Mi-8 helicopter family was announced as far back as last year, during the HeliRussia 2009 helicopter show. What is the status of the programme now?
Indeed, we began to devise a programme
on a heavy upgrade of the Mi-8 family’s
helicopters last year, having been given the
green light by the Russian Helicopters holding
company. We believe the time has come for a
radical improvement of the characteristics of
the helicopter. To date, the development of an
upgraded Mi-8 variant is high on the priority
list of the prime developer of Mil helicopters,
the Mil Helicopter Plant.
We stake on the baseline Mi-171, whose
upgraded version has been dubbed Mi-171M
tentatively and will be re-designated as
Mi-171A2 once it has been certificated. The
first Mi-171M prototype is to be made by the
Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in 2011. We expect
the development work, tests and certification
of the new helicopter to be completed prior to
late 2012, with the Ulan-Ude plant to launch
its full-scale production in 2013.
Now, the engineering and performance
specification have been devised under the
upgrade programme. A mock-up review has
been held recently to consider the preliminary
design of the future machine. The programme
is planned to be phased, and virtually all of
the helicopter’s components to be upgraded
in the end.
What will be features of the upgraded helicopter?
The new helicopter will feature cutting-edge
design solutions refined on the Mi-28N and
Mi-38 helicopters. Overall, the Mi-8 upgrade
is aimed at enhancing the aircraft’s technical
and economic characteristics and expanding
its operating envelope. Over 80 innovations
are to be introduced to the machine.
As to the key upgrade approaches, the
airframe dimensions is to increase, the
rotor system is to be modernised through
introducing composite rotor blades and
modified main rotor hub. In addition, the
advanced X-shaped tail rotor is going to be
made of composites too.
The Mi-171M’s powerplant will comprise
two VK-2500 engines rated 2,400 hp at
take-off and 2,700 hp in emergency power
conditions. The TA-14 or Czech-made Safir
will serve as the auxiliary power unit. The
main reduction gearbox is slated for testing
for the ability to operate for 30 min without
lubricants and to transfer 2,400 hp from a
single engine. The air intakes will be fitted
with more efficient dust filters featuring an air
purification degree of 95%.
An advanced, more streamlined cockpit
transparency is to be introduced. The
upgrade also will cover the hydraulic and
power supply systems and other helicopter
equipment. The fuel tanks will be modified
and the fuel system capacity will increase
up to 3,400 litres, with the supply tank and
combustion units under the cabin floor to be
discarded.
The improvements will extend the maximal
range to 1,200 km and enable the helicopter
to fly at a cruising speed of 265 km/h, with its
maximal speed to be 280 km/h. The machine’s
static ceiling is to account for 4,000 m and the
service ceiling for 6,000 m. The -50/+50°C
operating temperature bracket will enable the
helicopter to operate in various climes. The
machine will be maintained on-condition,
with the service life of the basic units to grow
up to 12,000 h, time between overhauls up to
3,000 h and the helicopter’s service life up to
30 years.
Composites have been introduced to aircraft on an ever-increasing scale of late. You have mentioned that the blades of the main and tail rotors would be made of them. What is the share of composites in the new machine going to be?
Mi-171M new life of venerable helicopter
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As you realise, any aircraft requires a
reasonable combination of structural weight
and structural strength to ensure its sortie
rate. The art of designer consists in optimising
these parameters. However, this cat won’t
jump unless advanced materials, sophisticated
calculation techniques and cutting-edge
design solutions are used. Time dictates its
rules.
For this very reason, priority is given to
composites during aircraft development,
and the Mil Helicopter Plant applies such
innovations on a large scale. Back to your
question. We estimate the upgraded Mi-8 to
comprise a total of 20–30% of composite
parts and units.
How will the upgrade influence the machine’s lifting capacity?
The basic weight characteristics of the
upgraded helicopter will remain the same,
namely: the normal take-off weight will
remain 11 t and the maximum take-off weight
will be 13 t with the weight of under-slung
cargo standing at 5 t. However, we have plans
to increase the payload volume of the cabin
and develop two variants of the rear section of
the cabin. One will have a clamshell doors and
the other a loading ramp. The customer will
decide which he prefers.
In addition, the cargo cabin will be able to
be converted to the passenger one, in which
case it will seat 21 passengers.
Would you tell our readers about the planned upgrade of the avionics suite? Will the upgraded helicopter differ from its predecessors radically in this respect?
I would like to stress that we are going
to fit the machine with a drastically novel
avionics suite, the so-called glass cockpit,
and introduce automatic monitoring of
the systems’ parameters, which will reduce
flight planning time and the in-flight
workload on the crew. Automated controls
and up-to-date navaids and comms will
allow a crewmember reduction from three
to two, with the Mi-171M to be flown by
two pilots. The flight mechanic will remain
as a crewmember but will no longer be part
of the aircraft control loop.
Owing to the above, the cockpit layout
will be modified as far as the controls
of the systems are concerned. The latter
will become more accessible and easier to
use. The LCDs used in the glass cockpit
offers huge opportunities for displaying any
information – graphics, video, etc. Such
displays are both reliable and have virtually
an unlimited service life and a far lighter
weight compared with electromechanical
instruments.
Overall, I would like to emphasise that the
introduction of the PKV-171 digital flight
control system and multifunction avionics
will meet the latest standards.
Are a weather radar and night vision systems going to be introduced?
Yes, we are going to fit the upgraded
helicopter with a weather radar as well as a
surveillance station and a night vision system.
Whom do you see as the launch customer for the upgraded helicopter? The Defence Ministry?
No, we work on a commercial machine
so far. However, a version of the Mi-171M
may be of interest, say, to the Russian
Emergencies Ministry and Ministry of
Interior, in which case we would fit the
machine with relevant gear.
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What is your view of the state of affairs in helicopter-type UAV development as a whole and what urgent tasks are facing the Russian Helicopters joint stock company in this sphere?
Helicopter-type UAV development is a
new line of work in the UAV field, which
has been evolving fast over the past 5 to 10
years. Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
systems used lag behind aeroplane-type
UAVs due to their greater complexity and
problems with automatic control system
development. Several countries have resolved
those problems and been working hard on
developing VTOL UAVs. Some US and
European programmes have produced good
results (Boeing’s YMQ-18 Hummingbird,
an unmanned variant of the Kaman K-Max
helicopter, Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire
Scout, Schiebel S-100 Camcopter, etc.), with
unmanned helicopter development being in
full swing in some other countries as well.
Development of an aircraft as an
unmanned system platform is easy to Russian
Helicopters in technical terms. The principal
problem is to get reliable automatic control
system and develop its operating algorithms.
It is this technical task that is high on our
priority list. It also is important to ensure
reconfiguration of the control system in case
of a failure and backing it up as well.
What is going to be done in the coming two to three years specifically?
The Russian Helicopters joint stock
company is ready to launch development of
several unmanned helicopter systems next
year, if there are relevant orders, on which we
count very much. The company has launched
a research programme of its own, dubbed
Outlining the technical characteristics of a
medium-range unmanned helicopter system.
The programme provides for development of
a prototype system ensuring the automatic
operating mode for the unmanned
helicopter under a preset programme. The
research programme is designed to hash
out the characteristics of the automatic
control system exercising automatic control
throughout the flight, including creation of a
mathematical model and control algorithms
and an operating prototype as well.
The Patrul light helicopter developed in
the city of Kumertau has been selected as
the baseline platform for the flying test-
In recent years, the Russian Helicopters
joint stock company has repeatedly
displayed at international shows various
helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles
ranging from light to heavy ones. Models
of the future Mi-34BP heavy unmanned
helicopter (a derivative of the Mi-34S1),
MRVK future robotised helicopter
system based on the technical solutions
embodied in the future Mi-X1 high-speed
helicopter, and several designs from the
Kamov company, including the Ka-37
and Ka-137 developed as far back as
the ‘90s were exhibited many times.
This month full-size mock-ups of the
future helicopter-type UAVs – the Ka-135
and Korshun – were unveiled during
the Unmanned Multipurpose Vehicle
Systems 2010 show held as part of
the Machinebuilding Technologies
2010 forum from 30 June to 4 July this
year. These are two of the four basic
helicopter-type UAVs that are high on
the priority list of Russian Helicopters
company. On the eve of the show,
Take-off Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin
met Gennady Bebeshko, Unmanned
Helicopter Systems programme manager
of the Russian Helicopters JSC, and
asked him to elaborate on the status of
the helicopter-type UAV development
in Russia and the plans of the Russian
Helicopters in this field.
UNMANNED RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS
Ka-117 (left) and Ka-135
Korshun
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bed designed to test the automatic control
system, ground control system and mission
payload. The Russian Helicopters holding
company pays for the work out of pocket.
The preparations are being completed,
and plans are being coordinated with the
subcontractors selected.
Unfortunately, non-military organisations
are in no rush to finance the development but
are ready to buy ready UAVs once they have
been developed.
When the efforts go into the R&D
stage, Russian Helicopters is to select
subcontractors operating in the fields of
engine, instrument, radio-technical, radar
and composites development to tackle all
aspects of the unmanned helicopter system
development.
What is the current VTOL UAV line from Russian Helicopters made of? What programmes are priorities?
The Russian Helicopters company has
limited itself to four baseline types of aircraft
intended to ensure a competitive offer on the
global market. Since the work is underway
for uniformed services in the first place and
based on analysis, nature and peculiarities of
the missions to be handled by VTOL UAVs,
the future family will comprise advanced
systems designed for recce, attack, transport,
relay and special-purpose missions.
The short-range VTOL UAV class will be
represented by the 300-kg Ka-135 unmanned
helicopter system with a range of 100 km. It
is going to be a cutting-edge coaxial-rotor
piston-engine UAV with a ski-type landing
gear.
Two aircraft are being considered for the
medium-range VTOL UAV niche. One is
the Korshun, a Patrul helicopter derivative
weighing 500 kg and having the 300 km
range and 100 kg payload. The other is
a heavier Ka-117 with a flight weight of
1,500 kg, a payload of 500 kg and a range
of 400–500 km. It will be a multirole
unmanned helicopter system capable of a
wide range of tactical missions.
The basic long-range aircraft will be
the Ka-126BV – an unmanned single-
engine derivative of the Ka-226 helicopter,
weighing 3,500 kg and operating out to
1,000 km.
All of these UAVs will be dual-purpose
and capable of as many diverse missions
as possible. There are to be three or four
detachable modular payloads. The design
modularity of the baseline VTOL UAVs
and detachable payloads, coupled with
automated pre-flight preparation gear,
minimises such important characteristics
as assembly of the UAV from the travelling
configuration to the operational one, pre-
flight preparation time and time between
flights.
What about the Mi-34BP, MRVK and other designs displayed at air shows? You also have not mentioned short-range lightweight VTOL UAVs.
We can offer various unmanned
helicopters, including those that has not
been part of the VTOL UAV family yet, those
to feature characteristics requested by the
customer. However, to reduce development
risks, costs and time, it makes sense to
develop unmanned helicopters being based
on the existing manned helicopters.
As for short-range VTOL UAVs able to
fly out to 25 km, we deem it impractical
to develop them now, because battlefield
and tactical-level recce missions can be
accomplished by aeroplane-configuration
UAVs in a more effective and cheaper
manner.
Kamov Ka-135 short-range
UAV developed in 300 kg
class which full-scale
mockup was unveiled at
UVS Tech 2010 exhibition in
late June 2010
Medium-range 500kg-class Korshun UAV
derived in Kumertau from Patrul light helicopter
also debuted in a form of full-scale mockup at
UVS Tech 2010 exhibition in late June 2010
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Production-standard machines
joined the official test programme of
the Kamov Ka-52 advanced multirole
combat helicopter this spring. The
first three of them serialled 51, 52 and
53 were built by the Progress aircraft
company in Arsenyev last year and,
following debugging and ground tests
by Kamov out of Moscow, were ferried
in March to the Russian Air Force’s
Army Aviation Combat and Conversion
Training Centre (CCTC) in Torzhok for
further tests. The machines were used
in the preparations for the Victory Day
parade, and one of them, No 53, flew
over Red Square in Moscow on 9
May 2010 along with a pre-production
Ka-52 (No. 063).
Three prototype and preproduction
machines have been involved in the
Ka-52 official test programme until
recently. The first flying prototype
(serial 061) was built by Kamov as far
back as 1996 and then has undergone
several phases of upgrade. The
second prototype Ka-52 serialled 062
was made by Progress two years ago
and flew its maiden sortie on 27 June
2008. The preproduction machine
(serial 063) took off in Arsenyev in
October 2008.
On 26 December 2008, the
Flight Test Complex of the Russian
Helicopters joint stock company in
Chkalovsky, Moscow Region, hosted
the final phase of the enlarged meeting
of the governmental committee
considering the outcome of the official
trials of the advanced Mi-28N and
Ka-52 combat aircraft and Ansat-U
trainer. The committee resolved that
the Ka-52 prototypes had passed
another stage of its official trials.
This allowed the tentative conclusion
recommending the manufacturing of
a low-rate initial production batch to
be issued.
In January last year, Progress
company Director General Yuri
Denisenko said three more Ka-52s of
the LRIP batch were being assembled
at the moment and slated for delivery
before the end of the year. “We need
to obtain a positive conclusion as to
the Ka-52’s official trials and launch
full-scale production in late 2009”,
Denisenko said then. He had said
earlier that an agreement had been
reached on delivery of a total of
approx 30 Ka-52s to the Russian
Defence Ministry.
Progress built 10 helicopters for
the Russian Defence Ministry in 2009,
according to the 1 March 2010 official
report by the Russian Helicopters
JSC on the results produced by the
Russian helicopter-making industry
in 2009. Apparently, three of them
are the above-mentioned early
production Ka-52s. In all probability,
the remaining seven machines are
the Ka-52s that were being completed
and tested in Arsenyev.
Far Eastern news agency
PrimaMedia reported in February
this year that the manufacturer’s
plan for 2010 made provision for
building seven Ka-52s, because
“the company made a commitment
to deliver about 25 Ka-52 Alligator
helicopters to the Russian Army.
The aircraft maker’s gain from
selling seven helicopters and Moskit
antiship missiles in 2010 alone is
to account for 8 billion rubles (over
$250 million)”.
The Ka-52 also features good
exportability. The RIA Novosti news
agency has quoted the Progress
plant’s Director General as saying that
three foreign countries had ordered
the Ka-52. For example, according to
the media, the acquisition of Ka-52
helicopters was high on the agenda
during Libyan Defence Minister Abu-
Baqr Younis Jaber’s visit to Russia
in late January 2010. Early deals on
exporting the Ka-52 might be clinched
before year-end.
Production-standard Ka-52 undergo trials
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A most important result produced
last year by Russian combat helicopter
makers is the kick-off of the deliveries
of production-standard Mil Mi-28N
helicopters to the Russian Defence
Ministry.
According to the defence minister’s
spokesman talking to the media
about Anatoly Serdyukov’s visit to
the Rostvertol joint stock company
late last year, the company made
and delivered 10 production-standard
Mi-28N helicopters to the Russian Air
Force in 2009. Last spring, the first six
of them entered the inventory of the
independent helicopter regiment (now
dubbed air base) in Budyonnovsk, with
four more machines following suit a
bit later (the side numbers of the ten
ranged from 01 to 10).
According to the Kommersant
daily, RusAF ordered almost 50
Mi-28Ns that could be fielded with
line units in the coming years. The
Armed Forces requirements in the
Mi-28N are estimated at 300 aircraft.
In addition, talks with a number of
foreign countries are under way.
Experts name Algeria and Venezuela
as the most probable foreign launch
customers for Mi-28NE helicopters.
By the way Mi-28NE is now taking
part in a tender for 22 combat
helicopters announced by Indian
ministry of Defence.
At the same time with
productionising the Mi-28N, a further
upgrade programme of the helicopter
has been launched in support of both
the domestic customer and potential
foreign buyers. Under the programme,
the machine will be fitted with more
effective cutting-edge avionics and
weapons.
The advanced Yakovlev Yak-130
combat trainer aircraft made its
debut at the Victory Day parade
in Moscow on 9 May 2010. The
Russian Air Force recently started
receiving the aircraft of the type.
Four Yak-130s jointly flew over Red
Square in a parade air formation
with an Il-78M aerial tanker and two
Su-24M tactical bombers.
As is known, under the launch
order of the Russian Defence Ministry
for 12 aircraft, the first production-
standard Yak-130 (side number 90)
was produced by the Sokol aircraft-
building plant in Nizhny Novgorod
last year and performed its maiden
flight on 19 May 2009. It was handed
over to the Russian Air Force in
late July, actually still undergoing a
special test program.
Before the New Year, Sokol had
assembled two more production
aircraft and almost finished the work
on the fourth one. Delivery to the
Air Force started in February. The
Yak-130 serialled 91 was the first
aircraft of the type to be handed over
to the Lipetsk-based Combat and
Conversion Training Centre (CCTC)
of the Russian Air Force. On 18
February, it was ferried to Lipetsk
and received officially there. Less
than in a month, on 13 March, the
Yak-130 (side number 92) followed
suit, as the lead production aircraft
(side number 90) did later. In April,
the plant delivered the third aircraft
with side number 93. As Sokol
Director General Alexander Karezin
told in late May, the plant was to
execute the whole of launch order on
delivery of 12 aircraft before the end
of November this year.
Along with Sokol producing the
Yak-130 for the Russian Air Force,
the Irkut corporation’s Irkutsk
Aircraft Plant continues the full-rate
production of aircraft of the type
for the Algerian Air Force. The first
Yak-130 under the Algerian contract
for 16 aircraft was built in Irkutsk
in August 2009. Irkut plans to start
deliveries to Algeria this year and
finish it next year. In addition, it
became known in February that
the Irkut corporation had landed
another export contract for six Yak-
130s for the Libyan Air Force. The
first two of them are expected to
be sent there in 2011, with the four
remaining in 2012.
Mi-28 fielding under way
Air Force receives Yak-130s
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