Ansat’s light utility helicopter is approved for the China market

Russia’s aviation authority has approved the serial production of a VVIP-version of the Ansat fitted with Aurus-designed luxury cabins (Russian Helicopters)

Russian Helicopters has confirmed the successful validation by China’s Civil Aviation Agency (CAAC) of the type-certificate for its Ansat light, multi-role helicopter, paving the way for the first deliveries this year of a batch of 20 Ansats to China’s Emergency and Disaster Relief Association, the contract for which was inked at Airshow China 2018.

China’s helicopter market is potentially much larger than that of Russia, even with the existence of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russia’s sole helicopter manufacturer believes. “Thus China is an important potential market for us, where we expect to deliver several hundred helicopters,” Russia’s Industry and trade minister Denis Manturov has commented. “However, first we need to ensure after-sales support, and we are doing that now,” he adds. “This new development is a great opportunity, because the price [for an Ansat helicopter] is very competitive.”

Russian Helicopters’ general director Andrey Boginsky has announced that the company is ready to start deliveries this year. “I am convinced that the operation of Ansats in China will [consequently] promote the sales of this model in those other countries in the region which have [already] expressed an interest in this modern and reliable rotorcraft,” he added.

To support his assertions, at the end of 2018, Russian Helicopters organised an Ansat road show in south-east Asia. Designed and produced by Kazan Helicopters, which is part of Russian Helicopters, the twin-engine light utility rotorcraft covered more than 5,000 km and operated demonstration flights within China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. Earlier, Ansat was rated for its hot-and-high operations at altitudes of more than 3,500 metres and in temperature ranges between -45 and +50C degrees.

In another recent development, Russian Helicopters, which part of Russian industrial giant Rostec, secured the approval of Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s aviation authority, for the serial production of a VVIP-version of the Ansat fitted with Aurus-designed luxury cabins. That approval followed the completion of Ansat Aurus Design flight tests earlier this month.

The VVIP cabin is configured with two main passenger seats and three more for accompanying travellers. Its design is the product of NAMI, Russia’s leading car interiors specialist. Its Aurus-branded Ansat premiered at last year’s MAKS 2019 Moscow airshow.

“The first Aurus Design Ansat will be delivered to its launch operator shortly. The interest that we received at MAKS for this model makes us confident that we’ll have more orders,” Andrey Boginsky said.