Russian helicopters: manufacturers, operators, characteristics, data

This section features data on Russian-made commercial helicopters, rotorcraft manufacturers, operators.

Contents:

• Helicopter and components OEMs
• Programs under development
• Performance data on rotorcraft operated by Russian operators
• Helicopter operators
• Russian commercial helicopter fleet and revenue hours flown (statistics for 2013-2015)
• Articles

Helicopter and component OEMs

JSC Russian Helicopters

Russian Helicopters is part of State Corporation Rostec. It was established in 2007, but its key enterprises date back more than 70 years.

Operational and Financial Performance

According to the Holding’s consolidated financial (IFRS) statement the company’s revenue at the end of 2015 grew 29.5% YOY to 220 billion rubles. EBITDA increased 39.5% to 65.6 billion rubles. Russian Helicopters’ net profit doubled to 42.1 billion rubles.

In 2015 the Holding delivered 212 helicopters (59 fewer than in the previous year). Its backlog shrank 9.5% and included 494 firm orders.

In the last three years Russian Helicopters’ main customers were Russian governmental entities’ Ministry of Industry and Trade, Defense Ministry, Emercom and Ministry of Internal Affairs.  

Russian customers generated 28.7% of the Holding’s revenue. Second largest market by the number of deliveries was Asia (33.9%), and the third — Africa (23.9%). Russian Helicopters delivered its products to customers in 17 countries.

The Holding’s Subsidiaries

Russian Helicopters’ facilities span the entire country. The Company includes design bureaus, helicopter assembly plants, components production, maintenance and repair enterprises, aircraft repair plants, and helicopter service companies providing after-sales support in Russia and abroad. Key production facilities include Kazan Helicopters, Rostvertol, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Progress Arsenyev Aviation Company and Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise. Stupino Engineering Productive Enterprise and Reductor-PM produce rotorcraft components.

Design bureaus

• Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
• Kamov Design Bureau

Construction plants

• Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant – production and modernization of Mi-8/17 series.
• Kazan Helicopters – production of the Mi-8/17, Ansat and Ansat-U, and the new Mi-38 (in preparation)
• Rostvertol – production of Mi-26 series commercial and military helicopters, Mi-35M and Mi-28NE Night Hunter military models.
• Progress Arsenyev Aviation Company – production of Ka-52 Alligator; in preparation for production of naval Ka-52K and commercial Ka-62 .
• Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise – production of multirole coaxial Ka-226T, Ka-32A11BC and naval helicopters.

Component manufacturing

• Reductor-PM – production of helicopter gearbox and transmission units, after-sales servicing.
• Stupino Machine Production Plant – production and after-sales servicing of core helicopter systems.

Service and maintenance

• Helicopter Service Company – maintenance and after-sales service of Russian-made helicopters
• Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant – maintenance, overhaul and upgrade of Mi- series helicopters.
• Aircraft Repair Plant No. 356 – repair and maintenance services for Mi-8/17 helicopters
• Aircraft Repair Plant No. 419 – repair and maintenance services for Mi-8/17 series, Mi-24 and Ka-32 helicopters, as well as naval rotorcraft.
• Aircraft Repair Plant No. 810 – repair and maintenance services for Mi-8/17 and Mi-24 helicopters.
• Aircraft Repair Plant No. 12 – repairs Мi-8/17, Мi-24, helicopters, their components and engines.
• Aircraft Repair Plant No. 150 – repairs Mi8/17, Mi-24, Ка-27/28/29, Ка-32 helicopters, engines and components.

Joint ventures

HeliVert

A joint venture between Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland. HeliVert produces the medium commercial AW139 designed by AgustaWestland. It is expected that HeliVert will be able to produce up to 15-20 AW139s every year.

New Programs

Mil Mi-38

Mi-38 — a medium/heavy transport helicopter.

The Mi-38 is aimed to fill the gap in Mil’s product line between the medium-lift Mi-8/17/171 family and the Mi-26 super heavy model.

Program launch: early 1980s

Certification: Russian type certificate – January 2016

First flight: The first test prototype made its maiden flight in 2003. Series-conforming prototype first flew on October 16, 2014

Orders: 3 Mi-38s with an option for 5 more from an undisclosed customer. Serial production of the Mi-38 is expected to start in 2016. 175 Mi-38s are to be built by 2025, and up to a total of 264 by 2030.

News on Mi-38:

• Mil Mi-38 Gets a Launch Customer
• Mi-38 Heavy Helicopter Certified In Russia

Kamov Ka-62

Ka-62 — a medium multi-role helicopter designed using the latest composite materials, technologies and developments.

First flight: April 28, 2016

Program launch: 1992

Certification: slated for 2017

Orders: At the end of 2015 Russian Helicopters had a “pending firm order from a customer in Brasil.” There had also been negotiations on delivering Ka-62 to Latin America and South-West Asia.

News on Ka-62:

• Ka-62 Helicopter Takes Its First Flight

Mil Mi-171A2

Mi-171A2 – is the latest iteration of the Mil Mi-8/17 family. It features an integrated avionics suite developed by Ulyanovsk Flight Instrument Design Bureau, which abolishes the need for flight engineers. Other innovations include composite blades on both the main and the X-shaped tail rotors, upgraded swashplate and the main rotor hub. The new aircraft uses 2400-h.p. VK-2500PS-03 turboshaft engines produced by St. Petersburg-based Klimov enterprise (part of Unite Engine Corporation). The engine is yet to be certified.

First flight: September 2014 – first test prototype, November 2015 – second test prototype. Both aircraft are participating in the flight test program.

Certification: planned for Q1 2017

Ansat, Kazan Helicopters

Ansat – a classic single-rotor design with a four blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor. The Ansat was developed by Kazan Helicopters. Works are underway for upgrading the helicopter’s fuel system, mounting of auxiliary fuel tanks that hold up to 200 kg of fuel and increasing service life. Further upgrade of the helicopter is in the plans, including reshaping the nose part and doors, additional lighting systems, ventilation, insulation and heating.

First flight: August 1999

Certification: Ansat’s base version with hydromechanical control system was certified in 2013, passenger modification – in 2014, VIP version – in December 2015.

Orders: 3 firm orders from Tulpar Helicopters, 2 from Vector Aviation, several medevac helicopters ordered by Tatarstan Healthcare Ministry

Perspective High Speed Helicopter

Perspective High Speed Helicopter – The demonstrator is based on the Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter. Основная цель проекта — “создание научно-технического задела для увеличения скорости полета вертолетов в 1,5 раза по сравнению с серийными машинами, которые выпускаются в настоящее время”. The main element of the demonstrator is the new main rotor system. This new development, which the OEM is planning to have patented, helps defer the airflow separation on the main rotor blades, while preserving the classic configuration.

In 2016, three years into the demonstrator development, the program was split into two parts. The Perspective High-Speed Rotorcraft testing is conducted within the “Speed” project. The second part is about development of a Pespective Medium-Class Commercial Helicopter with the MTOW of over 10 tons.

Engine for the new rotorcraft is currently being developed. Initially thee already existing VK-2500M engine will be upgraded with a new compressor, turbines, control system etc. On the program’s second stage a new engine will be created from scratch using additive and other cutting-edge technological solutions.

First flight of the demonstrator: December 2015

Performance characteristics of Russian-made helicopters operated by Russian operators

The number of helicopters listed on the Russian Aircraft Register is as per June 2015, but will soon be updated. Subscribe to our newsletter not to miss the update.

Mil Mi-2 (production discontinued)

Kamov Ка-32А

designed for special search and rescue operations, building tall structures, transporting cargo internally and on an external sling, logging, medevac and complex fire-fighting missions, as well as on patrol and to support during law enforcement operations.

Mil Mi-8T (production discontinued)

Mi-171/172

The basic Mi-8/17 model is the cargo helicopter, which can transport up to 4,000 kg of various kinds of cargo either inside the cabin or on an external sling. The following models are currently in production: Mi-8AMT, Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-171, Mi-171A1 and Mi-172 at Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant and the Kazan Helicopters

Mi-26T

This type helicopters are intensively used for all sorts of operations: transportation, evacuation, fire fighting etc. Mi-26T is capable of carrying up to 20 tons of cargo inside fuselage or on the external sling.

Helicopter Operators

According to Russian Transport Clearing House the Russian civil helicopter fleet’s combined operational hours flown dropped 8% year-on-year in 2015, to nearly 410,000 hours.

As the number of Russian-operated Western-built helicopters keeps growing, so does their share in the total operational hours flown. The figure stood at 11.5% in 2015, compared to 10.2% the year before. The Robinson R-44 fleet demonstrated the highest performance in this respect, with a combined 29,000 hours flown, or 7.1% of the total across the segment.

The share of operational hours flown by Mi-8s of the previous generation reached 71.5%, compared to 68.3% in 2014.

Read more:

• Russian civil helicopters flew fewer operational hours year-on-year in 2015

Top-10 helicopter operators 2015

AeroGeo

Barkol

Convers Avia

Gazpromavia

Komiaviatrans

Turukhan Airlines

UTair Helicopter Services (UHS)

Vostok

Yamal Airlines

Yeltsovka

Russian helicopter fleet

* In the commercial operators’ register only.

Sources: Aviation Programs, Federal Agency of Air Transport, GosNII GA

Revenue hours flown by Russian helicopter fleet, by type

* All percent values rounded to the nearest tenth, so the total may not match.

Source: Russian Transport Clearing House.

Read more…