In the Primorsky Territory, production of the Ka-62 multi-purpose helicopter began. This was reported on the website of the regional administration. Production of machines deployed at PJSC Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress named after N.I. Sazykina "(part of the holding" Helicopters of Russia ").
“The construction of an experimental batch of six Ka-62 helicopters has begun, two of which are planned to be transferred for intra-regional transportation. Their delivery is scheduled for 2021, ”said Yuri Denisenko, Managing Director of Progress, during a visit to the plant of the Governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako.
Financial support for the launch of Ka-62 production was provided by Novikombank, the backbone of Rostec state corporation, which includes Russian Helicopters. The Bank provided Progress with a guarantee for obtaining a loan from the Industrial Development Fund (FRP) and entered into a loan agreement with a limit of 5 billion rubles.
Ka-62 is made according to a single-rotor scheme with tail rotor protection (fenestron). The helicopter is designed to carry passengers and a variety of cargoes, including the so-called offshore operations (transportation to oil platforms). Also, the machine can be used for emergency medical care, terrain monitoring and search and rescue purposes.
Reliability and safety
The Ka-62 was created on the basis of the Ka-60 Kasatka medium military transport helicopter, designed to transport goods weighing about 2 tons. The development of a civilian vehicle was delayed due to the crisis of the 1990s, as well as lack of funding and technical difficulties, with faced by domestic designers in the 2000s.
The first test flight Ka-62 made May 25, 2017. In 2018, the car was presented at the Eastern Economic Forum, and in 2019 the helicopter for the first time took part in the flight program of the international aerospace show in Zhukovsky.
Despite the long development period, the Russian Helicopters believes that the Ka-62 in its current form meets all modern international standards. According to the holding, the Russian helicopter was made using the latest world achievements in the aviation industry.
- Salon Ka-62
- © russianhelicopters.aero
The payload capacity of the Ka-62 is 2.0-2.5 tons, passenger capacity is up to 15 people, the maximum speed is 310 km / h, cruising speed is 290 km / h, and the practical ceiling is from 5.5 to 6.1 km. With the main fuel tanks, the helicopter can cover up to 720 km, with additional - up to 1135 km.
The helicopter is equipped with French Ardiden 3G engines with a two-channel electronic digital control system (FADEC). The gearboxes and transmission are supplied by the Austrian Zoerkler, and the crash-proof fuel system is supplied by the French company Aerazur. All other units and airborne complexes are Russian.
Ka-62 became the first rotorcraft in the world to install a control system for general helicopter equipment. It was developed by the Radioelectronic Technologies concern.
The on-board equipment Ka-62 is represented by communication equipment of the new generation S-404, the integrated antenna-feeder systems "Aist-62", the flight-navigational complex KBO-62, with which the principle of the "glass cockpit" is realized, when all the necessary information is displayed on electronic screens.
Important advantages of the Ka-62 are reliability and safety. Russian engineers “hid” the machine’s tail rotor in a special tail construction (the rotor blades are enclosed in an annular channel).
- Ka-62 in trials
- © russianhelicopters.aero
From the military predecessor, the Ka-62 inherited increased shock resistance. The helicopter is designed in such a way that in the case of a hard landing, the fuselage, the attachment points of the main units, and the fuel system are ensured. The safety of pilots and passengers was increased due to the energy-absorbing design of the chassis and seats.
Russian Helicopters relate the Ka-62 to the advantages of high operational characteristics. The site of the holding emphasizes that the machine has "excellent controllability and accuracy of piloting." Modern avionics and cockpit instrumentation allow pilots to operate a helicopter with confidence and comfort.
The materials of "Rostec" says that the Ka-62 is adapted for operation on oil rigs and unprepared soil sites. In addition, the advantage of the machine is the ability to store outside the hangar.
“The design of the Ka-62 is designed for use in a wide range of climatic and geographical conditions at temperatures from -50 to +45 ° C. Thus, a wide road for export all over the world is already open for him, ”Rostec reports.
Depending on customer requirements, the Ka-62 can be produced in four versions: passenger (including with a VIP lounge), transport, offshore and medical.
"Meet the expectations"
Experts interviewed by RT said that the Ka-62 embodied the best qualities of a medium civilian helicopter to date. Moreover, they consider the dependence of the Russian helicopter on imported units “uncritical”.
“Ka-62 is a product for the civilian market. The import requirements that our military makes are not relevant here. Now in the world, almost all aircraft are assembled in cooperation. For example, the share of the American production of the Boeing 777 is about 45%, almost the rest of the work is performed by Japan and China, ”said Dmitry Drozdenko, an observer for Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine and aviation expert, in an interview with RT.
Meanwhile, Rostec’s plans are to create a domestic engine for the Ka-62. In September last year, in an interview with RIA Novosti, Deputy General Director of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) Yuri Shmotin said that the French Ardiden 3G will be replaced by a VK-1600V power unit, which is being created within the walls of UEC-Klimov JSC (St. Petersburg).
- Ka-62
- © russianhelicopters.aero
In December, the director of the Rostec aviation cluster, Anatoly Serdyukov, told reporters that testing of the individual elements of the VK-1600V will start in 2020, and a certificate for this power unit can be obtained in April 2023.
“The engine is the heart of any car. In Russia, there is a difficult situation for civilian aircraft, where there are strict requirements for efficiency and overall dimensions of engines. The choice in favor of Ardiden 3G, in my opinion, was a necessary measure, and therefore it would be better if the domestic industry offers a worthy analogue, ”Dmitry Dyakonov, chief designer of KB-602 at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), said in an interview with RT.
According to the expert, the Ka-62 is able to compete with any aircraft of its class in the domestic and international markets. Dyakonov believes that in the future, the heir to "Killer Whales" can partially replace the fleet Mi-8/17, one of the most popular multi-purpose helicopters in the world. In particular, the Ka-62 will be able to effectively carry out missions where the Mi-8/17 load capacity, which reaches 4 tons, is not required.
From the point of view of Drozdenko, the Ka-62 will become the "intermediate link" between the helicopters Ka-226 and Mi-8/17. Now, as the analyst explained, this niche in Russia is occupied by the European twin-engine helicopter AgustaWestland AW139, which is assembled under license at the Russian-Italian enterprise HeliVert CJSC in Tomilino, Moscow Region.
“The history of the creation of the Ka-62 was long and difficult. However, I think that the helicopter will live up to its expectations. It seems to me that the machine will be in greatest demand for offshore operations and for the transportation of VIPs. Also, despite fierce competition, the Ka-62 can achieve great success in foreign markets. Our helicopter will suit almost all countries, ”Drozdenko summed up.