On September 18, 1985, flights to assess the combat effectiveness of the B-80 attack helicopter, the prototype of the future Ka-50 "Black Shark", began at the Smolino Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (Nizhny Novgorod Region).
The rival of the Kamov machine for the status of a promising combat helicopter of the Soviet army was the prototype Mi-28.
During the tests, which lasted about a year, both helicopters carried out a series of launches from guided missile weapons.
As a result, the military recognized the B-80 as more effective.
The supersonic anti-tank guided missiles "Whirlwind" with an automatic laser-beam guidance system installed on the helicopter successfully hit targets at a distance of up to 8 km.
In practice, this meant the ability of the Kamov machine to open fire outside the zone of operation of the enemy's air defense facilities.
Also, the military was satisfied with the B-80 artillery installation, which significantly surpassed the Milev cannon in accuracy and ammunition volume.
The research institutes of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which analyzed the test results of the B-80, highly appreciated the capabilities of the Black Shark prototype and considered it advisable to choose this machine as a promising combat helicopter for the Soviet Air Force.
At the same time, experts pointed out the need to refine the electronic equipment and weapons.
Kamovtsy received the task to increase the reliability of on-board systems and ensure the possibility of combat use of the vehicle at night.
Despite the victory of the B-80 concept, the USSR Ministry of Defense decided not to curtail work on the losing Mi-28.
The process of creating this rotorcraft ended with the appearance of an attack helicopter, adapted to perform combat missions in the most difficult conditions.
As a result, the Mi-28, along with the Ka-50, was adopted by the Russian army.
For its ability to effectively hit targets in the dark, the vehicle received the nickname "Night Hunter".
Currently, the fleet of these helicopters is undergoing modernization - mainly, we are talking about the replacement of avionics.
Two propellers
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one pilot
"Black Shark" is made according to the coaxial scheme, traditional for the Kamov Design Bureau, with two main rotors.
According to experts, this design feature is technologically complex and expensive, but makes the aircraft more maneuverable.
“Traditional helicopter design involves the installation of a main rotor and a tail rotor.
This layout is operated by the plant named after.
Mile.
This is a simple and relatively inexpensive scheme to manufacture, but it limits the vehicle's mobility, worsens stability, which negatively affects the accuracy of shooting, "Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Military Russia portal, explained in an interview with RT.
Ka-50 "Black Shark" in the colors of army aviation
RIA News
© Ilya Pitalev
According to him, coaxial helicopters are capable of safely making sharp maneuvers and are effective at low altitudes.
For example, as the military say, the Ka-50 could, unexpectedly for the enemy, “go sideways at a speed of 90 km / h or suddenly work out“ full back ”.
Another advantage of Kamov machines is a significantly lower vibration level.
For this reason, they are more effective at hitting targets.
Despite this, Kornev considers it inappropriate to give preference only to coaxial helicopters.
“Both approaches to screw placement have earned their right to exist, as they have their advantages and disadvantages.
The key point is still the professionalism of the crew, ”Kornev emphasized.
The main difference between the "Black Shark" and all helicopters in the world was in the single-seat cockpit layout.
A team of Soviet engineers, headed by Sergei Mikheev, ventured into an extremely daring experiment, abandoning the classic two-seater crew - the commander and navigator-operator (co-pilot).
The Kamovites justified such a non-standard step with a breakthrough in the development of automated on-board equipment, which actually replaces the navigator-operator responsible for navigation and the use of weapons.
In addition, the single-seat layout frees up additional space, enhances armor protection and reduces pilot training costs, experts say.
As the executive director of the Aviaport agency Oleg Panteleev noted in an interview with RT, the Kamovites really achieved impressive results in the field of improving avionics, since they specialized in creating deck helicopters capable of performing long flights over the terrain without landmarks.
“This is what made the developer confident that a single-seat helicopter could be created, but for the army aviation.
The revolutionary concept of the Ka-50 was based on a deep study of the possibilities and advantages of using single-seat attack helicopters on the battlefield, ”Panteleev said.
The length of the "Black Shark" with rotating propellers was 16 m, height - 4.93 m, maximum takeoff weight - 10.8 tons, combat load - 1.8 tons, maximum flight speed - 300 km / h, static ceiling - 4 km.
The strike arsenal of the Ka-50 includes 12 Vikhr missiles, blocks for eight dozen 80-mm unguided air-to-ground missiles, anti-aircraft weapons, a 30-mm A2A42 cannon that rotates in horizontal and vertical planes.
Ka-50 "Black Shark"
RIA News
© Vladimir Fedorenko
The pilot of the Black Shark was protected by a fully armored cockpit that could withstand a direct hit from 23mm shells.
The glazing of the cockpit was not afraid of flying debris and shooting from large-caliber firearms.
An unusual rotorcraft was demonstrated at the 1991 International Aviation Exhibition in Farnborough, UK.
As noted in the materials of the RF Ministry of Defense, "foreign aviation experts were truly impressed by the capabilities of the world's first single-seat fire support helicopter, created by Soviet designers."
The Black Shark received her baptism of fire in the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya from December 28, 2000 to February 14, 2001.
The website of the Ministry of Defense says that the use of the Ka-50 took place in mountainous areas, in adverse weather conditions and with active opposition from the enemy.
Nevertheless, "the combat exams were passed with excellent marks."
From "Shark" to "Alligator"
"Black Shark" was put into service in 1995, but did not become widespread in the Russian troops.
Experts identify several reasons for the freezing of the project of this attack helicopter.
First of all, a negative role was played by the insufficiently developed concept of a single-seat layout, which is aimed at reducing the role of a person in hostilities.
In the late Soviet period and the 1990s, this approach was new and was not shared by all high-ranking officers of the RF Armed Forces.
Helicopters Ka-52 "Alligator" at the airport
© Russian Helicopters
In addition, the military, for security reasons, did not want to leave one pilot in the cockpit.
However, Dmitry Drozdenko, a columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, called this argument insignificant.
In an interview with RT, he suggested that its absolute dissimilarity from other cars played a cruel joke with the "Black Shark".
“At first glance, two people in the cockpit is good.
If one fails, another will replace it.
There is a lot of room for discussion here, there are polar points of view.
But in assault aviation, if we, for example, talk about airplanes, one pilot has long been the norm.
I mean our Su-25 Rook.
In my opinion, the Ka-50 was probably let down by the fact that this helicopter was simply ahead of its time, ”Drozdenko explained.
According to Oleg Panteleev, in addition to the conservatism of the military, the financial factor had a negative impact on the implementation of the "Black Shark" project.
According to the expert, Russia did not have budgetary opportunities for the massive saturation of troops with such expensive helicopters.
Nevertheless, the work of the Kamovites was not in vain.
On the instructions of the RF Ministry of Defense, engineers have developed a two-seater attack helicopter based on the technological advances implemented in the Black Shark.
The vehicle received the name "Alligator" and the code Ka-52.
The modified version of the "Black Shark" turned out to be quite heavy, but the designers leveled this drawback by changing the geometry of the fuselage nose, installing improved engines and avionics.
The Alligator is equipped with approximately the same arsenal as its predecessor, but differs in a higher combat load (about 3 tons) and the presence of the Vitebsk airborne defense complex (BKO).
The combat capabilities of the Ka-52 were tested during the Syrian operation.
According to its results, the modernization of the machine started, which is planned to be completed in 2022.
It is known that the updated "Alligator" should receive new power supply and target detection systems.
Also, the designers will enhance the security of the helicopter and increase the range of weapons.
Oleg Panteleev believes that one of the key areas of modernization of the Ka-52 is to expand the list of used aircraft ammunition.
According to the expert, the variety of weapons, especially guided missiles, is of great importance in the modern theater of operations.
“The Ka-52M should turn into a vehicle capable of delivering precise strikes and hitting protected targets without risking it.
Naturally, the longer the missile launch range, the more likely it is that the crew will be able to escape from the return fire without any problems.
It is a pity that the bold idea of a single-seater aircraft in the form of the Ka-50 has not been developed, but we see that the Alligator is being improved to fully meet the requirements of modern combat, "Panteleev summed up.