Ansat chosen over the Ka-226 and upgrade of the Mi-2, although full details of the military specification are still awaited (478 words)

Published: 10/5/2001

Kazan Helicopters (KVZ) has announced that it has received confirmation of the Ansat's success in the tender for an initial training helicopter for the Russian armed forces. Kazan's twin light utility helicopter won the tender against competition from the Ka-226 and an upgrade of the Mi-2 offered by Mil and Rosvertol The Ansat was offered at a unit price of $1.8m against the Ka-226's $1.5m and low cost option of the $0.35m upgrade of grounded Mi-2s. Unsurprisingly, despite Kamov's rejection for the overall requirement, the coaxial rotor Ka-226 will continue to be considered for training of pilots flying helicopters with coaxial rotors, made up largely of the Navy's Ka-27, but including the small numbers of Army Aviation Ka-50/52 and Ministry of Emergency Situation's Ka-32As. Army Aviation's specification for its military training version of the Ansat has yet to be issued, but is reported to be based on the civilian version that began development in Kazan in 1993, rather than the twin-seat combat version resembling the Eurocopter Tiger, displayed in full-scale mockup at MAKS2001. It is, however, likely that the military Ansats will be powered by the Klimov VK-800 engines rather than the PWC 630-hp PK207K, a derivative of the PW206C intended for civil customers. Kazan Helicopters has already received six pre-production versions of the PK207Ks used on the three prototypes built so far and placed a firm order for 20 production versions in June. According to PWC, however, none have been delivered to the Kazan-based producer as yet. The engines are destined for ten production aircraft for which a firm order has been placed by an unnamed Russian airline, although reports earlier this year suggested that both the government airline, GTK Rossiya and Gazpromavia, that provides air services to gas giant Gazprom, could be customers. The helicopter that first flew in 1999 is expected to receive certification to Russian AP-29 standard in August 2002 and is planned to progress FAR-29 to facilitate export. Of the three prototypes, the first is undergoing structural destruction tests, with the second being used as a power plant and systems test-bed, with the powerplant amassing 244 hours before undergoing a major overhaul and will soon resume tests. The third helicopter had logged 62 hours by October and will be joined by a fourth airframe in November. The latest helicopter will be the first example of a serially produced aircraft and will be used for certification. It will also be the first Ansat and Russian helicopter to be equipped with the MNPK Avionika-developed KSU-A fly-by-wire flight control system. Two more airframes are currently under assembly and due to be completed in the first quarter of 2002, with the first deliveries scheduled for later in 2002, after certification has been achieved.

Article ID: 2805