Running on the spot

"Arctic" Mi-171A3: the first offshore helicopter was created in Russia (gazeta.ru›army/).

It is strange, but from the KB MVZ "for the first time created" is already the third "conqueror of the shelf."

In the first place is the Mi-38.

"Along with increased efficiency and carrying capacity, the Mi-38 will have a range increased to 1300 km, which makes it extremely attractive for offshore operations. The total amount of state support for the project is 1 billion rubles", - said the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. It is reported by "The Rambler".

For the Mi-38 "first created" and the Arctic Mi-171A2:

“December 3, 2018. Mi-171A2 is an offshore version of the helicopter, since the aircraft is designed to operate over the sea. Such equipment is extremely in demand for the development of deposits on the continental shelf”: (//finobzor.ru/).

The total amount of state support for the project is 1 billion rubles,” said Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (Source: Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant.

But this helicopter for offshore flights, apparently, is old-fashioned and they decided to give it a more aerodynamic look, “crossing” it with the Mi-38. At the output, the third Arctic was "created for the first time": Mi-171A3, in which the nose and chassis are from the Mi-38; “The fuel system located in the floor of the helicopter was borrowed from the Mi-38, which made it possible to speed up the development and reduce the cost of production of the machine ... The helicopter is assembled at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAZ)”. /news.rambler.ru/army/ December 21, 2021).

The total amount of state support for the project is 1 billion rubles,” said Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

But in general, about the Mi-171A2 and Mi-171A3, it must be said that “The game was not worth the candle”, or “from empty to empty”, because. better than the Mi-38 they did not work out!

But it seems to me that government managers are more interested not in the best helicopters, but in the best prices for them! For example, the longer the Mi-38 was “finalized” at the cost center, the better its prices were “finalized”:

“Helicopters carry an average of 26 passengers for a distance of up to 630 km. They are used for work as part of air squadrons providing work on the shelf ... Russian helicopter builders are betting on a deeply modernized Mi-8M and Mi-38 (estimated cost - $ 12 million) "  (aviaport.ru/news/2011/04/05).

“The chief designer of the Mi-38, Nikolai Chalov, said that the economy of the Mi-38 was calculated in comparison with the Mi-8. According to calculations, the cost of the Mi-38 today is $ 15-17 million. However, it should be borne in mind that when the calculations were made, the cost of some units was taken as prototypes, and in serial production the cost of units will decrease. Mi-171 today costs more than $10 million.” ( 24.06.2011/XNUMX/XNUMX. //aviaport.ru/).

“The cost of a new Mi-17 is about 11-15 million dollars, depending on the configuration, and the declared estimated cost of the Mi-38 starts from 40 million. dollars.

Even at the current cost of the Mi-17, few people in Russia can afford to buy this helicopter, and even the Mi-38 even more so " (Dubious achievements... News for November 30, 2019 (//version.ru/).

But even such a high cost is nothing compared to the real one assigned to him by “effective” managers today:

“A mega-contract can be called an agreement that will be signed today at MAKS-2021 by Russian Helicopters JSC (VR) and the Russian Emergencies Ministry. Under the contract worth 14,7 billion rubles, it is expected that 2023 Mi-2024s will be delivered in 9-38, sources told BUSINESS Online" in the aviation industry.

At 1,6 billion rubles per helicopter - such a contract will be signed today in Zhukovsky near Moscow for 9 Kazan Mi-38s. This is the first relatively massive order for this type of aircraft. Sources of "BUSINESS Online" claim that the agreement with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia was broken by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov" (//smi2.ru/. July 22, 2021).

And further: “The rivalry between Kazan and Ulan-Ude is reaching a new level. How will the Buryats respond to the 15 billion contract at Kazan Helicopter Plant?”.

And Ulan-Ude will respond by saying that after the launch of the Mi-171A3 series, it will cost several times cheaper than the Mi-38, and then the "Buryats" will begin to successfully fill this niche.

This is followed by the fact that no one will buy the Mi-38, after which the Kazan Helicopter Plant, as “useless” (like the plant of coaxial helicopters in Kumertau), stops assembling helicopters and switches to the production of spare parts for U-UAZ, despite the fact that earlier it provided the entire globe with MI-8 helicopters!

But after the alleged "optimization" UAZ will receive spare parts not only from Kumertau for coaxial helicopters Ka-32 and Ka-29, which it does not produce, but also from Kazan for Mi-8 helicopters!

And to be more precise, “effective” managers, under the guise of rivalry between helicopter plants, actually laid the foundation for bankruptcy for the Kazan Helicopter Plant, following the instructions of the IMF.

If the federal government really cared for an efficient, economically more profitable helicopter industry in our State, then Ka-32-10AG helicopters, which are much more profitable and much safer than Mi helicopters, would have been working in the Arctic and maritime zones for a long time. Moreover, high-speed Ka-92 helicopters, specially designed for such flights and for our Air Force, would already be produced in a series.

As for the promoted capabilities of the Mi-171A3: “The maximum takeoff weight of the machine is 13 kg. It is capable of transporting 000 passengers over a distance of up to 24 km.”

In fact, at a distance of 1000 km. he will be able to carry not 24 passengers, but a maximum of half, because the fuel supply required for 12 km will not allow him to carry more than 1000 passengers. way!

The Ka-92 will carry 30 passengers over this distance for several reasons.

• Due to the high speed, it will require much less fuel.
• There is no fuel consumption for hv. propeller up to 12% of the engine power.

• Due to the absence of heavy tail and end beams with gearboxes.
• The efficiency of coaxial propellers significantly exceeds the efficiency of a single-rotor helicopter, and as a result, the Ka-92 max take-off weight = 16t, and the Mi-171A3 = 13t. with the same engines.

In whose interests?

“Andrey Boginsky, General Director of Russian Helicopters, spoke in an interview with Vedomosti about the upcoming cessation of the final assembly of helicopters in Kumertau (Republic of Bashkortostan). “We do not have the task of closing the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (KumAPP), but the task is to make it a competitive picker”, he noted. April 10, 2019,

And they even came up with a reason for this, to put it mildly, sabotage:

"The developers considered the Ka-29 obsolete, convincing everyone of the futility of its modernization and the need to create a completely new helicopter. The cost of such a project will be disproportionately higher, the timing is unpredictable. The desire to receive funding for the development of a completely new helicopter led to the formation of an opinion about "obsolescence and futility" the entire line: Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-31 and the sluggish promotion of the Ka-27M program. Work on this project resumes and fades for 20 years " (E. Matveev, /aex.ru/).

And our Army Aviation continues to be armed with Mi-24 helicopters of various modifications, despite the fact that Ka-29 helicopters are significantly superior to Mi-24/35 in their combat qualities. Let's start with age:

Mi-24 - the beginning of serial production - 1971;

Ka-29 - serial production began in 1979,

As you can see, the Mi-24 has aged 8 years earlier than the Ka-29, but is still being produced. In the Army of this scrap of various modifications: "visible and invisible." But the most surprising thing is that the more "perfect" modifications of the Mi-35 and Mi-28 are even worse than the original.

An interview with an army aviation pilot with experience flying Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-35M and Mi-28N helicopters (//topwar.ru/86940-ya-vertoletchik-chast-pervaya).

“- Is there a big difference between Mi-24 and Mi-35M?

- We say: "We crossed a hedgehog with a snake, we got a wire." Because in this car, part of the 28th was taken, part of the 24th remained. Kinda Frankenstein.

According to my feelings, it is less stable in flight. If the Mi-24 flies like an iron, you don’t even need to touch it, then this one constantly wants to roll, pitch, as if trying to leave somewhere. It must be constantly held, more often interfere with management. For complex aerobatics, this is my personal opinion, it is more pleasant to fly on a 24-ke.

About Mi-24. Cherkasov Mikhail Alekseevich. Memories of a Helicopter Commander (Afghanistan):

"... in conditions of rarefied air, where the Mi-24, which has shortened rotor blades, can only hold due to speed, and at low flight speeds it has AX FLY"  (//artofwar.ru/).

Again Mi-24. Feedback from a combat pilot:

2 Shuravi: You fly at least in the 24th - and then judge. The fact that it flies is amazing to me. Overweight, clumsy, unreasonably disproportionate marvel (forumavia.ru).

About Mi-28:

N. Loparenok, And you are wrong about the scrap. Think at your leisure."

Alexander. I fly this ferrous metal and I know what I'm talking about.

Alexander. I'm not saying Apache is a good car! I say the Mi-28 sucks! Unsuccessful, crude, morally obsolete, absolutely ill-conceived, and pushed by someone commercial machine! The army needs a completely different helicopter! 2011-11-04 (forumavia.ru).

“In 1986, in the 344th PPI, they worked out a big topic of research on combat use and the creation of comparative characteristics of the Mi-24 and Ka-29:

The maneuverability of the Ka-29 in terms of performing pedal turns (rotation around a vertical axis, author's note) is maintained from sea level to a static ceiling of 3700 m.                      

A single-rotor Mi-24 with a tail rotor on a static ceiling of 2000 m is only capable of hovering without performing turns (this fully applies to the Mi-28NM, author's note). In order for it to be able to perform turns with the angular velocity of rotation of the coaxial Ka-29 on its static ceiling, its officially declared ceiling must be reduced by 400-500 m. At this altitude, the engines will operate at a mode below takeoff, providing the necessary power reserve for turning the tail rotor during reversals. In case of failure of one engine in flight, the coaxial helicopter retains the same maneuverability in terms of pedal turns as with two working engines. Mi-24 with a tail rotor is simply not available.

The Ka-29 was the first of the domestic helicopters to be able to make a pedal (flat) turn in the entire range of flight speeds. For the Mi-24, this is unacceptable due to the strength of the tail rotor, transmission and tail boom. Such a combat maneuver, of course, provides the Ka-29 with SUPERIORITY over all combat domestic and foreign helicopters of its time. The ability of the Ka-29 in the shortest possible time to take a position advantageous for attacking the target while maintaining the high accuracy characteristics of the weapon is an air sniper's dream come true. Pilots with experience in flying helicopters of both schemes, first of all, note the ease of piloting and obedience in control of the Ka-29. (airwar.ru/enc/sh/ka29).

As you can see, the "effective" managers stopped the production of the best Ka-29 attack aircraft, so that it would not interfere with the armament of our Air Force with the worst Mi-24/35. And the chain was followed by the closure of the plant itself in the city of Kumertau for the production of all models of coaxial helicopters. unique and incomparably safe, moreover, more economically advantageous in comparison with helicopters of the classical scheme, which is given irreverent preference today. Yes, at one time it was the classical scheme that helicopter aviation matured, but today this scheme is already a big brake on the progress of our helicopters and an obvious burden on the State. For example, two Mi-28s, one Mi-24 and one Mi-35 fell in Syria, in which a rocket exploded in the region of Khv. propellers (for the Ka-50 it would not be critical), in which 6 high-class pilots died, and helicopters cannot be restored !!!

Of course, all this, pardon the expression, optimization is carried out in the interests of the IMF, and perhaps at the direction of the Vashobkom, which does not make it easier for our State, because irreparable material and moral damage is inflicted. The production of Mi helicopters must be categorically abandoned and switched to coaxial helicopters; and heavy helicopters - on the transverse scheme and a single-rotor helicopter without a tail rotor, the foundations of which were laid even before the V.O.V.

I.P. Bratukhin, First flight - 1940. Further development was interrupted by the war.

But this scheme is brought to mind by the Europeans at the suggestion of the cost center designers.

“Two side propellers provide horizontal thrust, and a short wing creates lift and unloads the main rotor at cruising speed by 40-50%, which allows to reduce the angle of attack of its blades and accelerate the helicopter to record speeds” (popmech.ru/technologies/14332-samyy-bystryy-helicopter-rekordy-eurocopter)

“According to the head of Eurocopter Lutz Bertling, the second version of the X4 will use a fly-by-wire control system and more advanced avionics. "We are confident that this will be a breakthrough product. On the X4, we expect to reduce noise by 70% and fuel consumption by 30%," he added..

Vitaly Belyaev, specially for Avia.pro