Newest Russian helicopter takes to the sky for 1st time (VIDEO)
Footage of the newest Russian multi-purpose Ka-62 helicopter in flight has been released, showing the prototype passing its very first flight test.
The prototype Ka-62 helicopter successfully completed its first test flight on Thursday. The flight lasted 15 minutes at a speed of 110 km/h and marked a significant milestone in the model’s development, showing that the prototype has undergone all the necessary revisions, the Russian Helicopters company said in a statement. Before the flight, the prototype had only undergone short hovering tests.
Russian Vice PM Rogozin posted the footage of the Ka-62 test flight on Twitter, congratulating the engineers and test pilots.
The Ka-62 is a multipurpose helicopter based on an experimental military model, the Ka-60. The helicopter is designed to carry up to 15 passengers or 2.5 tons of cargo. It can be flown in harsh conditions, namely at sea and in the mountains, as well as in hot and wet climates.
Modern polymer materials amount to 60 percent of the helicopter’s mass, which makes it lighter, faster, more maneuverable and durable, as well as reduces fuel usage. Serial production of the Ka-62 is expected to start in 2020.
A prototype communication complex C-404 was flight-tested alongside the Ka-62.
“It’s a next-generation, entirely digital communication complex. It provides a constant link between pilots and ground services at multiple frequencies, as well as constant emergency signal reception,” a Roselectronica representative told reporters at the HeliRussia-2017 exhibition on Friday.
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The Ka-62 helicopter might also get a specialized sea variant to be used on helicopter-carrying vessels. The full-scale mockup of this variant has a folding propeller blades and tail section to fit into the tightest hangars on a sea vessel, according to the director general of the Kamov rotorcraft manufacturing company, Sergey Miheev.
“We created a completely unique helicopter, capable to fill a vast niche [on the market], capable to be used both in military and civil operations,” Miheev told reporters.
