Lucknow: Russia’s Rostec State Corporation’s holding firm is showcasing its civilian helicopters at the biennial 11th edition of Defexpo 2020 here for hard -selling them to Indian customers, an official said on Wednesday.
“We are demonstrating the air prowess of our latest light multi-purpose Ansat, heavy Mi-171A2 and Mi-38 choppers at the Defexpo for viewing by potential customers,” Russian Helicopters Holding Company official told IANS in an e-mail from Moscow ahead of the show.
As India is one of the largest operators of Russian-made rotorcraft, the 5-day mega show provides Rostec arm an opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of its copters to the stakeholders.
“As about 400 Russian and Soviet-made copters are in service across India, localising production, maintenance and repair of rotorcraft such as Ka-226T are becoming important for us,” said company’s deputy director general Igor Chechikov, who is heading the delegation at the expo.
The twin-engine Ansat can be used for passenger transportation, cargo delivery, environmental monitoring and as an air ambulance since it has passed high-altitude tests, proving its suitability in mountainous terrain at up to 3,500 metres high.
“Ansat’s climatic tests have also proven its operability in temperature range between minus 45 degree Celsius and plus 50 degree Celsius,” said Chechikov on the occasion.
Mi-171A2 is the latest heavy class helicopter, which combines the experience of operating Mi-8/17 type rotorcraft and cutting-edge technical solutions.
“The rotorcraft is equipped with new engines and a digital control system, a high-performance carrier system featuring composite blades and an improved aerodynamic layout,” said the senior Russian official.
The Mi-38 can take on board 30 passengers or 12 passengers in a VIP cabin configuration. Its flight range is up to 880 kilometers.
“With 15.6-tonne Mi-38 can carry up to 5 tonne of payload on board or on an external sling,” Chechikov added.
