Kazan Helicopters to produce Mi-38 in 2014

The Kazan Helicopter Plant intends to produce the Mi-38 helicopter in 2014, told Tatar-inform the deputy general director for foreign economic relations Valery Pashko.

He said, the plant was on 21 May to present a helicopter’s serial sample at the 2nd international helicopter show HeliRussia 2009 in Moscow. “The first serial sample, made in Kazan, is now undergoing serial trials in Moscow. The plant is manufacturing another two prototypes,” said the official.

The Mi-38 is a multipurpose helicopter. The maximum takeoff weight is over 15 tonnes, capacity is 5 tonnes in the flight deck and 6 tonnes as external load. The cost of the Mi-38 basic version is $12 million. The speed is 325 kilometres per hour, operating range at cruiser speed is 300-600 kilometres, depending on the load. The Mi-38 is intended to be exported with the Pratt&Whitney PW-127 engines, to be manufactured in Russia.

The vehicle has a navigation complex, allowing operation at any time of the day in difficult weather conditions. The Mi-38 is to replace the Mi-8/17 types in civil air companies and in the armed forces.