Well-known military experts told PolitExpert about the combat missions that a high-speed attack helicopter, the design of which is currently being discussed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, can perform.

Representative of the Russian Helicopters holding company Andrei Boginsky said that three projects of a high-speed attack helicopter with different design solutions will be presented to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation by the end of November 2018, TASS reports. According to Boginsky, the first option should be made in the traditional version with one main rotor and one tail rotor. The second option involves combining two propellers, as in the Ka-52 Alligator, only with additional thrusters in the tail. The third is a helicopter with a combined power plant and propellers on the sides.

Military expert, ex-chief of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the Russian Federation Sergei Khatylev told PolitExpert that the program to create such a high-speed rotorcraft was written quite a long time ago. It was reported that new helicopter should be developed by 2020, but such a project initially did not receive funding because industry representatives did not support it.

Khatylev said that one of the main goals for high-speed helicopters is the elimination of air targets.

In addition to the main tasks of providing air support to ground forces, a modern helicopter must effectively destroy even small UAVs. Moreover, tracking and hitting targets on the ground and in the air must be carried out simultaneously, using technologically advanced automated guidance and target designation systems, Khatylev said.

Military expert of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Alexey Leonkov, in turn, said that rotorcraft perform a fairly wide range of combat missions.

But when creating such a helicopter, there are certain tasks that affect its design features, because, unlike an airplane, it flies with the help of rotating blades and a propeller. And we need to consider the design of this propeller so that the helicopter is controllable. The Ministry of Defense needs a fast machine, the so-called army aviation. Previously, this was what helicopters were called. They always accompanied the ground forces, providing air cover and performing a number of tasks. For example, for evacuation, support, in some cases reconnaissance, combating enemy armored vehicles and naval aviation. When we talk about new helicopters, faster machines are now required. There are situations when a lightning-fast solution is required.

In response to a question about the option that the Ministry of Defense can choose, Leonkov said that the main combat missions for such equipment are now being determined.

Exist specifications, which are unknown to me. When this kind of sampling is carried out, usually the Ministry of Defense develops the so-called technical requirements for the tasks that the combat helicopter must perform. Representatives of the department are considering the characteristics of the machine, and if the project meets these requirements, then a technical specification will appear, on the basis of which this helicopter will be created. Therefore, there are three concepts for creating a high-speed helicopter that should maintain speeds of over 400 km/h. It should be fast enough.

According to the expert, helicopters have fairly extensive combat capabilities, which give them advantages over attack aircraft.

It takes a long time to raise fighters, but if there is, for example, a helicopter pad nearby, and if there are high-speed rotorcraft, then you can react quite quickly. In addition, helicopters are capable of maneuvers that aircraft cannot. Helicopters can hover in the air, conduct aggressive fire, move in any direction, namely to where the events are taking place. fighting and at the same time lead fire support. All this makes helicopters a very interesting tool.

The Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing companies recently showed a video of a conceptual view of a combat helicopter, which will become the basis of propeller-driven aircraft of the American army, writes the authoritative military-technical magazine janes.com.
Screenshot from the video “Sikorsky / Boeing”.

After many years of fighting Islamists in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has come to the conclusion that the helicopter fleet of the US armed forces is gradually becoming obsolete and running out of resources. In combat conditions, vehicles flew five times more often than in peacetime, operated in critical modes, received damage, fell to the ground due to damage from enemy fire, and technical problems. In this regard, back in 2009, they began a program for a “future vertical take-off machine” - "Future Vertical Lift" (FVL), within which they must create a helicopter using the latest technologies and materials. It is planned that the new vehicle will have a longer range, the ability to carry a larger load, and will be more maneuverable, reliable and convenient for the crew and repairmen.

Video from the account of Lockheed Martin, owner of the Sikorsky company.

At the same time, FVL will become a “family” platform for creating machines for various purposes, and therefore will replace the majority of helicopters Ground Forces The USA - both attack, transport, and reconnaissance. FVL platforms will be produced in “medium” and “heavy” versions. The former will replace Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and the latter will replace Chinook helicopters. Sikorsky and Boeing have teamed up to fly the Sb-1 Defiant helicopter, a demonstrator of a middleweight version of the helicopter. The published video demonstrates the future appearance of this particular vehicle in shock and military transport versions.
Transparency options “Defiant”.

The competitor of the Sikorsky and Boeing helicopters in the fight for a large-scale military order is the V-280 Valor from Bell. The company offers a tiltrotor - that is, a machine with rotary propellers that can be used both as a propeller-driven aircraft and as a helicopter. Thus, the company plans to create a universal machine that can rise without a run-up, and then move at a speed so far unattainable for helicopters and over an incredible distance. The tiltrotor will have a speed of up to 560 km/h and a flight range of up to 3,900 km. In addition, the tiltrotor, like the Defiant, will have the ability to refuel in the air. The crew of the transport vehicle will consist of 4 people, including 2 pilots and 2 combat systems operators, and the vehicle will also be able to carry 14 landing troops. In addition to the transport version, Bell is also developing an attack version of the V-280 Valor and has already attracted the interest of not only the US Ground Forces, but also the Corps Marine Corps. The first prototypes of the V-280 Valor and Sb-1 Defiant are expected to appear this year, after which military personnel and engineers will begin extensive testing to determine the most effective design.

Helicopters are military - they kill. And there are “peaceful” ones - they save. Without them, it would sometimes be impossible to evacuate the wounded from hard-to-reach areas or deliver humanitarian aid to the region of the natural disaster. Today we will talk about civil helicopters, the latest developments in domestic and foreign helicopter industry, and concepts for the distant future. Russia is among the world leaders in the production of helicopters, and the volume of products is growing every year.

If in 2007 the country's aviation enterprises produced a little more than 100 rotary-wing aircraft, then in 2012 - almost 300. Lately Russia has taken third place in the global helicopter manufacturing market. At the end of 2013, the Russian Helicopters holding company, which includes all helicopter manufacturing companies in the country, produced more than 300 helicopters, including civilian and military ones.

The dynamics cannot but please, but there are also some nuances here. The fact is that almost all models of Russian helicopters were basically developed in the USSR. Of course, it will not be possible to stand still forever and at the same time impose a fight on the world’s leading manufacturers. At some stage, the legacy of the Soviet Union will exhaust itself, and fundamentally new developments require appropriate funding and human resources. Among the models of Russian rotary-wing aircraft, light helicopters stand out - Ansat and Ka-226 - they were created after the collapse of the Union. But these helicopters, like some other new models, have not become widespread either in Russia or abroad. After all, fundamentally new technology always needs improvement, and in the harsh conditions of the 1990s, funding for new developments was very conditional. Thus, the implementation of many projects began only now, with a great delay.

Even today, the most popular models are those developed on the basis of the legendary Soviet Mi-8 helicopter. We will start with one of these machines.

Mi-8 / ©Armedman

Mi-8 is one of the most popular helicopters in world history. In total, from 1965 to the present day, about 12 thousand of these machines were built. Mi-8 is used in more than 50 countries around the world. The helicopter has proven itself to be excellent for both peaceful and military purposes.

The promising Mi-171A2 helicopter made its debut at the MAKS-2013 air show. The close relationship of the new model with the G8 is visible to the naked eye: the Mi-171A2 inherited many features from its progenitor, combining simplicity and reliability with the requirements of the 21st century. When creating this machine, the wishes of the operators were fully taken into account. The new multifunctional helicopter can carry up to 24 passengers and carry up to 5 tons of cargo on an external sling. During the tests, the declared maximum speed was confirmed - 280 km/h. Compared to previous modifications of the Mi-8, the Mi-171A2 has a more powerful engine, an improved fuselage design and fundamentally new electronics.

Mi-17 / ©Russian Helicopters

Mi-171A2 avionics complex / ©UKBP

Domestic aircraft manufacturers have high hopes for the new multi-purpose helicopter Mi-38. The development of a promising machine began back in the 1980s. It was planned that the “thirty-eighth” would replace the Mi-8/Mi-17. Since then, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, and the project has undergone great changes. Like the vast majority of modern helicopters, the new machine has a “glass cockpit”, in which electronic displays are installed instead of analog instruments. It is planned that many modifications of the Mi-38 will be built, designed to solve a variety of tasks. In the passenger version, the helicopter will be able to carry up to 32 passengers. In other versions, it can be used for transporting cargo, evacuating the wounded, patrolling the sea and other purposes. In addition to civilian ones, it is planned to create a military version.

Mi-38 / ©Russian Helicopters

A special feature of the new machine is the widespread use of composite materials. In particular, the blades and non-power elements of the Mi-38 fuselage are made from composites. To date, the vehicle is being tested; a total of four prototypes have been built.

Mi-38 / ©Russian Helicopters

At the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, another long-term construction project is underway - the Mi-54 multi-purpose helicopter. This machine is intended not so much to compete with the Mi-38, but to complement it and other new modifications of the Mi-8/17. Still, the Mi-54 is a helicopter of a slightly different class.
If the maximum take-off weight of the Mi-38 is 15.6 tons, then the take-off weight of the Mi-54 does not even reach 5 tons. It is smaller and more compact than the average Russian multi-purpose helicopters. The Mi-54 can accommodate from 10 to 12 passengers and is designed to solve a variety of tasks: cargo transportation, rescue operations, patrolling. It can also be used as a business class helicopter.

Mi-54 / ©Russian Helicopters

Despite all the innovation, the fate of the Mi-54 promised to be difficult from the very beginning. The project was born at the wrong time, in the wrong place - in the early 1990s, when it was not possible to count on the success of the development. The project is still at the stage research work, and its future remains unclear. Much less fear is caused by the fate of the brainchild of Kamov OJSC - the newest multi-purpose helicopter Ka-62. This beautiful car is a passenger version of the Ka-60 Kasatka military transport. The Ka-62 inherited many features from the base model, both external and internal. For example, the civilian version will be equipped with an RD-600 engine - the same unit is installed on the Kasatka. In terms of its potential capabilities, the new machine is close to the Mi-54: the maximum take-off weight of the Kamov helicopter is 6.5 tons, and the passenger capacity does not exceed 15 people. Like the Mi-54, the Ka-62 may be in demand in the business segment. Obviously, the new helicopter will also be able to take on some of the functions that the Mi-8 still performs. The developers of the Ka-62 note the great export potential of their brainchild: during its creation, the wishes of potential customers from other countries were taken into account.

Whatever difficulties domestic aircraft manufacturers may face, one thing is clear: the new Mil and Kamova helicopters have great potential. At the same time, of all Russian projects in the field of helicopter manufacturing, the Mi-38 and Ka-62 can be considered the most promising.

Ka-62 / ©Russian Helicopters

Ka-62 engine / ©Wikipedia

Helicopter of the future

When we're talking about about innovations in the field of aircraft manufacturing, then, of course, the Americans are ahead of the rest. In 2008, the experimental high-speed helicopter Sikorsky X2 flew. Distinctive feature The new model was equipped with a pusher propeller located in the tail of the helicopter (similar to a propeller on sea vessels). This arrangement allowed the X2 to reach an incredible speed for a helicopter - 460 km/h, setting a new world record for horizontal speed among rotorcraft. The Sikorsky X2 rotors have a coaxial design, in which one rotor is located above the other, which was widely recognized thanks to the Soviet military development of the Ka-50. Despite the fact that $50 million was invested in the X2 program, it was closed in 2011. However, the developments obtained during the tests will be used for a new project - the promising combat rotorcraft Sikorsky S-97 Raider.

Sikorsky X2 / ©Sikorsky

S-97 / ©Sikorsky

However, the speed record set by American engineers did not last long: it was recently broken in Europe. In 2010, the experimental Eurocopter X3 took off. The base model for the new project was the multi-purpose helicopter Arospatiale AS.365 Dauphin. In one test flight, the X3 reached a speed of 487 km/h. In addition, the new helicopter managed to set another world record - for the speed of vertical descent. X-Cube, as the new development has already been dubbed, combines vertical and horizontal thrust in its design. In addition to the main rotor, the helicopter has propellers and small “airplane” type wings.

Eurocopter X3 / ©Eurocopter

Like its American counterpart, the new helicopter is not destined to go into production. Eurocopter X3 is an experimental model, the main task of which is to test new capabilities. But you can be completely sure that the X3 tests will not be in vain. The experience gained by European aircraft manufacturers will be used to create a new high-speed helicopter, designated LifeCraft.

Very soon, China’s position in the global helicopter manufacturing market will strengthen. Aviation Industry Corp, the leading helicopter manufacturing company in the Middle Kingdom, is working on a variety of concepts for helicopters of the future. The main thing that all these developments have in common is a very high flight speed. Thus, the Chinese presented the Blue Whale concept of a heavy helicopter. According to the plans of the developers themselves, the speed of the aircraft will have to reach 700 km/h! The maximum carrying capacity of the device is also impressive, which will be 20 tons.

The Blue Whale has four tilting propellers, each equipped with four blades. During takeoff and landing, the propellers create vertical thrust, and when the device is in flight, horizontal thrust, like that of a tiltrotor. It is also planned to create a military helicopter based on Blue Whale.

Blue Whale / ©AVIC

In order to develop technologies for creating high-speed helicopters, the Chinese are also developing an unmanned high-speed Jueying-8. The drone has a coaxial design, and the declared speed will be 400 km/h.

With a request to comment on the possibility of implementing innovative projects in the field of helicopter engineering, we turned to Pavel Solyanik, senior lecturer at the Zhukovsky National Aerospace University: “The issue of implementing new schemes in the field of helicopter engineering lies, first of all, in the area of ​​economic feasibility. Undoubtedly, helicopters have enormous advantages: they are capable of hovering in the air and performing vertical takeoff and landing. But during takeoff or landing, a helicopter spends a lot of fuel. At the same time, fuel consumption during the flight is not so high. If we equip a rotorcraft with a pulling or pushing propeller, the flight speed will increase, but the fuel consumption will also increase. Thus, the helicopter may lose one of its main advantages - efficiency. Therefore, the development of high-speed helicopters of the future must be economically feasible.”

Russian concept

Today, Russia has come close to developing the concept of the helicopter of the future. The Ka-90 jet, first presented in 2008, is rightfully considered one of the most amazing projects. The device will take off like an ordinary helicopter, using a main rotor, and when it is in the air and gains the required speed, it will fold the propeller and turn on the turbojet engine, developing 800 km/h or more. However, this bold project may be fraught with a lot of risks. For example, it is completely unclear how exactly the stability and controllability of the Ka-90 will be ensured. The second question is whether such a technologically complex machine can pay for itself?

Another promising Kamov development is the Ka-92 passenger helicopter. The aircraft has a coaxial rotor design, plus one pusher. The cruising speed of the new car should be 450 km/h, passenger capacity – 30 people. One of its main features is its long flight range, reaching 1500 km. The development of the new rotorcraft is planned to be completed by 2020. Of all the concepts presented by Kamov, the heaviest is the Ka-102. According to the developers' plans, the take-off weight of the aircraft will reach 30 tons, and at a speed of up to 500 km/h it will be able to carry 80-90 passengers.

Ka-92 / ©Kamov

The new helicopter is created according to a longitudinal design with two horizontal rotors, with the rear one located slightly higher than the front one. The same scheme is implemented on the famous American military transport helicopter Boeing CH-47 Chinook. Apparently, the developers also intend to equip their creation with two turbojet engines. If the project is successfully implemented, the Ka-102 will in the future be able to take over some of the functions currently performed by the Mi-26 heavy helicopter.

The Mil designers are not far behind the Kamov team: not long ago they presented the concept of a medium-sized multifunctional helicopter of the future, designated Mi-X1. It is implemented according to the usual scheme with one main and one pushing propellers. The concept of the Mi-X1 echoes the concept of the American experimental helicopter Piasecki X-49. And although new project devoid of revolutionary innovations, its future seems much more realistic than the construction of the futuristic Ka-90 or Ka-102. Be that as it may, classic helicopters will be in demand on the market for a very long time.

Ka-90 / ©Vitaly V. Kuzmin

Ka-90 / ©Kamov

Traditional helicopters like the Mi-8 will not change radically, says the famous Russian aviation specialist Pavel Bulat. – Their design approached the optimum 30 years ago. High-speed concepts, in my opinion, have no future: they are more expensive than airplanes and business jets of the same capacity. Vertical take-off is not of such fundamental importance, since these are expensive salon models. Although our Ka-90, Ka-92, Ka-102, Mi-X1 are conceptually no worse than Sicorsky X2 and Eurocopter. The very purpose of such devices is simply not clear. Helicopters have a purely functional and utilitarian future. Probably, flight qualities will improve, mechanics will become simpler, and jet blades will appear. If we talk about non-aerodrome high-speed vehicles, then this is something from a completely different story, some kind of hybrid schemes based on airplanes, not helicopters.

“It is worth noting that the Russian Ministry of Defense has previously announced the start of research work under the Advanced High-Speed ​​Helicopter (PSV) program. Then both design bureaus were unable to complete all the assigned tasks - although their projects were ready to develop the given speed, their maintenance and operating costs significantly exceeded the permitted ceiling.

However, the Milevians advanced somewhat further in the first attempt. To test new ideas for a high-speed helicopter, they converted one of their Mi-24s into a flying laboratory.

One of the most noticeable differences is the new low-drag single-seat cabin. This solution makes it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the vehicle, since the cabin accounts for the bulk of the armor of the entire helicopter. But you can predict in advance that the military will not agree to reduce the crew.

Even when creating the legendary “Black Shark,” Kamov Design Bureau used this technique. In general, the combat qualities of the vehicle were not affected by this, but only top-class pilots could fly it. In addition, the presence of a two-seater cabin is an indispensable requirement of many foreign buyers for Russian equipment. Not all countries can train excellent pilots, so they prefer not to burden the pilot with navigator duties.

However, less obvious changes were also tested on the “laboratory” Mi-24. Thus, when creating the PSV, the designers developed fundamentally new blades. Later they were used to modernize the Mi-28 Night Hunter. As a result of this innovation, the maximum speed of the vehicle increased by 10%, and cruising speed by 13%. Thus, KB Mil already has the practice of actually testing individual parts of the new machine.

The Kamov team faces a much more difficult task. The fact is that the coaxial design gives the pilot advantages when maneuvering, but it has significant limitations on maximum speed, since high air drag occurs. In this regard, the designers intend to “make a knight’s move” and apply new car pusher propellers for horizontal acceleration"(VPK.name 06.12.2017).

Which one is more expensive?

...« although their projects were ready to reach the specified speed, their maintenance and operating costs significantly exceeded the permitted ceiling.”

Firstly, “their project” from the Moscow Helicopter Plant. Even today M.L. Milya is not ready to “develop the given speed”, and secondly, it is very interesting: which of the “effective” managers from Russian Helicopters managed to calculate the costs of the Ka-92 project, if they are “ZERO” in aviation , and even more so in helicopters! But the main thing is that it is not available to them due to secrecy, but the Kamov people themselves have calculated everything a long time ago, which is why they are proposing this project for development.

On Wikipedia, the cost of the Ka-92 was announced = $30 million, while the Mi-38, which is significantly inferior to the Ka-92 in everything, in particular in speed by 1.5 times, is today offered to customers at a price of $40 million: “Imaginary achievements and real failures of the holding..."(Edition "Our Version". 04/11/2016).

Forward to the past!

... “However, the Milevians advanced a little further in the first attempt. To test new ideas for a high-speed helicopter, they converted one of their Mi-24s into a flying laboratory.”

If Milev’s designers move “a little further,” it is only in reverse gear, because with phantom projects like the Mi-X1, “moving forward” is not possible. The single-cabin Mi-24 reached a speed of 400k/h. only in gen. director " effective managers» Alexander Boginsky. At 400k/h. and moreover, it will develop such an overturning right roll due to the difference in the speed of flow around the left and right sides of the main rotor that no control stick will be enough to eliminate it, just as the power of the VK-2500 engines will not be enough to accelerate the helicopter to 400 k/h , which are slightly stronger than the old TV3-117. And then you need to understand that the record speed on the Mi-24 is 368k/h. achieved at max . engine power and on a lightweight helicopter, while a high-speed main rotor at this speed must operate with normal weight and at cruising engine operating mode.

Another thing is a coaxial helicopter, in which during flight the main rotors rotate in opposite directions, compensating for their heeling moments without the intervention of the pilot. For example, on the Ka-50 helicopter, test pilots in a dive reached a speed of = 460 k/h, which is not achievable for a classical helicopter, no matter what “flying platform” it is called! Hence for the Ka-92 cruising speed 420-430k/h. - not “noodles” like the Mi-X1, but the real reality!

For research flights gen. designer S.V. Mikheev sees a Ka-50 helicopter

with a pusher propeller installed at the rear, or the installation of additional propulsors on the wings, due to which the helicopter will increase its speed by 100-150k/h. (320k/h + 100k/h = 420k/h), i.e. speed equal to 400 km/h. it will have a cruising speed, while the rejuvenated Mi-24 will be able to fly around this speed on its last legs and therefore the required results from such research flights, which raises a lot of questions.

From the evil one!

... “Even when creating the legendary “Black Shark”, Kamov Design Bureau used this technique. In general, the combat qualities of the vehicle were not affected by this, but only top-class pilots could fly it.

It is strange that the author in this matter leads the story “upside down”, because in piloting a helicopter with a tail rotor is more difficult than a coaxial one, it is the tail rotor that spoils the thrill of piloting from hovering to landing. By increasing the power of the engines for takeoff, the reaction torque of the main rotor increases accordingly. To neutralize this moment, the pilot gives his right foot, keeping the helicopter from turning. To prevent the helicopter from moving to the left due to the tail rotor thrust, the pilot tilts the control stick to the right. The flight of this helicopter, due to the thrust of the tail rotor, is carried out with a slight left slip or a slight right roll.

A coaxial helicopter does not have a tail rotor and there is no need for additional work by the controls, its piloting is similar to that of an airplane, and the author’s conclusions “on extra-class pilots” most likely come from the designers of the cost center, who diligently adhere to the principle: “If you want to annoy the Ka-50, blame it in the shortcomings of the Mi-28"!

"Noodles" again!

But we can predict in advance that the military will not agree to reduce the crew.”

Do not “predict”, because a “flying platform” is not a high-speed product and is not inherently suitable for mass production. It was not the military that went against the Kamov single-seater, but the general designers of the Moscow Helicopter Plant named after. M.L. Mil and to help them - the United States in the person of Sergei Sikorsky, who in Moscow personally pushed for the replacement of the Ka-50 with the Mi-28. The American envoy turned out to be stronger than our military and, as a result, ex. Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov, instead of the outstanding Ka-50 “Black Shark”, put into service the mediocre, and even crude Mi-28N. As for the military, from lieutenant to colonel everyone was in favor of the single-seat Ka-50, which showed high combat qualities in the second Chechen War. They (the military) are still on his side today, which cannot be said about the ministerial generals, who are far from the work of combat helicopters, but close to corruption.

Instead of a pilot-operator, the “Black Shark” has automation, which, as you know, thinks faster than a human and more accurately! And in general, the whole world is switching to unmanned aerial vehicles, and give multi-seat attack helicopters to cost center designers, managers from Russian Helicopters and ministerial generals!? Therefore, single-seat capability is not a reason, but just an inappropriate reason for replacing the best helicopter in the world with a dead Mi-28N. Il-2 attack aircraft with one pilot in V.O.V. was the most massive combat aircraft in history (Wehrmacht soldiers called it “Schwarzer Tod”), which fought at higher speeds and also at low level flights. The Su-25 attack aircraft still flies with a single-seat cabin, although its speed is 2 times higher than that of helicopters: it confidently finds targets and also flawlessly destroys them with the same avionics as the Ka-50.

Journalistic "knight's move"

...« The Kamov team faces a much more difficult task. The fact is that the coaxial design gives the pilot advantages when maneuvering, but it has significant limitations on maximum speed, since high air drag occurs. In this regard, the designers intend to “make knight's move"and use pusher propellers for horizontal acceleration on the new machine."

The Kamovites have no “knight’s move” and there is no particular difficulty in this matter, because a coaxial helicopter does not experience critical rolls with increasing speed, like the Mi-24. Increase the speed after 350k/h. problematic for a helicopter of any design, including a coaxial one, because with a further increase in speed, the efficiency of the main rotor drops significantly and it only has enough thrust to support its weight. But without any problems you can increase the speed of the helicopter due to the additional pusher propeller. In this case, for a slick Mi-24 folk proverb reads: “The game is not worth the candle!”

By the way, the drag from a coaxial rotor is less than from the tail boom with the tail rotor of the Mi helicopter; moreover, on high-speed coaxial helicopters, a fairing is installed between the rotors, which completely negates this drag.

Concern for state interests is a relic of the past!

I believe that the interest of the “effective managers” of the holding in PSV is primarily pocket-financial: “In 2016, it is planned to conclude an agreement with JSC $MVZ im. M. L. Mil" for the "development of a preliminary design of a promising medium commercial helicopter" worth 207 million rubles. The total amount of financing for the project is 45.6 billion rubles. for the period from 2016 to 2024, including the planned volume of budget financing - 29.7 billion rubles. (65%)." (Annual report of Rostvertol for 2015 - VPK.name 07/01/2016).

Paradox: money has been coming to the cost center for research projects in large quantities and with enviable regularity, but since 1980 of the last century there have been NO new models from them and are not expected: “Chemezov: an experimental prototype of a high-speed combat helicopter will make its first flight in 2019 (02.26.2018. Military Industrial Complex .name)".

If half of this money went to the Kamov Design Bureau, then the real high-speed Ka-92 and Ka-102, which are very necessary for our Army and the State, would already be flying. Yes, and attack helicopters would be improved, because the Ka-50/52 is also aging, and today we can overtake them in this matter The USA cannot only because they do not have sufficient experience in coaxial helicopters and do not have such brilliant designers as our Sergei Viktorovich Mikheev. But they are already really testing their high-speed ones and sooner or later they will be mass-produced, and philologists, sociologists and bankers who manage our helicopter industry are under different pretexts actually simulate our helicopter manufacturing progress.

From the history of the confrontation between the Mi-28 and Ka-50.

"Requiem for the Mi-28N" | Radio Liberty

Why are Russian combat helicopters falling?

None of the wars is complete without losses, but air losses are perceived most painfully, especially if combat operations are conducted with an enemy who has neither aviation nor modern means Air defense.

When a Russian attack helicopter was shot down in Syria on July 8, 2016, a discussion flared up in the Russian information space only about how and from what exactly it was shot down. There was also a pointless debate about what type of helicopter it was – Mi-24, Mi-25 or the “most modern” Mi-35. Although, in fact, what difference does it make: the Mi-25 is an export version of the Mi-24D “for the poor,” and the “newest” Mi-35 is an export version of the Mi-24VM for wealthy clients. All of these helicopters differ in weapons and equipment options, but in essence they are the same machine, obsolete in the late 1980s and posing a threat today only to lightly armed rebels. And even then not always.

However, this is a fairly common practice: for the wrong decisions of some people - in this case, about adopting a particular system - others pay with their lives. And the worst thing is when these decisions are dictated by narrow departmental, or even selfish, interests. The history of adoption into service most likely falls into the category of the latter. attack helicopters Mi-28 and Ka-50/52. This epic began almost 40 years ago and in fact has not yet ended.

Commander-in-Chief Soviet Air Force Pavel Kutakhov, judging that no modernization of the Mi-24 would help, initiated the creation of a new generation combat helicopter. On December 16, 1976, a closed joint resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Council of Ministers No. 1043-361 appeared on the development of a promising combat helicopter.

The Milevtsy were an absolute monopoly in the development and production of helicopters for the Ground Forces, having a powerful lobby in the apparatus of the Central Committee and the Ministry of Defense. Apparently, this is precisely why the OKB named after. Mil decided not to bother themselves too much: the product they presented was better than the Mi-24, but, as it turned out, not by much. In terms of controlled and uncontrollable missile weapons The Mi-28 remained at the level of the Mi-24: the characteristics of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and unguided aircraft missiles (UAR) did not change, and no new weapons were created for the Mi-28. Instead of the combat vehicle of the future OKB im. Mil proposed a completely crude helicopter of the previous generation, which did not make any sense to replace the Mi-24.

The flight and maneuverability characteristics of the Ka-50 were also higher than those of the Mi-28. Testers were delighted by the Ka-50's ability to make a sharp turn at high speeds as much as 180 degrees - in an aerial duel, this made it possible to suddenly meet an overtaking enemy with a salvo strike to the forehead. To this day, such a tactical technique is not possible for any other helicopter in the world except the Ka-50/Ka-52. The military was also impressed by the high operational manufacturability of the Ka-50: it could operate on unequipped sites and up to a crescent away from the main bases, and instead of 50–70 lubrication points, as on other models, it had only three. For the first time in the history of helicopter manufacturing, the aircraft was equipped with an ejection seat: in an extreme situation, the pilot could leave the helicopter at altitudes from almost zero to 4100 meters, while performing any maneuver and any figure. As Sergei Mikheev, general designer of Kamov OJSC, explained to me in a personal conversation, the design bureau initially formulated the task of maintaining qualified flight personnel. After all, the fastest growing class is the class of qualified pilots. Therefore, an ejection seat and a new approach to armor appeared - a one-piece armored cabin.

Once there is an attack, you will run into fire. And we set a task: to make the cockpit so that it could withstand 12.7 mm bullets and a 23 mm projectile. The technical specifications of the military stated: armor protection against being hit by an American 20 mm caliber projectile and ours - 23 mm. And we did it.” “Along the way,” all the vital systems of the helicopter were duplicated many times: if one is hit by shrapnel, there is a backup.

In the fall of 1983, the results of the tender were summed up, and the Air Force Commander-in-Chief announced the decision: the Ka-50 was selected for further testing and mass production. And the Milevians were offered to use the developments implemented on the Mi-28 to create a more advanced modification of the Mi-24. This is where the main intrigue unfolded.

It is no secret that every new model adopted for service meant rain from Lenin and State awards, gold stars of Heroes of Socialist Labor, orders, ranks and titles. But, most importantly, the allocation of huge funds for mass production. In the Soviet military-industrial complex, everything had long been established and divided, each sphere had its own monopolists, and “strangers” were not allowed near this feeding trough. So all tenders and tests were usually pure fiction: the decision to adopt a particular model was made behind the scenes, often regardless of the actual combat qualities of the product. The decisive role has always been played by bureaucratic connections and the closeness of the leadership of design bureaus to the highest party leadership. And here is such a fiasco for the Milevites, who for decades have enjoyed the delights of monopolists in the field of helicopters for army aviation! Of course, this was perceived as an encroachment on the scope of activity of the OKB. Mil, to whose defense the entire bureaucratic army immediately rose up.

Lobbyists of OKB im. Mil's hands were freed by the death of Air Force Commander-in-Chief Kutakhov in December 1984. The losers immediately turned to the new commander-in-chief with a complaint about the bias of the competition. Taking into account the powerful connections of the Milevites in the apparatus of the CPSU Central Committee, the new Air Force command did not risk escalating: without canceling decision taken, agreed to once again conduct comparative flight tests of both machines. But these tests did not reveal anything fundamentally new: the Ka-50 again turned out to be the leader, and the Mi-28 did not even surpass the Mi-24.

Trying to discredit the opponent, OKB im. Mil launched a campaign of black PR, abundantly distributing information discrediting the competitors' products, although only the customer had the right to compare helicopters with each other. The management of the Moscow Helicopter Plant simply slandered the Minister of Defense of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU. Then everything went as usual: inspections, commissions, meetings, party meetings, new complaints... It even got to the point of analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of competing helicopters at a party meeting!

But, despite large-scale pressure from the lobbyists of the Mil company, in the fall of 1986 the relevant research institutes of the Ministry of Defense again rendered a verdict in favor of the Ka-50. Then the same vicious circle continues: slander, inspections, meetings, new tests... When the decision was again made in favor of the Ka-50 - for the umpteenth time! - the time to launch it into series turned out to be irretrievably lost: the power collapsed, having overstrained itself, among other things, from exorbitant military expenses. So the Mil lobbyists left the army without a new generation combat helicopter.”

The Mi-28 is heavily praised by the Americans: “The American AH-64 Apache and the Russian Mi-28 “Night Hunter” are the two most advanced and deadly attack helicopter in the world”, etc., because it is weaker than “Apache”, in international competition in India I lost to him by as many as 20 points!

Our pilots have been constantly and for a long time promised that the most modern combat helicopter will go into production very soon, and maybe even earlier! For example, the Head of Rostec: “In 2019, a new high-speed combat helicopter will take off in Russia. Chemezov noted that the helicopter will have a speed of over 400 km/h. For comparison: the Ka-52 has 300 km/h, the Mi-28N has 280 km/h (02/26/2018. AviaPort."

I will continue the comparison of the most “advanced and deadly” Mi-28, started by the head of Rostec, but with the “Black Shark”.

Which super helicopter was deprived of our combat pilots, replacing it with the “Night Stalker”.

1. The permissible speed of the Ka-50 is 390 km/h.
2. Army test pilot Colonel A. Rudykh, after testing the Ka-50 in the combat conditions of a real war in Chechnya, states: “With a full combat load, the Black Shark hangs at an altitude of 4,000 meters.” Officially, the Mi-28N has a static ceiling of 3600m. It is doubtful that it will reach at least 2600m with a full combat load; and beyond 3600m. and there can be no conversation.
3. The ability of the “Black Shark” to vigorously turn 180 degrees. at any flight speed and meet the overtaking enemy head-on! "Night Hunter" - not available!
4. The signature combat “funnel”: the helicopter moves in lateral flight in a wide circle over a ground target with a downward inclination, which allows you to effectively evade air defense systems, while confidently keeping the target in sight. For Mi-28 – not available!
5. The Ka-50 has ejection seats! There are NO them on the Mi and therefore one can only imagine what a disgusting feeling the Mi-28 pilots experience when falling before hitting the ground.
6. “The maneuverability of the Alligators is amazing - it seems that multi-ton vehicles are literally dancing. Or they float like autumn leaves in the wind. “Now do you understand why the Ka-52 is the best? - asks one of the accompanying officers. And, without waiting for an answer, he adds: “They are kings in the sky.” Americans never dreamed of this. “She’s smart, she flies day and night, and in the most difficult weather conditions,” Captain Sergei Gorobchenko told us about his rotorcraft. - One word, Swallow! (“Alligator” named Swallow 11/12/2014. “Star”).
7. The static ceiling of the “Black Shark” with VK-2500 engines is 4300m.

"Static ceiling" is the max. the hovering altitude of a helicopter is outside the zone of influence of the air cushion, and in order to better understand this characteristic in real combat conditions, I offer excerpts

From the memories of Afghan veterans - helicopter pilots:

“The high speed characteristics of the Mi-24 were achieved at the cost of a load on the main rotor that was one and a half times greater than that of the G8. In everyday extreme conditions (heat, high altitude, increased dust) this significantly affected control. Moreover, habitual piloting skills often turned out to be harmful and could lead to an accident. During takeoff and landing with an overweight propeller, a sharp movement of the handle caused a drawdown, they tried to hold the car with the use of “step-throttle”, the throttle response of the “weakened” engines was not enough, and the helicopter fell to the ground. At low speeds on a hill or near the ground, the Mi-24 began to behave unusually. The directional control turned out to be insufficient; the reactive torque of the main rotor pulled the car into a spontaneous left turn and could have thrown it into a helicopter spin. During vigorous maneuvers with an overload of up to high speeds and angles of attack, due to the disruption of the flow from the blades, the Mi-24 lifted its nose, going into a “pick-up” - pitching up with disobedience to control, after which it sharply failed. The matter more than once ended in a rough landing on the wingtips and blocks. It was possible to avoid being “caught” by strictly observing the restrictions, but in battle there was no need to fly “lower and quieter.” During the “pick-up” and during an energetic recovery from a dive, impacts of the blades on the tail boom occurred. So, in August 1980, after storming a T24 caravan, commander Kozovoy and his deputy Alatortsev returned to Faizabad with their tails cut by blades. This incident had tragic consequences - while going on a control flight after repairs, Major Kozovoy came under fire from the DShK, the tail rotor with a shot off blade went haywire, the damaged tail boom collapsed, and the out-of-control vehicle collapsed, burying the entire crew. Hero of the Soviet Union V. Gainutdinov, a squadron commander from the G8s, who took the place of the operator in the car of his college comrade, also died in it.

Upon exiting a dive with an angle of 20 degrees and at a speed of 250 km/h, the Mi-24’s drawdown reached 200 m. When piloting at low altitudes and extreme conditions, when the pilot’s error could no longer be corrected, the energy and correctness of the maneuver became of utmost importance (it was common the joke is that it's "as easy as walking on a tightrope"). For the squadron from Kunduz, science cost 6 Mi-24Ds lost in the first year, mostly due to non-combat reasons, crashed in the mountains due to fog and unexpected air currents, broken during landing on slopes and in gorges.

Vertical take-off in conditions where the helicopter “BARELY CARRIED ITSELF” was almost never used. They usually ascended from the runway like an airplane, with a 100:150-meter takeoff. Using the LII method, an even more radical method of takeoff with a running start only on the front wheels was mastered” (Mi-24 in Afghanistan. Markovsky).

Mi-28 – rearranged Mi-24.

“You can say that I was at the origins of this problem when the predecessor of this machine, the Mi-24 helicopter, first appeared in Afghanistan. It was created as an aerial infantry fighting vehicle: it is armed and carries troops,” Major General Alexander Tsalko, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and former deputy commander of the Air Force of the Baltic Military District of the USSR for army aviation, explained to the VZGLYAD newspaper.

“In reality, it turned out not “and-and”, but “either-or.” With a landing force, but without weapons. Or with weapons, but without landing. Due to the landing, the dimensions were increased, and dimensions mean weight. As a result, in Afghanistan, closer to the mid-80s, we asked to rearrange the Mi-24 and also remove the cargo compartment. So it would become about a ton lighter, and it would already be a good fire support helicopter. This is how the Mi-28 helicopter appeared by the end of the 80s,” Tsalko explained.

“When the first pilots retrained for this helicopter, the impressions were very different,” Tsalko added. – There were shortcomings there, which always happen at the beginning. During the development process they were removed. But at this time another car came out - the Ka-50, it was SIGNIFICANTLY better than the Mi-28. Because the Mi-28 is just a Mi-24 RECONSTRUCTED in the late 1980s.”

The arming of our Air Force with Mi-24/28 helicopters, which were still considered obsolete by the Soviet Government, pleases only the Americans! It turns out that the Presidential decrees on providing our Army with the most modern high-tech weapons are just a nice phrase? It seemed to me that after the first disasters, especially at an air show in full view of spectators, the Mi-28 would be taken out of service and restored again in the “Black Shark” series. Alas, instead they show on TV how the deputy. Minister Yu. Borisov pompously signs a contract for 100 Mi-28NM, which differs from the clumsy Mi-28N in that its VK-2500 engine power restrictions have been lifted from 2200 hp to 2400 hp, and even a second one has been added to the operator pilot helicopter control, which should have been there from the very first copy.

In addition, at one time V.V. Putin himself admired the “Black Shark”: “And he said briefly: “This technique is breathtaking!” Almost immediately after returning from Vladivostok, the head of government announced on Russian radio that the first Kamov helicopter, serially produced by the Arsenyev aircraft building company Progress, would be sent to Chechnya.”

The real master of the word: “The word was given; “I took my word,” and then completely forgot!

Army test pilots to test Ka-50 helicopters in combat conditions at Chechen war were forced to go on their own. Despite the difficulties encountered along the way, the whole group flew to Chechnya, where the Ka-50 showed its unique fighting qualities!

The Mi-28Ns were sent to Syria as part of their official duties, where over the two years of war they showed their worst side: two Mi-28N crashes and one Mi-24 crash for non-combat reasons, claiming the lives of four high-class pilots.

The Kamov company is celebrating the 110th anniversary of the first helicopter flight in the world with new ideas for improving helicopters, without which life in modern society impossible to imagine. The general designer of Kamov OJSC, Sergei Mikheev, spoke in an interview with the website of the Zvezda TV channel about what the design of helicopters of the future will be, what speed they will be able to develop, what tasks they will perform and in what military operations they will be used.- Looking to the future, what will happen to combat helicopters? How will they change in 30 years?-50 years?- The development of combat helicopters will, of course, be the basis for the re-equipment of modern armed forces, since the helicopter in its capacity today represents a unique opportunity to act quickly, covertly and effectively. In this regard, military helicopters have an exceptionally good future. What will happen fundamentally? Of course, there will be a reduction in crew and much greater automation of modes.

These will be attack helicopters that are capable of maneuvering and flying at very high speed. Perhaps twice as much as is being done now.

The combat process will remain with the person. In this area, it is necessary to wisely distinguish between what the pilot does and what the machine gun helps him do. After all, the pilot is in charge of a helicopter.

I believe that any war machine eventually becomes civilian. For example, the Mi-8 helicopter was born as a military helicopter, but for many years it became an indispensable transport helicopter, which is very widely exported. This is the fate of any car that seriously aims at a long life. Sooner or later she must become a civilian. This in many cases expands production, so any military vehicle must be technologically advanced and cheap.

A high-speed helicopter will have minimal harmful drag. It can be compared to an arrow, because that is what perfection is. His image will reduce harmful drag to a minimum, and he will be able to reach speeds of 500-600 km/h.