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 aviation american army, writes the authoritative military-technical magazine janes.com.
Screenshot from the Sikorsky / Boeing video.

After many years of fighting Islamists in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon came 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, worked in critical modes, received damage, fell to the ground due to damage from enemy fire and technical problems. In this regard, back in 2009, the program of the “future vertical take-off machine” was launched - "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 more cargo, be more maneuverable, reliable and convenient for the crew and repairmen.

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

At the same time, the FVL will become a “family” platform for creating machines for various purposes, and therefore will replace most of the US Army helicopters - attack, transport, and reconnaissance. FVL platforms will be produced in "medium" and "heavy" versions. The former will replace Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, while the latter will replace Chinook helicopters. Sikorsky and Boeing have teamed up to take to the air the Sb-1 Defiant helicopter, a demonstrator of the medium weight version of the helicopter. The published video shows the future appearance of this particular machine in the shock and military transport versions.
Transport option " Defiant".

The competitor of the Sikorsky and Boeing helicopters in the struggle for a large-scale military order is Bell's V-280 Valor. The company offers a tiltrotor - that is, a machine with rotary screws, which can be used both as a propeller-driven aircraft and as a helicopter. Thus, the company plans to create a universal machine that can climb without a run, and then move at a speed 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 operators of combat systems, and the vehicle will also be able to take 14 troops. In addition to the transport version, Bell is also developing a shock version of the V-280 Valor and has already interested not only Ground troops USA, but also the Corps marines. The first prototypes of the V-280 Valor and Sb-1 Defiant are expected to appear this year, after which the military and engineers will begin long tests to select the most effective design.

Russian helicopters have come a long way to reach the modern heights of technical excellence. Military rotorcraft appeared first, then came the turn of civilian vehicles.

For a long time the aircraft remained the only means of transport. His principle of flight had a serious drawback - the need to constantly move in order to stay in the air. In addition, he needed an airstrip. This limited the scope of such devices. Often there was a need for devices that could take off and land vertically, and their ability to fly would not depend on the speed of movement. After much research and experimentation, this niche was occupied by a helicopter.

History of helicopters

People have dreamed of flying since ancient times. The use of the principles on the basis of which rotorcraft now fly was thought back in ancient China. Europe also did not stand aside. Among the drawings discovered after the death of Leonardo da Vinci, images of devices with the likeness of blades were found.

In Russia, Mikhail Lomonosov was designing a vertical take-off propeller that he intended to use for meteorological observations.

For the first time in history, a vertical takeoff was made in France by the Breguet brothers.

Under the guidance of Professor Charles Richet, they created an apparatus that rose half a meter above the ground.

A major breakthrough in the development of helicopters came in 1911, when Russian engineer Boris Yuryev designed a swashplate that controlled the tilt of the axis of a helicopter propeller. This solved the problem of obtaining horizontal speed. In the future, many researchers in Argentina, France, Italy and other countries began to study such devices.

In the USSR, the first flight on a rotorcraft was made by Alexei Cheryomukhin in 1932. He climbed to a height of 605 meters and set a world record. Three years later, Louis Breguet was able to reach speeds above 100 km / h. After that, all doubts about the advisability of developing helicopter construction, primarily in the military field, disappeared.

Development of helicopter industry in the USSR and the USA

American helicopters were launched by Russian engineer Igor Sikorsky. In the USSR, he was engaged in the development of airplanes, and after moving to the USA, he founded a company for the creation of helicopters. In 1939, the first VS-300 was created, designed according to the classic Yuryev single-rotor scheme.

On the first demonstration flights, the designer himself controlled his brainchild. In 1942, the VS-316 model, developed by order of the US government, appeared. It was used mainly for communications and rescue operations.

The Sikorsky firm continued to improve its devices, and in 1946, an autopilot appeared for the first time in the S-51 model.

In the 1930s, the helicopter industry was not given enough attention in the Soviet Union. In 1940, Boris Yuryev was allowed to create a design bureau, but the war began, and helicopters had to be forgotten. After the end of the war, rotorcraft began to spread around the world.

Two design bureaus were created in the USSR, headed by Mikhail Mil and Nikolai Kamov. They used in their designs a single-screw and coaxial scheme, respectively. By the end of the 1940s, several models were submitted to the competition. It was won by the Mi-1 apparatus manufactured by the Mil Design Bureau.

Prospects for the development of combat helicopters

The general vector for the development of rotorcraft is the desire to create an apparatus that combines positive sides helicopters with the speed characteristics of aircraft. First of all, combat helicopters should receive such opportunities. In many countries, including Russia and the United States, there are programs to develop helicopters of the future.

A promising option for using a pusher propeller is implemented in American project S-97 Raider. It is assumed that he will be able to reach speeds of up to 450 km / h. Its important advantage will be the ability to fly on high altitudes.

A revolutionary jet helicopter project (Ka-90) is being developed in Russia. Its takeoff, landing and initial acceleration should take place according to the helicopter principle.

To obtain high speed, a jet engine will be turned on, accelerating the device to 800 km / h.

The rapid development of technology gives more and more autonomy to both individual subsystems and entire units. Many of the functions that helicopters now perform will be taken over in the future. unmanned aerial vehicles.

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With what will the third largest helicopter manufacturer in the world conquer the market in the future?

The top five helicopters of the future included Ansat and Ka-226T light multi-purpose vehicles, medium multifunctional helicopter Ka-62, holder of five world records Mi-38 and modernized transport-passenger Mi-171A2.

ANSAT
Development: 1994
Kazan Helicopters
Project stage: testing in 2013
Load capacity: 1.3 t
Passengers: 8

The Ansat light helicopter, capable of carrying up to 8 passengers or 1.3 tons of cargo, was developed by the Kazan Helicopter Plant (KVZ). The first prototype was created in 1997, and serial production began in 2004. Since then, the plant has produced 20 machines with electronic system control, which it was decided to replace with hydromechanical. Testing of the first experimental helicopter with the new control system will begin in the second half of 2013.

KA-226T
Development: modification of the Ka-226 1997
OKB Kamov
Project stage: certification in 2013
Load capacity: 1.2t
Passengers: 7

Light helicopter Ka-226T (capable of carrying up to seven passengers or 1.5 tons of cargo) is a modification of the Ka-226, which the Kamov Design Bureau created in 1997. In autumn 2013, according to plans, the helicopter will be fully certified. Due to the modularity of the design, it can be used to rescue those in distress or become an ambulance medical care, patrol specially protected areas and parachute special units on platforms not equipped for this, to transport goods on an external sling or inside the cab.

KA-62
Development: 1990
OKB Kamov

Load capacity: 2 t
Passengers: 15

The Ka-62 medium helicopter (15 passengers or 2 tons of cargo) has been developed by Kamov since 1992. A full-size mock-up was first shown in 1995, then work on this project was curtailed due to lack of funds. The second presentation took place in 2012 as part of the Russian Helicopters holding. According to the approved plans, the first flight of the Ka-62 will take place in the summer of 2013, the first deliveries will begin in 2015. The helicopter already has its first customer - the Brazilian company Atlas Táxi Aéreo.

MI-38
Development: 1987
KB Milya
Project stage: production in 2015
Load capacity: 6 t
Passengers: 30

The design of the Mi-38 medium multi-purpose helicopter (up to 30 passengers or 6 tons of cargo) began in 1987 to replace the Mi-8 / Mi-17, it was planned to start mass production in 1998. To date, the assembly of the third prototype has been completed, which is planned to be handed over to the helicopter developer, the Mil Design Bureau, for flight tests in the near future. The fourth prototype is being assembled at Kazan Helicopter Plant. The start of serial production of the Mi-38 helicopter in Kazan is scheduled for 2015.

MI-171A2
Development: modification of the Mi-8 1961,
Kazan Helicopters
Project stage: production in 2015
Load capacity: 5 t
Passengers: 24

The Mi-171A2 medium multi-purpose helicopter (up to 26 passengers or 5 tons of cargo) is another modification of the Soviet Mi-8s, the production of which was launched back in 1965 (12,000 Mi-8s and their modifications have been produced since then). The first prototype of the Mi-171A2 helicopter is currently being assembled. New avionics, new radio-electronic equipment are at the final stage of assembly, new VK-2500 engines are being installed. It is assumed that the first prototype will be presented in August this year. Helicopter certification is scheduled for the end of 2014, serial production for 2015.

Helicopters are military - they kill. And there are "peaceful" - 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 natural disaster. Today we will talk about civilian helicopters, about the latest developments of domestic and foreign helicopter industry and about the concepts of the distant future. Russia is among the world leaders in the production of helicopters, and every year the volume of manufactured products is growing.

If in 2007 the country's aviation enterprises produced a little more than 100 rotorcraft, then in 2012 - almost 300. Lately in the world market of helicopter construction, Russia came in third place. According to the results of 2013, the Russian Helicopters holding, which includes all the country's helicopter companies, produced more than 300 helicopters, including civil and military ones.

The dynamics cannot but rejoice, but there are some nuances here. The fact is that almost all models of Russian helicopters were basically developed back in the USSR. Of course, it will not work to stand still forever and at the same time impose a struggle on the world's leading manufacturers. At some point the legacy Soviet Union will exhaust itself, and fundamentally new developments require appropriate funding and the availability of human resources. Among the models of Russian rotary-wing machines, light helicopters - Ansat and Ka-226 - stand apart - they were created after the collapse of the Union. But these helicopters, like some other new models, are not widely used either in Russia or abroad. After all, fundamentally new technology always needs to be improved, 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 big delay.

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

Mi-8 / ©Armedman

Mi-8 is one of the most massive helicopters in world history. In total, from 1965 to the present day, about 12 thousand such machines have been built. Mi-8 is used in more than 50 countries around the world. The helicopter proved 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 "eight" 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 take on board up to 24 passengers and transport up to 5 tons of cargo on an external sling. During the tests, the declared maximum speed- 280 km / h. Compared to previous modifications of the Mi-8, the Mi-171A2 has a more powerful engine, an improved fuselage design and a fundamentally new electronics.

Mi-17 / © Russian Helicopters

Airborne equipment complex Mi-171А2 / ©UKBP

Domestic aircraft manufacturers pin great hopes on the new Mi-38 multi-purpose helicopter. The development of a promising machine began in the 1980s. It was planned that the "thirty-eighth" would come to replace the Mi-8 / Mi-17. Since then, a lot of water has flowed 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 modification, the helicopter will be able to take on board up to 32 passengers. In other versions, it can be used for transporting goods, evacuating the wounded, patrolling the sea and other purposes. In addition to civilian, it is planned to create a military version.

Mi-38 / © Russian Helicopters

A 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 of composites. To date, the machine 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 being developed - the Mi-54 multi-purpose helicopter. This machine is designed 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 takeoff weight of the Mi-38 is 15.6 tons, then the takeoff weight of the Mi-54 does not even reach 5 tons. It is smaller and more compact than the average Russian multi-purpose helicopters. Mi-54 can accommodate from 10 to 12 passengers and is designed to solve a variety of tasks: cargo transportation, rescue operations, patrols. It can also be used as a business class helicopter.

Mi-54 / ©Russian Helicopters

Despite all the innovation, the fate of the Mi-54 from the very beginning promised to be difficult. 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 uncertain. Much less fear is inspired by the fate of the brainchild of Kamov JSC - the latest multi-purpose helicopter Ka-62. This beautiful car is a passenger version of the military transport Ka-60 Kasatka. From the basic model, the Ka-62 inherited many features - both external and internal. For example, the civilian modification 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 takeoff 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, 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 offspring: when it was created, the wishes of potential customers from other countries were taken into account.

No matter what difficulties domestic aircraft manufacturers face, one thing is clear - the new Mil and Kamov helicopters have great potential. At the same time, of all Russian projects in the field of helicopter construction, 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 are talking about innovations in the field of aircraft construction, then, of course, the Americans are ahead of the rest. In 2008, an experimental high-speed helicopter Sikorsky X2 flew. A distinctive feature of the new model was the presence of a pusher propeller located in the tail of the helicopter (similar to the propeller in 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's rotors are coaxial, with one propeller on top of the other, a design that was widely recognized by 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 - a 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 beaten in Europe. In 2010, an experimental Eurocopter X3 took off. The basic model for the new project was the A?rospatiale AS.365 Dauphin multipurpose helicopter. In one of the test flights, 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 develop new features. But you can be completely sure that the tests of the X3 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 world helicopter market will strengthen. Aviation Industry Corp, China's leading helicopter manufacturer, is working on a variety of future helicopter concepts. The main thing that unites all these developments is very high speed flight. So, the Chinese presented the concept of the Blue Whale 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, which will be 20 tons, is also impressive.

Blue Whale has four rotary propellers, each equipped with four blades. During takeoff and landing, the propellers create vertical thrust, and when the device is in flight - horizontal, like a tiltrotor. On the basis of Blue Whale, it is also planned to create a military helicopter.

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 scheme, and the declared speed will have to 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 the senior lecturer of the National Aerospace University named after Zhukovsky to Pavel Solyanik: “The issue of implementing new schemes in the field of helicopter construction lies, first of all, in the plane of economic feasibility. Undoubtedly, helicopters have great advantages: they are able to hover in the air, carry out vertical takeoff and landing. But during takeoff or landing, a helicopter consumes a lot of fuel. At the same time, fuel consumption during the flight is not so great. If we equip a rotorcraft with a push or pull propeller, the flight speed will increase, but so will the fuel consumption. Thus, the helicopter may lose one of its main advantages - efficiency. Therefore, the development of high-speed helicopters of the future should be economically viable.”

Russian concept

Today, in Russia, too, they have come close to working out the concept of the helicopter of the future. One of the most amazing projects is considered to be the Ka-90 jet, first introduced in 2008. The device will take off like an ordinary helicopter, with the help of a main rotor, and when it is in the air and picks up the desired speed, it will fold the propeller and turn on the turbojet engine, developing 800 km / h or more. However, this bold project may come with a host of risks. For example, it is completely unclear how stability and controllability of the Ka-90 will be ensured. The second question is whether such a technologically sophisticated machine can pay for itself?

Another promising development of Kamov is the Ka-92 passenger helicopter. The aircraft has a coaxial rotor design, plus one pusher. Cruising speed new car should be 450 km / h, passenger capacity - 30 people. One of its main features is a long flight range, reaching 1500 km. The development of a 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 plans of the developers, the takeoff 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 scheme with two horizontal rotors, with the rear one located slightly higher than the front one. The same scheme was implemented on the well-known American military transport helicopter Boeing CH-47 Chinook. Apparently, the developers also intend to equip their offspring with two turbojet engines. If the project is successfully implemented, the Ka-102 will be able to take over some of the functions that the Mi-26 heavy helicopter is currently performing.

The Mil designers are not far behind the Kamovites: not so long ago they presented the concept of a medium multifunctional helicopter of the future, which received symbol Mi-X1. It is implemented according to the usual scheme with one carrier and one pusher propellers. The Mi-X1 concept echoes the concept of the American experimental helicopter Piasecki X-49. And although new project devoid of revolutionary innovations, its future is seen as 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 Mi-8 helicopters will not change radically, says Pavel Bulat, a well-known Russian aviation specialist. “Their design approached the optimum 30 years ago. High-speed concepts, in my opinion, have no future: they are more expensive than airplanes, business jets of the same capacity. Vertical takeoff is of no 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 are waiting for a purely functional and utilitarian future. Probably, flight qualities will grow up, mechanics will be simplified, jet blades will appear. If we talk about non-aerodrome high-speed vehicles, then this is something completely different from the opera, some kind of hybrid schemes based on aircraft, not helicopters.

Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov announced the intention of the military to acquire another 114 Ka-52 combat helicopters. Supplies for the armed forces, obviously, remain the main source of income for Russian Helicopters, the main manufacturer of these machines in the Russian Federation. the site was sorted out in the process of updating the domestic army aviation and production of helicopters in general.

Rearmament completed

In general, to today the renewal of the army aviation fleet, organizationally part of the Aerospace Forces, has been completed. Purchases of new machines to replace the Soviet-built Mi-8 and Mi-24 began in the late 2000s. In some years, the armed forces received more than 120 new helicopters. In combination with the overhaul and modernization of some Soviet-made machines, this made it possible to provide modern technology the vast majority of helicopter units.

As transport and multi-purpose helicopter pilots received Mi-8 (mainly modifications of MTV-5 and AMTSh), however, in a new version - more economical, comfortable and with modern electronic equipment. In addition, deliveries of super-heavy Mi-26s for the Ministry of Defense have resumed. The generation of combat vehicles, meanwhile, has changed: the basis of the fleet attack helicopters The army aviation of the Aerospace Forces of Russia today consists of the Mi-28N and Ka-52. Mi-35M helicopters, which are a deep modernization of the outgoing Mi-24, were purchased in relatively small quantities to facilitate the transition of pilots to new equipment and compensate for the insufficient production of new generation combat helicopters in the early years.

And the Mi-24, still remaining in parts, and the Mi-35, and latest machines were tested in Syria, where they confirmed their capabilities, including in difficult conditions: at night, in a dust storm and with the use of guided weapons against moving small targets.

Another 114 Ka-52s, the upcoming purchase of which was announced by Yuri Borisov, will almost double the planned number of these helicopters in the army (today the military has about 100 Kamovs, and about 40 more are to be delivered under existing contracts). This will allow the remaining Mi-24s to be completely removed from the combat helicopter units and to maintain a fleet of combat helicopters at the level of more than 400 vehicles by the second half of the 2020s. Of this number, more than 250 will fall on the Ka-52, and the rest - on the Mi-28 of various modifications and the Mi-35M.

Rearmament not completed

The problem of re-equipping the fleet of military helicopters, however, is not limited to combat vehicles of army aviation. First of all, this concerns naval aviation - the current program for the modernization of carrier-based helicopters of the Ka-27 family and its modifications does not allow to eliminate the "family" problems of this type of helicopters, the development of which goes back to the 1960s. Against the backdrop of plans to build two helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy, obtaining machines of a heavier class than those intended for the take-off and landing sites of the Kamov destroyers and patrol boats is becoming an urgent need. At the same time, the fundamental absence of any news (and rumors) about the program for the development of a new family of marine helicopters "Lamprey" makes one suspect that there are no developments yet, or they are, but only on paper. Considering that the first helicopter carrier is to be handed over to the fleet in 2024, this may lead to the fact that modern "medium-heavy" helicopters for it will have to be bought abroad - the modernized Ka-27 and Ka-29, even in combination with the combat Ka-52K, will not cover all the needs of the ship's air group.

In part, this problem is also present in the land line, but there the gap between the Mi-8 and the super-heavy Mi-26 will begin to close to some extent thanks to the supply of new Mi-38T helicopters, the first of which will be received by the Ministry of Defense in 2018. However, this helicopter still does not solve the problem of the lack of a machine with a carrying capacity of 10-12 tons. This issue, apparently, can be resolved more quickly through cooperation with China, where a new generation heavy helicopter is being developed jointly with Russia.

At the same time, the development of the production of Ansat helicopters resolved the issue of the lack of light vehicles and makes it possible to equip training units with relatively inexpensive equipment both in purchase and in operation. The presence of Ansat modifications, including a medical helicopter, as a whole makes the new family competitive, but the lack of a serial Russian light-class engine remains an unresolved problem.

Market search

The saturation of the helicopter fleet of the Ministry of Defense with new machines in the near future means a narrowing of this market share. The reduction in purchases is proceeding at a relatively slow pace, but consistently - for example, in 2018, the Ministry of Defense plans to receive 60 units of new construction instead of 70 a year earlier. Considering the balance between the service life of helicopters, which today is approximately 30–35 years, repair capabilities and the number of helicopters required, it can be assumed that in the end the military will come to the purchase of about 40 vehicles annually, which will allow maintaining the fleet at the level of about 1.5 thousand helicopters. Demand for the rest of the products - and the holding's capacities make it possible to build 300 or more helicopters a year - will have to be sought in other markets.

Several directions look promising here.

In Russia, these are purchases for other government agencies and institutions - from border guards and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to air ambulance. In particular, under the agreement signed in July last year, 31 helicopters will be purchased for doctors in 2018: 12 Ansats and 19 Mi-8s. Considering that the general plan for the supply of civilian helicopters for the current year is estimated at 70-80 aircraft, this contract will make up a significant part of the volume. Procurement is expected to continue in 2019-2020 as well.

Medical Ansats are also exported (the first foreign purchaser was the Chinese company United Helicopters, which ordered five “flying ambulances”), and in general, this indicates that the machine has the potential for further sales growth.

Kamov's Ka-32 fire-fighting helicopters are also stably exported (albeit in small volumes). Moreover, the geography of their presence is expanding - for example, in 2017, Russian Helicopters announced the upcoming delivery of eight aircraft of this type for Thailand and Turkey (without breakdown by country).

In general, the niche of special vehicles - medical, firefighting, police - can ensure the annual sale of dozens of helicopters, but this is a market for relatively small agreements and with fairly intense competition.

A contract with India for the supply of 200 Ka-226 helicopters with the localization of their assembly is capable of seriously advancing the positions of Russian light aircraft in the world market. Such a volume of production is expected to dramatically reduce the cost of the machine and increase its competitiveness.

The export of combat (and military in general) helicopters remains stable - in the middle of last year, the order book was 106 aircraft. different types for a total amount of about $4.7 billion, while in the near future it is planned to sign a contract for the supply of 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters for the Indian Air Force worth more than $1 billion.

In general, the main problem of Russian Helicopters today remains the lack of a modern civilian model - the Mi-8 and its export version of the Mi-17, despite serious modernization, still represent the development of the platform of the 1960s, and the introduction of new technologies on them, primarily in the field of passive safety and efficiency, is seriously hampered. Unfortunately, there is nothing to brag about in this direction yet - the prospects of the Mi-38 mentioned above in the world market of medium civil helicopters are still difficult to assess, and in lighter classes, the establishment of assembly of AW-139 and 189 in Russia speaks quite clearly about the assessment of the prospects own projects in this category.