Kamov vs Mil: how Russian design bureaus see the attack helicopter of the future

“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 their 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 use pusher propellers for horizontal acceleration on the new machine” (VPK.name 12/06/2017).

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 named after. 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..." (Publishing "Our Version". 04/11/2016).

Head of Russian Helicopters: what the helicopter of the future will be like is an open question

On the interest of foreign customers in military and civilian Russian helicopters

At the largest international aerospace exhibition Dubai Airshow 2022, held in the United Arab Emirates, Russia presented many aircraft innovations. For the first time in modern history, the Russian Helicopters holding company of the Rostec state corporation presented as many as six aircraft of various classes and purposes at the exhibition - the Mi-28NE, Ka-52 Alligator, Mi-171A2 and Ka-226T Alpinist helicopters became debutants at the air show. The general director of the holding, Andrei Boginsky, spoke about some of the results of the last exhibition in Dubai, foreign contracts and the prospects for domestic helicopter manufacturing in an interview with TASS.

— Andrey Ivanovich, how do you assess the Dubai Airshow this year was a success for Russian Helicopters?

— I am a supporter of the fact that we create any event ourselves and cannot rely on chance. If we compare it with the previous exhibition, which was in Dubai two years ago, I rate it as very successful. We brought two civilian helicopters to the last exhibition - Mi-38 and Ansat. Here we already had six cars.

Why six helicopters? Rosoboronexport notes the prospects in the military vehicle market, and we have something to demonstrate. The interest shown in our helicopters during the Army exhibitions in 2022 and 2022 and at the MAKS air show shows that it is advisable to show our military vehicles abroad. Not only to show at a static stand, but also to demonstrate their capabilities in flight

With the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov (right) in the cockpit of the Ansat Aurus helicopter

Image source: © Press service of the Russian Helicopters holding company

As for civil issues, we also see some interest here. Firstly, a joint venture was created with the Emirati company AJ Holding LLC. The goal of our joint venture is to sell at least five civil helicopters per year in this market. And we believe this is just the beginning. We need to look at the market, look at buyers, their requirements, based on operating conditions, in order to modify the helicopters if necessary.

As part of the MAKS 2021 air show, we signed an agreement that we will be able to sell here (at Dubai Airshow 2022 - TASS note)

the first Mi-171A2 helicopter. Also at MAKS, working procedures for the Mi-171A2 were signed between the aviation authorities of Russia and the UAE. We submitted an application for certification in April. We will try to complete the certificate validation process by the end of the first quarter of next year.

At the same time, we are holding meetings and negotiations with the UAE aviation authorities on expanding operating procedures not only for one type, but for the entire civilian line of Russian Helicopters: Ansat, Mi-38, Ka-32 and the subsequent Ka-62. This work is organized. We have full support from both sides. We expect a visit from the UAE aviation authorities to Russia in December-January. They will visit the National Helicopter Engineering Center named after M.L. Mil and N.I. Kamov, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, they will look at the training center, simulators - everything in order to form an impression, and additionally request from us documents of a technical, descriptive nature.

We believe that the exhibition was more successful for us than the previous one, due to the fact that we laid the foundation for this in advance. If no one works, nothing happens on its own.

— Have foreign customers shown interest in military innovations - the Ka-52M and Mi-28NE attack helicopters?

— The exhibition is an opportunity to watch, discuss, and ask questions. There were delegations from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mauritania, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Colleagues from Rosoboronexport are actively working for promotion, we are satisfied with the result that we have. We hope that there will also be results on military issues, as well as on civilian ones.

At the Ka-52 helicopter

Image source: © Press service of the Russian Helicopters holding company

— Which was more interesting: the Mi-28NE or the Ka-52?

- Hard to tell. We tell any customer that these combat vehicles have such and such capabilities, flight characteristics, weapons, target recognition systems, and so on. The customer makes a decision to purchase one or another type of aircraft based on his objectives. One customer is satisfied with the characteristics of the Mi-28NE, another - with the Ka-52.

The Ka-52 helicopter is distinguished by unique characteristics - the ability to be based on a ship, folding blades, folding wings for compact storage. The Mi-28NE has other characteristics that the Ka-52 does not have. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that foreign customers rate some of them higher. These are two of the best cars in their class. They will satisfy the needs of any discerning customer, depending on the application mission, goals and objectives.

— If we continue the topic of the Ka-52, it recently underwent modernization. Are there plans to modernize all the helicopters currently in service in the Russian army?

— At the moment we are talking about the supply of new machines as part of the modernization project. If the customer considers it necessary and necessary to modernize combat vehicles, my colleagues in the Rostec aviation cluster and I will, of course, do so. Currently there is no such request. For now, the task is to supply new vehicles, the contract for which was concluded as part of the Army forum this year.

— In February 2022, it was reported that the Russian Helicopters holding company signed a roadmap for localizing the production of the Ka-226T helicopter in India with the Russian-Indian enterprise Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited. What is the status of this project?

“We have completed our part of the project to participate in the joint venture: we created the car, demonstrated it at the MAKS-2021 air show, took it into the air, and now we are presenting it here at the exhibition. The machine will then continue certification tests.

— When will certification be completed?

- Next year. Due to the fact that there is no rush, and this is the use of the resources of the design bureau and flight test station, we will coordinate with colleagues from Rosoboronexport regarding priorities. We have other projects: we need to continue work on the Ka-32, Ansat-M, Mi-171A3, Ka-62.

At the Ka-52 helicopter

Image source: © Press service of the Russian Helicopters holding company

This year we expect to receive a certificate for the Ka-62, because the entire flight program has been completed, bench tests have been completed. We are in the process of finalizing reports for certification centers. The aircraft accumulated more than 700 hours of flight time. We completed the entire flight and ground program. Our task is to provide all reporting materials to certification centers and the Federal Air Transport Agency by the end of November.

— Returning to the Ka-226T helicopter, besides India, what countries can this machine go to?

— We had a delegation from China come to us as part of the “Army” forum, they were very interested in this project, and Saudi Arabia is also interested. There is interest in him.

— Arctic helicopter Mi-26T2V: when mass production begins, is there any interest in this machine among foreign customers?

— This machine is, first of all, for the internal customer, to solve the problems of developing the Arctic region. We are ready to carry out R&D (experimental design work). This will not be a new machine, but its modernization, including the installation of special equipment. We are ready for it. Now we are in the final stage of obtaining the letter “O1” for the basic version of the helicopter; there are not many flights left to complete flight tests of the Mi-26T2V. We expect that by the end of the year we will complete these flights and receive the letter “O1”. We have already made the first deliveries of Mi-26T2V helicopters to the Russian troops.

In turn, the Ministry of Emergency Situations is currently focusing on the Mi-8AMTSH-VA and Mi-38 in the Arctic version, in the “search and rescue” guise. The Ministry of Emergency Situations set us serious requirements that the Mi-38 helicopter could fly 750 km to a point and patrol there for a certain time and return back. That is, it will require the installation of additional fuel tanks.

— Can you indicate the delivery time for these helicopters?

— We have the first deliveries in 2023, a contract for nine vehicles.

— To date, two Mi-38T helicopters have been delivered to the troops. Are there any negotiations on additional supplies?

— We delivered two machines of the installation batch. The military is operating, giving us comments, additions, and suggestions. It is too early to talk about new contracts. But we are in contact with the pilots of the Russian Ministry of Defense; they fly machines. Once this work is completed, I believe this work will be completed at the end of the first quarter of 2022. The results will be summed up, suggestions and comments will be given to us, and after that it will be possible to discuss application tactics.

— Your view on the combat helicopter of the future, what should be reflected in it?

— The machine of the future, first of all, must be optionally manned: both an unmanned and a manned version. The second is, of course, information interaction between various aircraft (manned, unmanned) and ground control points. This is also the universality of the use of this or that weapon, which can be mounted on different types of aircraft, that is, the unification of weapons. In terms of forms, what it will look like is still an open question. When the requirements are finalized, it will be possible to say how these requirements will be met.

Interviewed by Milena Sineva

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 are moving “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 of “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. reached 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 the cruising speed is 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.

Interesting future projects

flying airfield

The idea of ​​​​creating a huge aircraft that can carry smaller devices was born quite a long time ago. Back in 1963, the Soviet designer Bartini proposed building an ekranoplane aircraft carrier weighing 2,500 tons. The construction scheme was considered feasible, but quite difficult at the technical level of that time.

Today, enthusiasts from the Innopedia project propose to create a flying airport, Airborne Metro. According to their idea, the huge device should be equipped with a nuclear power plant and circulate continuously along a large circular route. Passengers will be transported to the Air Metro using regular regional class aircraft.

Flying Airport Airborne Metro

Hypersonic passenger aircraft

In recent years, aviation technology developers have focused mainly on the cost-effectiveness of air travel. Thus, even among subsonic aviation, speeds decreased to 800 km/h, which reduced the cost of the flight, but further increased the time required to complete the flight.

In our country, flight times to the Far East have increased by about an hour. What can we say about transoceanic routes that last more than half a day. No matter how hard manufacturers try to make airplane seats comfortable, withstanding such a flight is a real test for passengers.

It is natural that the thoughts of designers again return to supersonic speeds. However, this time repeating the successes of Concorde is not enough. The new goal is hypersound.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has already launched the LAPCAT program aimed at developing the A2 hypersonic passenger airliner. The goal of the project is to create a suborbital vehicle capable of transporting 300 passengers at a speed of 5M (about 6000 km/h) to any point on our planet.

To implement such an ambitious undertaking, it is planned to use cryogenic fuel technology. It will solve several problems at once: providing the required thrust, cooling the apparatus, and reducing the dependence of air transportation on increasingly expensive petroleum products.

ESA expects to complete the program by 2040, unless, of course, the ongoing financial crisis in Europe prevents this.

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’s 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 fun 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.”

...Don’t “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.

Intelligent filling

Already, the latest models of aviation technology have very respectable computing power. For example, modern long-haul aircraft fly almost completely automatically. The task of a person now is to be a supervisor and “insurance” in case of automation failure.

The Bell 525 helicopter is at the forefront of the civil helicopter class. The vehicle will be able to carry up to 16 passengers and is suitable for rescue operations.

However, this is not the limit. Leading developers of combat aircraft and helicopters have already announced that their new creations will be “optionally piloted” - that is, such machines can be controlled by both a person and a computer. Remember the movie “Aliens,” where the soldiers remaining on the planet used remote control devices to call a landing shuttle? A similar picture may become commonplace in armed conflicts of the near future.

The capabilities of flying cars will go far beyond ordinary remote control and such simple operations as flying along a given route. For example, fifth-generation fighters will gradually be equipped with on-board computers with elements of artificial intelligence. Such machines will be able to perform tasks guided by implicit logic, which will allow automation to find a way out of difficult to predict emergency situations.

The means of interaction with flying vehicles are also changing. The newest stage in the development of the flight navigation system is the so-called “transparent cockpit” . To understand what we are talking about, it is worth remembering the increasingly popular augmented reality devices (for example, Google Glass). However, the concept of a “transparent cockpit” is much broader and includes not only augmented reality, but also technical vision through cameras located around the entire perimeter of the aircraft.

In particular, Bell, in its newest helicopter, the Bell 525, plans to gradually completely abandon the classic instrument panel in the cockpit, reducing it to only a group of backup instruments. All necessary information will be provided to the pilot through a helmet-mounted display and surround sound system. Such a device will practically erase the difference between the pilot and the remote helicopter operator.

In the near future, Bell plans to move from a classic instrument panel to a helmet-mounted display system, creating a kind of virtual cockpit.

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 a 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, the popular proverb says: “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.

Air "blitzkrieg": rotorcraft of the future in the service of the US Army

Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant (FLRAA program)

June marked another achievement by the Sikorsky/Boeing duo in the development of the new high-speed helicopter SB-1 Defiant. It would seem that quite recently (the machine performed its very first flight on March 21, 2022), it hovered awkwardly above the ground, showing with all its appearance the experimental nature of the development. However, on June 9 of this year, at the Sikorsky flight test center in West Palm Beach, the car accelerated to a speed of 205 knots (380 kilometers per hour), setting an absolute speed record for itself. This is just the beginning of a long and persistent journey and new achievements.

Let us remind you that the SB-1 Defiant is part of the FLRAA (Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft) program, generated, in turn, by the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) concept.
The latter is aimed at finding a replacement for almost all US army helicopters. Its components look like this:

• JMR-Light, or Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. The program is designed to find a replacement for the OH-58 Kiowa light helicopter. • JMR-Medium-Light (details and current condition unknown). • JMR-Medium or Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft. The program is designed to find a replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk. • JMR-Heavy. The program is designed to find a replacement for the CH-47 Chinook. • JMR-Ultra. The program is designed to find a machine whose capabilities would be comparable to the C-130J Super Hercules and Airbus A400M transport aircraft.

The SB-1 Defiant helicopter is one of the main contenders for victory in the Future Vertical Lift. And one of two possible ones, if we talk about FLRAA. According to the requirement of the US Army, the vehicle must transport twelve fully equipped paratroopers with a cruising speed of at least 425 kilometers per hour to a range of at least 420 kilometers.

Defiant is close to meeting the requirements. At the same time, the developers themselves plan that the car will be able to fly at speeds of more than 460 kilometers per hour. The demonstrator is equipped with two Honeywell T55 engines and has a well-recognized appearance. Like the helicopter’s distant ancestor in the form of the Sikorsky X2, the new device has a coaxial main rotor and a pusher rotor: by the way, Sikorsky used the same design for the S-97 Raider light helicopter.

Bell V-280 Valor (FLRAA program)

And although the Americans’ relationship with tiltrotors has traditionally not been the best (aviation enthusiasts are well aware of the technical difficulties and gigantic price of the V-22 Osprey), Bell is not afraid of technical challenges. Let us recall that its promising tiltrotor Valor made its first flight on December 18, 2022, that is, two years earlier than its competitor, the SB-1 Defiant, took to the skies.

It is not surprising that the aircraft already has a whole series of achievements behind it.
So, on May 16, 2022, the prototype flew in airplane mode: during testing, the device reached a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. And in January 2022, the tiltrotor accelerated to a cruising speed of 518 kilometers per hour. In December 2019, Valor flew in fully autonomous mode: the pilots were in the cockpit, but did not interfere with the controls. It is expected that in the future such capabilities will minimize the risk to the crew during particularly dangerous missions. Now it is difficult to predict the victory of one or another participant in the competition. Obviously, each of them has its own pros and cons. Thus, Valor will be able to boast greater speed, and choosing SB-1 will reduce technical risks.

Sikorsky Raider-X (FARA program)

The Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, as noted above, is designed to replace the retired OH-58 and complement the AH-64.
It cannot be ruled out that in the future the new product will replace the Apache altogether, but so far the Americans are generally satisfied with their attack helicopter. Sikorsky has advanced the furthest in this direction, which on May 22, 2015, lifted into the sky the Sikorsky S-97 Raider, built in a coaxial design with a pusher propeller in the tail section. First presented at the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) 2022 fall exhibition, the Raider-X is its direct development. In fact, we have before us a “fat” S-97: the difference in size is approximately 30%. It is expected that the device will be able to reach a speed of approximately 380 kilometers per hour, using a General Electric T901 engine. In one of the images shown, the Raider-X can be seen having a built-in weapon and carrying eight air-to-surface missiles on internal mounts. The side-by-side crew arrangement makes the vehicle similar to the OH-58, and its strike capabilities bring it closer to the Apache. So far, Raider-X is not available in hardware. If Sikorsky does not have serious problems, then the company, according to the terms of the competition, will begin testing the prototype at the end of 2022 and, if it wins, will organize mass production of the new machine in 2028.

Bell 360 Invictus (FARA program)

The main challenge for Sikorsky under FARA is not the innovative layout of the Raider-X and the technical difficulties associated with it, but the direct (and now only) competitor in the form of the Bell 360 Invictus. It is appropriate to recall that the remaining competitors (the project from AVX Aircraft and L3 Technologies, the development of Karem and the concept of a combat helicopter from Boeing) dropped out of the competition in March of this year.

Invictus is a relatively “conservative” design, built around a traditional aerodynamic layout.
The vehicle also has a tandem arrangement of crew members, proven for combat helicopters: like the Mi-28 or Apache. Externally, the Bell 360 Invictus helicopter is similar to the long-closed Comanche program, but there are conceptual differences. The main thing is that the promising aircraft is not the “ultimate” stealth: its unusual appearance is a consequence of the developer’s attempt to ensure maximum flight performance at minimal cost.

And yet, even though the project is based on Bell 525 Relentless technologies, this is a fundamentally new machine. That is, nothing can be ruled out: first of all, that the prototype, and especially the production version, will not differ from the model previously shown last fall.

It is known that the vehicle will be able to boast an impressive arsenal: in the presented images, the helicopter carries eight air-to-surface missiles on an external sling and four more on internal mounts. We can say that in terms of armament it will not be inferior to the RAH-66 Comanche, and possibly the AH-64 Apache.

Of the helicopters presented above, only two will get a start in life: the remaining two, most likely, will sink into oblivion. Note also that the four machines presented above are not all of the projects of high-speed helicopters of the future for the US armed forces, but so far we know nothing about the others, except perhaps a multi-level concept.

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 2022 (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 the United States cannot overtake them in this matter today 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 the philologists, sociologists and bankers who manage our helicopter industry are actually simulating our helicopter manufacturing progress under various pretexts.

Combat helicopters of the future, shown as part of AUSA

On October 14, the AUSA 2022 exhibition and symposium began in Washington, where the public could see the most advanced examples of military equipment: from robots and missiles to howitzers and combat helicopters. By the way, about the latter. It was within the framework of the Association of the United States Army that we were given to understand exactly what reconnaissance and attack helicopters would be for the US Ground Forces. However, first things first.

The fact that Americans want new rotary-wing aircraft is far from news. Previously, the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program was launched in the United States, the goal of which is to find a replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and OH-58 Kiowa. That is, completely different rotorcraft.

Most of the talk is about a replacement for the Kiowa: this is not surprising, because the last of these helicopters were retired by the US Army long ago, and their functions were partially taken over by the AH-64 Apache.

The FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) program is called upon to find a replacement for the OH-58. Earlier it became known that AVX Aircraft, Bell, Boeing, Karem Aircraft and Sikorsky submitted their proposals. The latter is the furthest along in implementing his plans: his Sikorsky S-97 Raider took off for the first time in 2015. However, as the AUSA exhibition showed, it was too early to draw conclusions then.

Raider-X

As part of the Association of the United States Army 2022, Sikorsky showed the further development of the S-97: the vehicle was named Raider-X.
The whole concept is based on developments on the Sikorsky X2, the project of which has already been closed. Both the X2, the S-97 Raider, and the Raider-X share the same design: a coaxial main rotor and a pusher type rotor. This allows you to develop a huge cruising (and maximum) speed for a helicopter. It is known that Raider-X will be capable of reaching speeds of 380 kilometers per hour. This is more than enough for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program. The helicopter will receive a General Electric T901 engine. At the same time, Raider-X will be approximately 30% larger than S-97. The crew members, as on the earlier version, will be side by side. The vehicle will be multi-purpose: it will be able to carry troops, weapons, and cargo. It is not yet possible to judge the exact characteristics.

Bell 360 Invictus

The most striking presentation of AUSA 2022 is a helicopter from Bell Helicopter, images of which the American aircraft manufacturer previously “teased” the media. They showed, of course, not a flight prototype, but only a full-size mockup. But this was enough to start people talking about the car with renewed vigor.

Bell Helicopter is based on the civilian Bell 525 Relentless. But the Invictus is a full-fledged fighting machine. On external mounts it will be able to carry up to eight air-to-surface guided missiles, and another four missiles can be placed in the internal compartments. The helicopter will receive a 20-mm cannon and will be able to confidently hit almost all existing ground targets, including main battle tanks. By the way, in terms of the number of guided missiles, the reconnaissance Bell 360 Invictus is very close to attack helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache. Maybe the US will unite two different classes? Time will tell. “Apaches” also do not last forever: sooner or later they will have to be replaced with something.

Among the advantages of the Bell 360 Invictus is its high speed. Cruising speed is 330 kilometers per hour. The crew members are located one after the other. Externally, the helicopter is similar to the Comanche, but the creators themselves are in no hurry to talk about “stealth”. They can be understood: stealth costs a lot of money. Not everyone agrees to pay for it when it comes to a helicopter.

Project from AVX Aircraft and L3 Technologies

Few people were waiting for this presentation. Earlier, of course, the duo of the two companies had already shown images of their promising helicopter for FARA, but it was the mock-up presented at AUSA that made it clear what the new machine would be like. In general, the concept remained unchanged. Before us is a reconnaissance and combat helicopter with a coaxial main rotor and two thrusters located on the sides. The car received large wings that create aerodynamic lift. Crew members sit side by side.

Judging by the pictures presented, the helicopter will be able to carry air-to-surface guided missiles and will have a cannon. We can say with almost complete certainty: whichever helicopter wins the competition, it will be able to carry the already adopted AGM-179 JAGM missile, a replacement for the AGM-114 Hellfire. At the first stage, the range of the AGM-179 is eight kilometers, in the future it will be increased, and then JAGM will be able to hit a target located at a range of sixteen kilometers. This is significantly higher than the indicators of almost all aviation ATGMs.

Karem AR40

The most mysterious participant in the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program is the American company Karem Aircraft. However, it seems like this for Russia and Europe. In the USA themselves, they know very well about Abraham Karem and his brainchild. This man is considered an outstanding American and Israeli engineer who has created a number of UAVs. He made invaluable contributions to the design of the famous MQ-1 Predator.

The Karem Aircraft company itself is known, in particular, for its projects of “monstrous” tiltrotors: in particular, the heavy transport TR75. Capable, in theory, of intercontinental flights.

However, this is clearly not what is needed for FARA. Therefore, within the framework of the Association of the United States Army, Karem Aircraft showed the concept of a much more “modest” aircraft. The AR40 project involves the creation of a rotorcraft with a single main rotor and a pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage. The device will receive a wing that creates part of the lift during horizontal flight. According to the data presented, the speed of the AR40 will be 20 percent higher than that specified by the military in the requirements for promising vehicles. Simply put, it will be greater than or comparable to the speed of the Raider-X and almost certainly faster than the Bell 360 Invictus.

On the other hand, a not very convincing image is all that Karem can boast of within the framework of FARA. At the same time, the Raider-X’s ancestor, the S-97, is already in full flight. The Bell 360 Invictus and AVX/L3 exist as mock-ups, and Boeing clearly intends to give a second life to the AH-64 Apache.

Let us recall that earlier this corporation announced that it plans to remake the famous Apache helicopter, equipping it with a pusher-type propeller. This will increase the helicopter's speed by 50 percent and its efficiency by 24 percent. But so far, even without taking into account these plans, the fate of the world's most popular attack helicopter looks cloudless. It’s hard to say whether Boeing will take additional risks.

In general, AUSA 2022 made it clear that the leading American aircraft manufacturers clashed in earnest. And this is just the beginning. It will be even more interesting to look at the intensity of passions that will unfold around the right to build a helicopter that will replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. Still, the light reconnaissance aircraft is a niche class. And a medium multi-purpose helicopter promises enormous opportunities, including on the international market.

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

August 30, 2016 Vladimir Voronov

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

Why are Russian combat helicopters falling?

No war is without losses, but aviation losses are the most painful, especially if combat operations are conducted with an enemy who has neither aviation nor modern air defense systems.

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 the adoption of the Mi-28 and Ka-50/52 attack helicopters most likely falls into the category of the latter. This epic began almost 40 years ago and in fact has not yet ended.

The commander-in-chief of the 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 guided and unguided missile weapons, the Mi-28 remained at the level of the Mi-24: the characteristics of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) 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 with 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 each new model adopted for service meant a rain of Lenin and State Prizes, 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 the situation: without canceling the decision, it 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 helicopters in the world,” etc., because it is weaker than the 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 2022, 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 a speed of 300 km/h, the Mi-28N has a speed of 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”.

Jet helicopter - the future killer of the American missile defense system

The Kamov design bureau figured out how to cross a bulldog with a rhinoceros...

A set of photographs from a certain meeting at the famous Kamov helicopter design bureau rushed across the network like a hurricane. It was as if the preliminary design of a new promising machine was being defended there, which was immediately nicknamed the “helicopter of the future.”

A leak? Drain?

Some plumbing images, it must be admitted, were invented in the Russian language to express the suspiciously incomprehensible publication of information that seems to be obliged to be secret. Nevertheless, pictures appeared on the Internet on the Airbase forum depicting some respectable-looking people looking at slides on which a strange machine was presented. Clearly flying, but clearly flying strangely.

In appearance, this is a typical helicopter of the Kamov family. Two coaxial propellers above the fuselage, seating the crew, as in the interior of a sports car, shoulder to shoulder on transversely positioned seats. And in appearance everything is typically Kamov. But this helicopter is complemented by two completely aircraft-like swept wings, like those of a jet fighter or attack aircraft. And at the cockpit - the pilot's cabin - two more small wings are screwed on, called “ducks” in Western slang - canard.

Their purpose is, in general, clear: reducing the load on the main wing and creating additional lift, increasing maneuverability, especially at high angles of attack or during stalling. Very useful when recovering from a dive, by the way. Because they have important consequences for longitudinal equilibrium, for the static and dynamic stability characteristics of the aircraft.

Photo: Scramble Magazine/Facebook.com

A pertinent question here is: what is this for a helicopter? Which actually has two screws upwards that are stable and pulled?

Yes. And two tail stabilizers, like on MiGs or Sushkas, also turn out to be important for a helicopter. But this is not news either - this has been typical for Kamov vehicles since the Ka-10 from 1949. It’s just that in this promising development these are not two of those, but practically airplane “tails”. Like on the Ka-52, only there is only one.

But the main thing is that the presented model is equipped with two turbines of obvious turbojet engines. Coupled with the swept wing, the purpose of which is to compensate for stalling phenomena in the air flow at high speeds, the impression of the concept is quite... um, airplane-like.

A cross between a bulldog and a rhinoceros?

This is exactly how the cleverly shown model was described in one of the online discussions. And despite the fact that in the same “leak” there was information that the new helicopter was designed to fly at a speed of 700 km/h, it turns out that what we have in front of us is precisely a cross, a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter. More precisely, on the contrary, if we take into account the initial specialization of the Kamov Design Bureau.

In principle, there is no special news in this either. Kamov already presented in 2008 a concept model of the Ka-90 helicopter, which was supposed to take off using the usual propellers for these aircraft, then turn on a bypass turbojet engine, hide its propellers and fly further like an airplane. But then few people understood how it should all work. Yes, they admitted that the resulting “larva” was beautiful. Like Vysotsky: “...I hid my fangs - I became handsome, even baptized.” However, what is the highest functionality of this sub-jet, sub-helicopter, remains not entirely clear.

Photo: Marina Lystseva/TASS

But with the “leaked” concept, many questions gain at least relative clarity. Especially if you remember that the Americans have been testing the Sikorsky S-97 Raider model since 2015. Very similar: coaxial design with two propellers, two pilots seated side by side, body made of composite materials. And - a pushing screw at the rear. The same cross between a helicopter and an airplane. The Americans believe it is very promising.

True, the speed of the car is 440 km/h in the fastest mode. Apparently, in order to go beyond this limit, the Kamovites equipped their future device not with a screw engine, but with a turbojet engine.

Another clue is given again by an American. Their S-97 with just its name - Raider - reveals one of the vehicle’s tasks: reconnaissance, raiding, transportation of paratroopers-raiders, and the like. In any case, a version of the device with a passenger compartment for 6 people is also provided. As is already reported in the information about the Kamov project - and in our model.

Hence the conclusions regarding functionality. Intelligence - of course. Combining the solidity and corrosiveness of a helicopter with the speed and surprise of an airplane.

High maneuverability at speed, logically resulting from the airframe configuration - to ensure... well, yes, high maneuverability. But - during the attack. After all, what is the main problem of a helicopter, with all its impressive firepower? The fact that he is inactive. And the speed is low, and the sharpness is lacking. Therefore, as the conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya have shown, one too often falls victim not only to man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, but also simply to machine guns. But when an aircraft-type attack aircraft with aircraft maneuverability enters the enemy position at airplane speed, it is much more difficult to deal with it.

Photo: Scramble Magazine/Facebook.com

The enemy is at your doorstep? It will lie there!

Why talk abstractly! After all, in fact, the Ka-52 is already a type of attack aircraft, and in its naval modification “Katran” - also an attack landing support helicopter. Moreover, the range of weapons is close to fantastic: a 2A42 automatic cannon of 30 mm caliber, units of unguided aircraft missiles of 240, 122 and 80 mm caliber, aerial bombs, gun containers, an anti-tank missile system with 9M120-1 “Attack” anti-tank guided missiles, air-to-air guided missiles. air" short-range "Igla-V". If a promising hybrid retains all this, it will be quite bitter for a potential target to watch it go down on itself.

And here this potential goal emerges with frightening clarity. Of course, it would be unnecessary to make such a device as was shown to us just to interfere in a meeting of terrorist field commanders or to smoke out militants holed up in it from a bunker. Cannon and sparrows. But an attack on a missile position well covered by air defense and electronic warfare means is just right. A skillful combination of the qualities of an airplane and a helicopter provides significant advantages in both speed and attack effectiveness. Something like the attack of the German “Stukas” Ju-87 during the Second World War: if not shot down on the approach, then when they lined up in a circle and pecked at the position from a low dive, landing a bomb in a circle with a diameter of 20 meters - it’s a question of the survival of the ground the goal becomes practically insignificant.

Ka-52. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Where are our goals that require such means of destroying them? Where we have it is known who needs it. And where the enemy, who has visibly identified himself, is quite clear. Especially after he indicated his withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and is thus close to giving himself a free hand to use his missile defense bases in Poland and Romania as targets for the first to launch a disarming global strike. Non-nuclear, as the enemy promises, and what you can trust him about.

In fact, splitting our positions of strategic nuclear forces with conventional Tomahawks does not mean unleashing a nuclear war, does it? In this case, Moscow will not have a reason to use its nuclear strategy? After all, no one launched nuclear strikes on Russia, and an attack on its positions by ballistic intercontinental missiles in no way undermines the foundations of its national existence! That is, under the conditions of the total dominance of the PR regime in the West, such an attack can generally be portrayed as an act of peacemaking!

And for those who then survive in the mountains of New Zealand, the culprits of the nuclear destruction of civilization will forever remain the evil aggressive Russians. Those who vilely responded to a peaceful handshake by launching intercontinental missile monsters.

Under these conditions, airplanes and helicopters like the one shown by the Kamov team can show their exceptional value. As soon as data began to arrive that the Americans were replacing anti-missiles in containers with attack cruise missiles, immediately, along with the Calibers and Iskanders, turbojet attack helicopters began to start their engines, not leaving even a fly unscathed after their impact...

What 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 3600 m. 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 helicopter moves in lateral flight in a wide circle over a ground target with a downward tilt, 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.” The 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 subsidence, they tried to hold the car with “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 energetic maneuvers with overload at 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 abruptly 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 the 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 joke that it is “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).

The future of aviation. Prospective projects of airplanes and helicopters

Looking at how the world-famous solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse 2 has been “finishing” its round-the-world trip for more than a year now (it took off on March 9, 2015), one might think that the development of passenger aviation has stopped or is even going in the opposite direction. Of course, Solar Impulse 2 is not the future of aviation, but modern aircraft are slower than the supersonic Concordes that flew 30 years ago. New aircraft models generally differ from old ones only in greater fuel efficiency. Airbus is not even going to develop a new aircraft for the 2020s. However, everything is not so hopeless. The most promising projects in aeronautics are described below, demonstrating that the development of aviation is still ongoing. Airbus-E-Fan

Airbus is testing a small but all-electric aircraft, the Airbus-E-Fan. The latest achievement of the aircraft is the flight across the English Channel. So far, this model cannot be used for any long flights, even by one person. more details in Russian

DISPURSAL

But many aircraft manufacturers have no doubt that electric aviation is the future. To begin with, it is planned, as in cars, to make a hybrid engine. Airbus intends to test a “more electric aircraft” as part of the DISPURSAL project in 2022. The contribution of the electric fan motor to the total thrust should be 23%. more details

X-57 Maxwell

NASA in 2016 announced the start of development of the X-57 Maxwell aircraft equipped with 14 electric engines. It will be a small four-seater aircraft. According to engineers, the introduction of electric motors will significantly reduce operating costs. The agency does not say when the aircraft will be created. more details

Lilium Aviation

German startup Lilium Aviation has received funding to create an electric private jet that can take off and land without an airport.
The plane will need only 225 meters to take off and land. The company has already created a prototype and plans to introduce a full-size version at the end of 2022. more details Aerion AS2

The Aerion AS2 is the first supersonic aircraft from Airbus in a very long time. This is a private jet designed for 12 passengers. $4 billion will be invested in its development, and release is planned for 2023. more details

QueSST

In early March, NASA announced the development of an almost silent supersonic aircraft, QueSST. The main reason for banning supersonic passenger aircraft (besides fuel economy) was the excessive noise when going supersonic. NASA has developed methods to get rid of the noise and expects to build a prototype around 2022. read more

Boom

Aviation startup Boom, backed by Virgin Galactic, is working on a supersonic plane. The startup plans to use the new aircraft to fly over the Atlantic 2.5 times faster than conventional aircraft. The $2 billion investment should allow the company to build a prototype by the end of 2022. more details

D-SEND 2

Japan is located far from world centers and is therefore very interested in obtaining supersonic aircraft. They even wanted to buy a Concorde, but in the end it didn’t work out. Therefore, now the space agency JAXA is testing the supersonic glider D-SEND 2. There has already been success in reducing noise, the approximate release date of the commercial model is 2030. more details

Skylon

According to its creators, the Skylon aircraft will be able to reach any point in 4 hours at a speed 5 times faster than the speed of sound. To create it, British engineers are testing a new type of engine. They announced the first tests for 2022. However, this project, despite an investment of 60 million euros from the British government, is the most long-term and difficult to implement of all.

The largest aircraft manufacturers believe that aeronautics is already a miracle and, although a new aircraft appears every 5-10 years, there is no need for any breakthrough improvements. More details in the table. Airplane table

Boeing 777X

The champion in terms of minor improvements will be the new Boeing 777X, scheduled for release in 2022. It will have a 5% stronger engine, 12% lower fuel costs and CO2 emissions, 17 tons more payload and 18% more seats.
more details Bombardier Global 8000

The Bombardier Global 8000 business jet for 8 passengers will be able to fly a record 14,600 kilometers without refueling at an average speed of 956 km/h. The company plans to begin sales in 2019 at a price of approximately $65 million. The aircraft will compete with the Citation Hemisphere and Gulfstream G600 - new business jets also going on sale in 2018-2020. The planes will cost from $35 million to $55 million. more details

Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie

The new Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie private jet is cheaper than the competition ($600K) and the fastest in its class, but its main design innovation is that it looks exactly like Bruce Wayne's plane. It can carry up to 5 passengers at a time. Release date: mid-2022. more details

SkiGull

The SkiGull private amphibious aircraft will be able to land not only on water, but on any surface (grass, snow, ice). It made its first flight in November 2015 and will soon go on sale more details

Icon A5

Another seaplane, the two-seater Icon A5, is capable of taking off from and landing on water, can also recover from a spin, and is equipped with a parachute for the entire aircraft. It is recognized as so safe that you don’t even need a pilot’s license to be allowed to fly, just 20 hours of practice. It costs $250,000 and is already in production. In 2016, the first 7 aircraft were assembled, but 1,850 orders have already been made for the aircraft. more details

Cirrus SF50

The Cirrus Vision SF50 business jet may be the first mass-produced personal jet. It will be capable of carrying up to 7 passengers and should be significantly easier to operate than a conventional private jet. It will also have a parachute for the entire aircraft. 4 prototypes were built and the first aircraft was delivered to the customer in June 2016. In total, more than 600 of these machines have already been ordered at a price of $2 million. more details

E-GO

The British single-seat e-Go is unique with its low price of just $70,000. Cheaper than many cars. The first buyer received the aircraft in June 2016. more details

Epic E1000

At the other end of the price spectrum is the $3 million Epic E1000 six-seat private jet. The aircraft will be capable of flying at class-record speeds of up to 600 km/h over a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers and can climb to altitudes of up to 10 km. The prototype of the aircraft is currently undergoing testing, but more than 60 orders have already been placed for it. more details

Ever since the advent of the helicopter, people have wanted to create a vehicle that was as fast as an airplane, but could fly and land anywhere like a helicopter. This vehicle even received the working name VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) or simply a vertical takeoff aircraft. The persistent but unsuccessful attempts to create this device are captured in the infographic “wheel of misfortune”.

The VTOL must be “capable of anything a bird can do in the air” and fly at least 3 times faster than a conventional AW609

Formally, the Italian company AgustaWestland came closest to creating a VTOL transport with the AW609 tiltrotor. It is indeed capable of landing vertically and flying further than conventional helicopters, but in speed (509 km/h) it is still significantly inferior to airplanes. So far, tiltrotors have been produced only for the needs of the American military. But the AW609 will be a civilian transport for businessmen and the oil industry. Certification is expected in 2017 and 70 orders have already been received. more details

DARPA

DARPA has announced a competition to finally create a vertical take-off aircraft () and 4 large corporations (Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences Corp, Sikorsky Aircraft Co and Karem Aircraft) will present their full-size prototypes for testing in February 2017. more details

Joby Aviation

Another attempt is an electric VTOL from the startup Joby Aviation. The company says it will cost $200,000 apiece, but doesn't give a release date. more details

TriFan 600

Another contender is the TriFan 600 private vertical take-off aircraft, which raised $18 million through crowdfunding.
The company promises to transport up to 12 people over 3,000 km. And certify the aircraft in 4-6 years. more details S-97 Raider

An alternative to creating a VTOL is to simply increase the speed of the helicopter. This is what Sikorsky aircraft achieves. Their new S-97 Raider helicopter is capable of flying at speeds of up to 450 km/h. The first test flight was made in May 2015. Initially, only the military will be able to use this model. more details

Helicopters also have not stopped developing (especially military ones, but we are not talking about them here). Promising models in development are described in the table below: Helicopter table

To summarize, we can note at least 3 trends in the development of aviation. Developments of electric aircraft, the return of supersonic and the creation of a hybrid aircraft-helicopter (VTOL). The implementation of at least one of these developments will be a big breakthrough for the industry. In addition to these revolutionary changes, airplanes and helicopters are gradually improving with the release of new models (more fuel efficiency, more composite materials, cheaper operation, more automation, etc.),