Helicopter of the USSR civil for the population. USSR helicopters

70 years ago, on September 20, 1948, the Mi-1 helicopter took off for the first time. This rotorcraft, which in the NATO codification received the designation "hare", became the first serial Soviet helicopter. Developed in the late 1940s, the Mi-1 multi-purpose helicopter was mass-produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 to 1960. A total of 2680 such helicopters were built, which remained in operation in the USSR until 1983.

It can be said that the Mi-1 helicopter began the development of a helicopter design bureau, which today bears the name of the famous aircraft designer Mikhail Mil. It was formed on December 12, 1947. Throughout its history, Mil Design Bureau has designed 13 main models of helicopters and more than 200 of their modifications - from light to super-heavy classes, including the most popular Mi-8 multi-purpose helicopter in world history. But it all started with the Mi-1 helicopter, which was mass-produced in the USSR, and then in Poland in passenger, postal, agricultural, sanitary and, of course, military versions. The machine has found wide application in the Air Force and civil aviation Soviet Union. The excellent performance characteristics of the rotorcraft "hare" are best evidenced by 27 world records that were set on a helicopter between 1958 and 1968.

Helicopter Mil first (GP-1)

All attempts that have been directed towards creating a suitable practical application helicopter until the mid-1940s ended in nothing. The helicopter turned out to be a much more science-intensive machine than many thought, the creation of rotorcraft was only possible for truly experienced design teams. At the same time, the pre-war years were years of experiments in the field of helicopter construction. The most widespread before the Second World War were gyroplanes. The main rotor of such aircraft rotated in flight by itself under the action of the oncoming air flow, it did not have a mechanical drive from the engine. In the USSR, the first gyroplanes under the designation A-4, designed by Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, entered service with the Red Army in 1934. At the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War A squadron of military gyroplanes A-7-3a (the first production rotary-wing aircraft in the country) designed by Nikolai Kamov was formed in the country. This squadron was used by the Soviet troops in the Smolensk defensive battle in the summer of 1941. The engineer of this squadron was Mikhail Mil, a famous helicopter designer in the future.

The prerequisites for the transition from experimental helicopters to special-purpose helicopters that could be put into mass production developed in the Soviet Union in the middle and second half of the 40s of the last century. At the same time, the country chose the path of creating helicopters, as they say now, of the classical scheme - with one main rotor and one tail rotor. This scheme of helicopters to this day reigns supreme in the field of helicopter construction all over the world. At the same time, in the war and the first post-war years in the USSR, not a single design bureau was engaged in single-rotor helicopters. In 1945, Mikhail Mil, in his own own initiative began work on an experimental helicopter, which he called EG-1. This machine was a three-seat helicopter, built according to the classic single-rotor scheme.

In 1946, a helicopter laboratory was formed at TsAGI, headed by Mil. Under his direct supervision, a universal test bench for a full-scale helicopter installation (NGU) was created here. This stand was necessary for testing and researching full-size rotors, as well as fine-tuning the design of the main parts of helicopters. It was on the basis of NSU that a helicopter was developed, which received the index GM-1 (Helicopter Mil first). And on December 12, 1947, the historical decree “On the creation of a communications helicopter for the USSR Armed Forces” saw the light of day, this became the starting point in the history of the Milev company, today it is JSC “Moscow Helicopter Plant named after M. L. Mil”, which is part of the holding “Helicopters Russia". In 1947 it was the Allied OKB-4 of Minaviaprom.

Due to the absence at that time in OKB-4 of its own production base, the first three experimental machines were built at an aircraft factory in Kiev. Helicopter tests were organized at the Zakharkovo airfield, not far from the famous Tushino airfield. Despite a number of air crashes, the tests could be called successful. The helicopter hung confidently in the air, was distinguished by good stability in flight and excellent maneuverability. During the tests of the rotorcraft, a flight speed of 175 km / h and a dynamic ceiling of 5200 meters were achieved. Since 1949, the helicopter has been undergoing state tests, which did not reveal any particular complaints about the machine, with the exception of the magnitude of the vibration and the level of piloting. In the 1950s, a sufficient number of various tests were carried out, which checked the operation of the helicopter in difficult weather conditions, in mountainous terrain and in conditions of emergency landings.

Already on February 21, 1950, a decree was received by the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the start of serial production of the GM-1 helicopter, under the new designation Mi-1. Initially, the new rotorcraft was developed as a communication vehicle, but later the helicopter was used in the most different roles. Serial production of the helicopter continued from 1952 to 1960 on aircraft factories in Moscow, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don and Orenburg. In the period from 1956 to 1965, the helicopter was also produced in Poland in the city of Swidnik. In total, 2,680 helicopters were assembled during serial production, including more than 1,500 (like the SM-1 and its modifications) in Poland.

The design of the Mi-1 helicopter and its modifications

The Mi-1 helicopter had a classic single-rotor design with a three-bladed main rotor and a tail tail rotor. In front of the fuselage there was a cockpit with a pilot's workplace and a sofa, which could easily accommodate two passengers. Behind the cockpit was the engine compartment with the AI-26GRF piston engine, developed by designer Alexander Ivchenko. This engine was produced in Zaporozhye at the Progress plant, it produced a maximum power of 575 hp. Engine power was enough to accelerate a two-ton car to a speed of 185 km / h, the practical ceiling slightly exceeded three kilometers.

When designing the helicopter, Soviet designers took into account the experience of foreign helicopter construction, but they managed to create an original design that has proven its effectiveness over decades of operation. For example, Soviet engineers developed a sleeve rotor with spaced horizontal and vertical hinges. Such a design increased the efficiency of aircraft control and was much simpler than that used on American helicopters with a main rotor hub with combined horizontal hinges, the axis of these hinges passed through the axis of rotation of the main rotor. Initially, the rotor blades of the Mi-1 helicopter had a mixed design (steel and wood parts, linen and plywood sheathing). The landing gear of the Mi-1 helicopter was not retracted in flight.

In the course of serial production and operation of the new helicopter, changes were made to its design, the machine was improved. Soviet designers worked especially hard to improve the reliability and design of one of the most labor-intensive and high-tech units of a rotary-wing machine - the blades. In 1956, the spar, docked from three pipes, was replaced with a one-piece, made of steel pipe with variable wall thickness. In 1957, an all-metal blade with a pressed duralumin spar was developed for the Mi-1. The introduction of all-metal blades on a helicopter led to the inclusion in the machine control system, first of aerodynamic compensators, and only then of hydraulic boosters, which facilitated the control process. As part of the modernization carried out in the 1950s, multi-purpose Mi-1 helicopters were equipped with an external suspension system with a payload capacity of up to 500 kg. The instrumentation installed on the helicopter was improved, the main rotor hub was replaced.

In total, during the serial production of the Mi-1 helicopter, about 20 modifications were developed, among which the following can be distinguished:

Mi-1U (GM-2, 1950) is a two-seat training helicopter with dual controls.
Mi-1T (1953) - with a new AI-26V engine and a resource increased to 300 hours, in 1954 an arctic version of the helicopter was developed, designed to be based on icebreakers.
Mi-1KR (1956), Mi-1TKR - artillery spotters for the USSR Armed Forces.
Mi-1NH (1956, from 1959 it was called Moskvich) is a national economic version of the helicopter. On the basis of this model representative variants of the helicopter were built piece by piece. For example, in 1960-1968, Finnish President Urho Kekkonen used such a machine.
Mi-1A (1957) - a helicopter with a resource of units increased to 600 hours, as well as a node for attaching an additional fuel tank.
Mi-3 (1954) - a sanitary modification of a helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor, a more comfortable cabin, as well as suspended gondolas designed to transport the wounded and sick.
Mi-1M (1957) - a modernized version of the helicopter with an increased resource, all-weather equipment, as well as a luggage compartment.
Mi-1MG (1958) - a modification of the helicopter, which received a float chassis, it was used on ships of the Soviet Antarctic whaling flotilla Slava.
Mi-1MU, Mi-1MRK (1960) - training and reconnaissance and corrective versions of the Mi-1M for the USSR Armed Forces.

Medical version of the Mi-1 helicopter

It can also be noted that in 1957, another version of the upgraded Mi-1T helicopter was tested in the Soviet Union. This model was a military stacker telephone lines connections. Special containers were installed on board the helicopter, inside of which there were coils of telephone wire. A helicopter in one flight could lay a line telephone connection up to 13 kilometers long. And in 1961, a version of the Mi-1 helicopter with suspended weapons was developed. It was a Mi-1MU helicopter with machine gun mounts and unguided rockets TRS-134. Later, the Falanga-M and Malyutka missile systems were installed on the same helicopter. However, such helicopters were not accepted into service with the Soviet Army due to the lack of clear ideas from the high command about the need for combat helicopters in the troops. Also in the mid-1950s in the USSR, on the basis of the Mi-1 multi-purpose helicopter, a deck modification was developed, which was distinguished by folding blades and a tail boom, but the engine power was not enough to lift specialized search equipment and weapons by helicopter. It was also not possible to bring the B-5 (Mi-5) helicopter with gas turbine engines to the series.

Pilots about the Mi-1 helicopter

The famous test pilot Hero of the Soviet Union Gurgen Karapetyan, who during his service mastered 39 types of aircraft and flew all types of Mil helicopters, in 1960 won the USSR Helicopter Championship on the Mi-1. It was the Mi-1 that was the first helicopter on which he flew at the Central Aeroclub. Until that moment, flying only on gliders and airplanes, on a multi-purpose Mi-1 helicopter, he was immediately struck by the difference in managing a new aircraft for him, Gurgen Karapetyan recalled. “The Mi-1 had a completely different style of piloting, not everyone could cope with it, not everyone succeeded. If on an airplane the first flight for a beginner in the flying club was already after about 5-6, maximum 7 hours of training, then the training program for a rotorcraft pilot took an average of 12-15 hours, ”Karapetyan noted in an interview with the industry magazine of the Russian Helicopters holding ". On the Mi-1 helicopter, Gurgen Karapetyan performed a square landing and took third place, and already in next year became national champion.

According to the 1st class pilot, master of sports of international class Inna Kopets: “The Mi-1 was an excellent helicopter: maneuverable, powerful, quick climb. However, in piloting the car was sensitive and "sharp". The helicopter demanded a lot of attention from the pilot, especially for early production machines that did not have hydraulic boosters. It was very good to learn on the Mi-1 helicopter: whoever managed to learn how to fly this machine could master any other helicopter in the future. At one time, we did such things on “ones”! It is worth noting that Inna Kopets, of course, has something to compare with. This is a unique female pilot, the only one in the world whose flight time on different models of helicopters exceeds 11.5 thousand hours.

Mi-1AU from DOSAAF in flight, photo: aviaru.rf

Remembering the Mi-1 helicopter, test pilot Milya Gurgen Karapetyan also told a curious story. “The first helicopter flight took place on September 20, 1948, on that day pilot Matvey Baikalov lifted the rotorcraft into the air. After him, test pilot Mark Gallay flew in a helicopter. After landing, he issued his verdict: "This thing will not fly." Then the honored test pilot of the USSR Mark Gallai was mistaken. The helicopter flew and flew successfully. The last Mi-1 helicopter was officially decommissioned in the Soviet Union only 35 years after his words - in 1983.

Mi-1 helicopter operation

The good performance characteristics of the Mi-1 multi-purpose helicopter were confirmed by a large number of different records. In total, from 1957 to 1968, Soviet pilots set 27 world records on the machine. Among them were three flight speed records (210, 196 and 141 km/h) at a distance of 100, 500 and 1000 meters respectively, flight distance records - 1654 km and flight altitude - 6700 meters, as well as 11 women's records.

The first state order for a helicopter was limited to the production of only 15 machines. Initially, in the Soviet leadership circles, they were rather skeptical about the idea of ​​mass production of new aircraft. However, the situation completely changed during the Korean War, after the USSR received enough information about the successful use of helicopters by the Americans. The Mi-1 and its capabilities were personally demonstrated to Stalin, after which the rotorcraft went into large-scale production.

Aeroflot Mi-1A helicopter, photo: aviaru.rf

The first training squadron in the Air Force, which was engaged in the development of helicopters and the training of pilots, was formed in Serpukhov at the end of 1948. Initially, the squadron used G-3 helicopters, created in the Design Bureau of IP Bratukhin. The first Mi-1 helicopters from the pre-production batch began to enter the squadron at the beginning of 1951, it was then that the pilot operation of the Mi-1 helicopter began. Subsequently, helicopters of this type began to arrive en masse in units of the Ground Forces, and later in separate helicopter squadrons and flight schools of the USSR. For a long time in the Soviet Union, the Mi-1 helicopter was the main type of training helicopter.

In 1954, during maneuvers using a real nuclear weapon at the Totsk test site, Mi-1 helicopters were used for the first time in history as radar scouts. At the same time, part of the Mi-1 helicopters was used in the border troops, where they were used to patrol the state border. The baptism of fire of the Soviet military helicopters Mi-1 took place in 1956. Helicopters were used in Hungary, where they were used for communication, surveillance of the area and evacuation of the wounded. After 12 years, Mi-1 helicopters were already used for the same purposes in Czechoslovakia.

Since February 1954, the operation of Mil's units began in the civil aviation of the USSR. A few years later, the Mi-1 was actively used by Aeroflot already throughout the entire territory of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the regular operation of the Mi-1 helicopter and the Mi-4 medium-class helicopter began almost simultaneously. These machines made up a rather successful "tandem", mutually complementing each other's capabilities. "Aeroflot" rotary-winged "hares" were used to transport people and small cargo, deliver mail. Since 1954, the helicopter began to be used in the national economy of the country. Like the military, Mi-1 helicopters have long become the base helicopter for training civilian pilots.

In total, several dozen Mi-1s were lost in various aviation incidents during the operation of this helicopter. different types. At the same time, two experimental helicopters crashed at the testing stage in 1948-1949. In the crash that occurred on March 7, 1949, test pilot of the Design Bureau Mil Matvey Baikalov, who was the first to fly the Mi-1 helicopter on September 20, 1948, died. Later, Mikhail Mil will speak about this: “the real chief designer is the one who is able to survive the first catastrophe of his aircraft and not be broken. At the same time, he experienced the catastrophe and the death of the pilot Miles very strongly, he did not appear at the workplace for three days.

V different years Mi-1 helicopters were widely used in the armed forces of the Soviet Union, Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, East Germany, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Yemen, North Korea, China, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Finland, Czechoslovakia. They were also used by the Soviet civil air carrier - Aeroflot. The army modification of the Mi-1V helicopter was quite actively used by the PRC during police operations, in addition to this, the vehicles were used by the Egyptian and Syrian military during the hostilities against the Israeli army. The last Mi-1 helicopter in the USSR was officially decommissioned in 1983, but Mi-1 helicopters continued to serve in the armies of some countries of the world even into the 1990s. It so happened that it was the Mi-1 multi-purpose helicopter - the rotary-winged "hare" - that became the first Soviet serial helicopter, the ancestor of a whole dynasty of Mil helicopters, the machine that paved the way for domestic helicopters into the sky.

Flight performance of the Mi-1:
Overall dimensions: length - 12.09 m, height - 3.30 m, main rotor diameter - 14.35 m, tail rotor - 2.50 m.
The weight of the empty helicopter is 1700 kg.
The normal take-off weight is 2140 kg.
Maximum takeoff weight - 2330 kg.
The power plant is PD Progress AI-26GRF with a power of 575 hp.
The maximum flight speed is 185 km / h.
Cruising flight speed - 130 km / h.
Practical range - 430 km.
Practical ceiling - 3500 m.
Crew - 1 person, payload - 2 passengers or 255 kg of various cargoes in the cabin, on an external sling up to 500 kg.

Sources of information:
https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/5582222
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/uh/mi1.html
http://oruzhie.info/vertoleti/676-mi-1
http://www.russianhelicopters.aero
Materials from open sources

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70 years ago, the first serial Soviet Mi-1 helicopter took off into the sky. How the legendary car was created, flew and fell, Gazeta.Ru recalls.

Exactly 70 years ago, on September 20, 1948, the Mi-1 helicopter took off for the first time in Moscow, from which the Soviet helicopter industry began.

In the USSR, there was experience in the development of rotary-wing aircraft even before the war, but these were gyroplanes - devices with a freely rotating main rotor, creating lifting force from the oncoming air flow.

Mil thought about creating the first helicopter during the war and even wrote a letter to Stalin.

In 1945, Mil defended his doctoral dissertation "The dynamics of a rotor with hinged blades and its application to the problems of stability and controllability of an autogyro and a helicopter." Soon, the designer began developing an experimental EG-1 helicopter. To begin with, a full-scale helicopter installation was designed - in essence, it was a future helicopter without a tail boom.

Model of the Mi-1 helicopter on a full-scale helicopter installation in the wind tunnel T-101 TsAGI

How scientist, Mil could not officially deal with his brainchild - they worked on it in the evenings with the involvement of enthusiasts from different laboratories.

At the same time, the director of TsAGI, Shishkin, constantly reprimanded Mil - they say, he is not doing his job.

By the end of 1947, in the helicopter industry, the USSR was hopelessly behind the United States, where these machines were already being mass-produced with might and main, and Sikorsky's devices with good flight data were accepted into service. Sikorsky's success attracted investors, helicopter companies grew like mushrooms.

The country's leadership decided to gather forces to create the first three-seater communication helicopter and involve three designers - Mil, Yakovlev and Bratukhin. To create a design bureau, Mil, head of the 5th laboratory of TsAGI, turned to Minaviaprom, after which he made a report to the ministry. In August 1947, Stalin wrote to Defense Minister Zhukov:

“Why are there many firms in the USA engaged in helicopters and they are already being used in the army, while only Bratukhin is digging in our country and there is nothing concrete?”

In December 1947, despite the protests of Shishkin, Mil received his design bureau at the disposal of the plant 382 in Tushino. On the back of the order, Mil drew a donkey trying to push a huge stone down the mountain - this is how he perceived his own efforts in order to move things forward.

Boris Yuryev, an aviator scientist, student and son-in-law of Zhukovsky, who back in 1911 patented a swashplate, actively took part in promoting the idea of ​​​​a helicopter,

to this day, remaining the most important part of any helicopter in the world.

The first helicopter, and then they were also called helicopters, was designed as a messenger. The cabin, in addition to the pilot, accommodated two more people. The design was chosen as a single-rotor with a tail and main three-bladed propellers - later it became known as the classic one.

TsAGI press service

The developers took into account the experience of foreign helicopter industry and made their original proposals. So, they redesigned the rotor hub, which used vertical and horizontal hinges. When designing and fine-tuning the Mi-1 prototype, a number of original technical solutions were used: a main rotor control system with inertial dampers, subsequently equipped with irreversible hydraulic boosters; integration of control systems for the common pitch of the main rotor and engine power in single system"step-gas".

An anti-icing system was also developed for the main and tail rotor blades. The Mi-1 was equipped with AI-26 engines with a power of 580 hp, which could lift up to 2.5 tons of weight into the air.

The first copies had to be built in Kiev at plant number 473 (now Aviant) due to the absence of the OKB. A mile of required manufacturing base. The first copy was built in August 1948 and transported to Moscow.

The first takeoffs on the Mi-1 prototype - GM-1 (Milya-1 helicopter) - were performed on September 20, 1948 at the Zakharkovo airfield,

test pilot Matvey Baikalov was at the helm.

Already 10 days later, on September 30, Baikalov again lifts the car into the air and develops a speed of 100 km / h on it, and after some time it reaches a maximum of 170 km / h.

During the first flights, cracks were found in the engine gearbox, the reason was the lack of inertial dampers that would dampen torsional vibrations. The problem was quickly solved by introducing rubber bushings on the main shaft into the design.

The tests had been going on for two months, but on November 24 the first accident occurred. During Baikalov's flight to the ceiling, grease froze in the swashplate, and the pilot had to use a parachute. Then the flight altitude was limited to 3 thousand meters.

It so happened that the pilot, who raised the first helicopter into the sky, gave him his life. On March 7, 1949, Baikalov drove the second prototype to Chkalovskaya near Moscow, and in front of those meeting the helicopter crashed, killing the pilot.

It turned out that the helicopter's shaft had collapsed, transmitting rotation from the main gearbox to the tail rotor at the welded joint.

State tests continued, and in 1950 the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on serial production of the Mi-1. In total, over 2.5 thousand of these helicopters were built in the USSR in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, the industry switched to the production of more priority Mi-4 helicopters, and it was decided to transfer the production of the Mi-1 to Poland, where 300 machines were produced under license in 1957–1960.

The helicopter had good flight performance, but was unstable to lateral wind gusts, there was a flutter of the main rotor. Saved by a powerful engine, which provided a high power-to-weight ratio. The helicopter, as planned, began to be operated in the army as a messenger, its design was constantly improved.

In the winter of 1954, the Mi-1 entered civil aviation.

The Mi-1, the first Soviet serial helicopter, set 27 world records.

Reliable and easy to operate, in the USSR it was used both in the armed forces and in civil aviation - for processing farmland, delivering mail and cargo, and evacuating the sick and wounded.

The military modification of the Mi-1V was actively used in China to fight against the Changhaishists. Used by the Egyptians and Syrians in the fight against the Israeli army. In Iraq, the Mi-1 was used and participated in the operations of Saddam Hussein's army against the Kurds.

In the USSR, the Mi-1 was often used to transport mail to hard-to-reach regions, to the traffic police, and was put into service with the USSR Air Force. It was withdrawn from service in 1983.

Pavel Kotlyar/Gazeta.Ru

Today, the Mi-1 remained only in the form of monuments in various cities of Russia, there are only a few machines in flight condition. The rotting body of one of the cars was photographed by the correspondent of Gazeta.Ru on the territory of the MARZ plant near Moscow.

The Mi-1 was the first brainchild of the new design bureau, and the Mi-1 became Mil's favorite helicopter, which justified all his hopes.

Later, the more powerful Mi-4, gas turbine Mi-6, Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-26 and the world's largest helicopter Mi-12 appeared in the USSR, to which Sikorsky's son took off his hat. “For 18 years now I have been looking at him, and I like him,” Mikhail Leontievich wrote about his first child. “This means that the car is good, it was made to last.”

In Russia, the first steps in the study and practical creation of rotorcraft were taken in 1912 by a student of N. E. Zhukovsky, later an academician, head of the department of aerodynamics of the Air Force Engineering Academy. N. E. Zhukovsky and one of the leaders of TsAGI - Boris Nikolaevich Yuryev.
However, only in 1930, a single-rotor helicopter TsAGI 1-EA was built at TsAGI according to Yuryev's scheme. The section at TsAGI at that time was headed by A. M. Cheremukhin, who was instructed to build the first Soviet helicopter. On August 14, 1932, A. M. Cheremukhin climbed on it and reached a height of 605 m. The flight lasted 12 minutes. In this flight, the world altitude record for helicopters was exceeded by 33.5 times.
Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, design bureau The Moscow Aviation Institute, under the leadership of I.P. Bratukhin, designed and built the Omega twin-rotor helicopter.
In 1945 - 1946 The design bureau of Nikolai Ilyich Kamov designed and built, and then tested light helicopters Ka-8 and Ka-10. Somewhat later, this design bureau created the Ka-15 and Ka-18 helicopters.
The first production Soviet helicopter, the Mi-1, was developed at the Design Bureau under the leadership of Mikhail Leontyevich Mil. In 1948, test pilot M.K. Baikalov made the first flight with forward speed on the Mi-1. In 1950, state tests were completed, the helicopter went into mass production. January 8, 1956 Mi-1 made its first flight in Antarctica. The Mi-4 assault transport helicopter was built at the Design Bureau of M. L. Mil at the end of 1952. A wide serial production of the Mi-4 helicopter was organized. The machine had several modifications, designed both for military purposes and for the needs of the national economy. The helicopter set seven world records, and the Mi-4 won a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Brussels. The era of piston helicopter construction ended with the Mi-4 helicopter.
Opportunities domestic technology made it possible to proceed to the creation of a large-capacity helicopter with a gas turbine power plant. The Mi-6 became such a helicopter. In October 1957, during a test flight, a load of 12 tons was lifted to a height of 2432 m, which was a world record and twice the load lifted by the American S-56 helicopter. By helicopter MI-6
12 world records for flight speed and maximum height of cargo were set.
For the transportation of bulky cargo weighing up to 12 tons, on the basis of the Mi-6 helicopter, the Mi-10 crane helicopter is being created, which could transport bulky cargo up to 20 m long, 3.5 m high and 5 m wide at a distance of up to 250 km. In 1961, during the air parade in Tushino, this helicopter delivered the house of the exploration party to the airfield. A crane helicopter with a shortened landing gear managed to set a world record for carrying capacity: a load of 25.1 tons was lifted to a height of 2840 m.
Further work of OKB Mil was associated with the creation of a helicopter with a gas turbine power plant. The first helicopter of this type with two gas turbine engines was a 28-seat helicopter, named Mi-8. The Mi-8 helicopter surpasses the Mi-4 in maximum payload capacity by 2.5 times, and in speed by 1.4 times. He, like other helicopters of this Design Bureau, was willingly purchased abroad. Six world records were set on this helicopter, one of them by a female crew.
After the death of Mikhail Leontyevich Mil in 1970, the design bureau was headed by Marat Nikolaevich Tishchenko. Already under his direct supervision, work on the creation of helicopters of the Mi-24 family was continued and successfully completed. One of recent works collective - the smallest domestic Mi-34 helicopter with a takeoff weight of about 1 ton.

The Ministry notes that during this time, separate enterprises aviation industry were merged into large industry state corporations (, Russian Helicopters, UEC,). There was a significant increase in budget financing, the modernization of the production, design and research complex was carried out.

“At the same time, many projects for the creation of civil aviation equipment have not been completed or have been closed,” the draft of the new strategy states.

It was not possible to achieve the set targets for the supply of civilian products to the domestic and international markets. The transition to modern models of aircraft production has not been made. The need for subsidized support for aviation industry enterprises remained.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasizes that global market final products Russia occupies a strong position in the military and special purpose, while there is a noticeable imbalance in respect of civilian products.

The department explains the low performance of the domestic aviation industry in the civil aircraft industry segment, first of all, by the duration of the development cycle and the launch of new types on the market. aircraft, insufficient level of technical and operational characteristics in a highly competitive environment, poor development of the after-sales service system.

In addition, there is the problem of the accumulated technological lag behind foreign manufacturers in a number of areas. The officials also modestly criticized themselves, pointing to “insufficiently effective actions of authorized federal bodies executive power and the manufacturers themselves to promote aircraft.”

It should be noted that new aircraft are still being built in Russia. And this is not the modernization of Soviet liners or the revision of old projects of the Soviet design bureaus. The SSJ-100 regional aircraft was put into production. Last year, 28 Superjets were produced, of which 11 were exported.

In 2019, it is planned to master the mass production of the MS-21 narrow-body short-medium haul aircraft. On October 17, the first prototype aircraft flew from the airfield to the LII airport named after M.M. Gromov in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

Problem helicopters

In the helicopter industry, the situation is different. Until now, the industry (it is concentrated in, formed in 2007) has not created a single truly new civil helicopter that is competitive on the world market.

“In the civil helicopter industry, Russian products are competitive only in the segment of heavy helicopters,” the materials of the Ministry of Industry and Trade say.

In 2016, according to the agency, 169 helicopters were produced, including 16 civilian vehicles. Only 6 civilian helicopters were exported.

In the helicopter industry, in order to maintain and develop competencies in the development, production, and maintenance of modern aviation equipment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade considers it necessary to focus on the implementation of projects to create a promising heavy helicopter, light and medium commercial helicopters, a high-speed helicopter and a "convertible rotorcraft".

Problems in the civil helicopter industry are chronic. For example, they were discussed back in March 2013 at a meeting on the development of helicopter manufacturing in Russia, which was held by President Vladimir Putin.

In particular, he noted that “as we often say, there are untapped opportunities and reserves in the civil helicopter industry,” and “we need to seriously tighten up this sector in order to ensure a balanced development of the industry, sustainable operation of enterprises in the future.”

The President stressed that it is necessary to significantly increase the production and supply of civilian helicopters both for export and for their own needs.

“Unfortunately, the civilian segment, as you have already noted, in our country has traditionally been weak in terms of helicopter construction, so the main task of Russian Helicopters in the short term, to implement and implement the second stage strategy, is to develop a new the lineup on civilian modifications, ”said the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Russian Helicopters explained to Gazeta.Ru that the instructions concerned, first of all, an increase in the volume of production and supply of civilian products in the interests of Russian and foreign operators.

The holding notes that last years the model range in this segment has been significantly expanded. In addition to the Mi-8/17 family aircraft, Ansat helicopters are being supplied to civilian operators, in the interests of customers, the production of the first serial Mi-171A2 and Mi-38 is underway, the Ka-226T is being actively promoted to target foreign markets, and Ka-62 certification will begin in the near future. .

But there are many nuances here that do not give reason for optimism. Mi-8/17 is a family of the most popular helicopters in the USSR, which are still produced in the form of various modifications. The most recent is the Mi-171A2, which, according to Russian Helicopters, has undergone more than 80 changes to the base model.

But this promising device received a type certificate only in August of this year. is currently preparing for mass production of this machine. The holding will report that an agreement has been reached on the transfer of the Mi-171A2 to trial operation, and they expect to conclude the first export contract by the end of the year.

Since the beginning of the 80s of the last century, the development of the Mi-38 medium multi-purpose helicopter has been underway. The first time the car took to the air in 2003, and the launch of the series was postponed many times. Now two helicopters are being assembled for the Ministry of Defense.

Perhaps the only relatively new and successful helicopter from the entire line of civilian products can only be considered the light Ansat. He first took off in 1999, and has been produced for more than ten years.

However, not everything is rosy here either. There are no domestic engines for the Ansat, and it is equipped with two turboshaft units from Canada.

The possibility of installing Russian engines instead of Pratt & Whitney is still being worked out, the director of the aviation industry department of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade said this year.

Russian Helicopters is betting on the Ansat and partly on another Ka-226 light helicopter, both on the domestic market and on the foreign one.

Among the promising ones is another light multi-purpose helicopter VRT500. The project is carried out by the VR-Technologies design bureau together with foreign partners.

The model of this helicopter was first presented at the air show, and a prototype is planned to be produced by the end of 2019. Only by the middle of 2021, the holding expects to complete the tests and certify the machine.

No certificate, no production

Russian Helicopters still calls the Ka-62 multi-purpose helicopter the "newest" helicopter. Meanwhile, this is a civilian version of the Ka-60 military vehicle, which was developed more than two decades ago, reached flight tests, but never went into production, and then it was decided to make a commercial helicopter based on it.

The Ka-62 is an illustration of how long promising projects can be implemented indefinitely. The start of production was scheduled for 2012. In 2010, a Russian Helicopters report stated that "the launch of serial production is expected in 2014-2015."

But over the ten years of its existence, the holding eventually failed even to certify this helicopter.

The first prototype took off on April 28 last year. “The rise in the “hover” mode took place as part of factory flight tests and ended successfully,” Russian Helicopters reported. The first flight was made more than a year later - on May 25, 2017.

Russian Helicopters plans to start certification tests only in 2018. They are planned to be completed within two years, after which the machine should be ready for the start of commercial deliveries.

“We continue work on preparing the Ka-62 helicopter for mass production. During 2018-2019, a series of ground and flight certification tests will take place, after which we will be able to offer the car to customers, ”said general manager"Russian Helicopters".

Now two flight models have been manufactured, the third is expected to be made in 2018. At the recent Eastern Economic Forum, Andrey Boginsky said that serial production of the Ka-62 will begin in 2020.

If these promises come true, then Russia will receive a "modern" serial civilian helicopter 5 years after the holding planned to start its production. Whether these plans will be fulfilled is unknown.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade expects sales in the amount of 365 pieces until 2030, said the head of the department, Denis Manturov.

Russian Helicopters explained the problems with the launch of the Ka-62 series to Gazeta.Ru by the fact that “by 2010, when it was decided to create a civilian version of this machine, many of the production chains that were supposed to be used to create the Ka-60 , disintegrated, and the holding had to rebuild them.

As a result, the project underwent major changes that "caused a shift in terms" to the right ", but at the same time had a positive effect on the flight performance of the helicopter."

It is worth emphasizing that the "production chains" were broken much earlier, and in most industries, including aircraft manufacturing, by 2010 they were rebuilt.

The main buyer is the state

The estimated volume of Ka-62 deliveries of 365 units means that after the start of production, the helicopter should be sold at about 36 units per year. From the current positions, this is an almost unrealistic task.

Last year, 189 helicopters were delivered to customers, and at the beginning of this year, a solid portfolio of orders was 396 helicopters. At the same time, Russian Helicopters has been reducing the volume of production and the portfolio of orders for three years in a row. In 2014, 271 helicopters were produced, in 2015 - 212 units, and the number of orders in 2014 was 546 units, in 2015 - 494 units.

It is important to note that the main buyers are Russian government customers, primarily. They accounted for 52% of all orders last year. Another 39% was supplied to foreign state customers through military-technical cooperation.

The share of commercial customers of civil helicopters was 9%, that is, the same 16 (or 17) helicopters. Approximately the same number was in 2014-2015. In other words, the civilian products of Russian Helicopters are very interesting today narrow circle commercial customers.

According to the results of this year, Russian Helicopters is preparing to report an increase in sales of civilian products from 16 to 70 units. The holding has concluded a number of major contracts for the supply of several dozen machines.

But the buyer again is the state represented by . At the same time, Russian Helicopters assures that the final operator of helicopters supplied to leasing companies is most often just commercial structures.

“Supplies through lessors are due to the fact that the civil helicopter market in Russia is initial stage of their development, and not all companies can afford the purchase of equipment,” the holding notes.

But STLC supplies helicopters mainly for medical aviation, which in Russia can hardly be considered a full-fledged commercial segment.

Ansat was offered to customers in Latin America during the October tour of Denis Manturov, but no contracts were signed.

The promised four years are waiting

Among the instructions of the president was the task of creating a system of after-sales service and support, including abroad.

More than four years after the meeting in Rostov, in 2017, the holding launched a unified service technical support TEMPO customers.

Today, this system serves Russian and foreign helicopter operators of only two types - Ka-32 and Ansat around the clock. By December 1 this year, it is planned to expand the list by including Mi-8AMT, Mi-171E and Mi-171A2.

“It is planned that by 2020, 80% of the helicopter fleet produced by the holding will be serviced through a unified technical support service,” Russian Helicopters said.

To promote Russian helicopters to the world market, it is also necessary to carry out international certification. The process is going on, but not very fast.

Several new models are currently undergoing this procedure in a number of countries, according to Russian Helicopters.

An application was filed in China with a request to validate the Russian certificate of the Mi-171 helicopter with new VK-2500 engines. The holding also plans to certify the Ansat light multi-purpose helicopter in Mexico and Brazil.

Ka-226T in August this year was tested in Iran, which confirmed the possibility of operating this machine in extremely high temperatures. In the near future, certification of the Mi-171A2 helicopter will begin abroad.

Lost technology and personnel

The Ministry of Industry and Trade in the draft strategy for the development of the aviation industry explains why the aviation industry turned out to be so low competitive.

In the field of research and development, this is a partial loss of scientific schools, insufficient R&D effectiveness, including due to the lack of effective mechanisms for commercializing the results obtained, duplication of R&D expenses for different stages creation of aviation equipment, in general, a low level of cooperation scientific organizations with manufacturers, limited use modern technologies digital design and simulation, digital test benches and polygons.

The agency notes that many key technologies in the domestic aviation industry were developed back in the 1980s, but the subsequent prolonged systemic economic crisis led to a sharp reduction in funding and the decline of the industry, while world leaders actively continued to develop.

But the same "Helicopters of Russia" is extremely unrhythmic and clearly insufficiently finances R&D. Over the past five years (2012-2016), only 0.8% of revenue or 6.9 billion rubles was spent for these purposes.

The situation is aggravated by the lack of qualified personnel, including due to the orientation of the education system towards the requirements of the industry, which meets an outdated, now uncompetitive production model.

In the manufacturing sector, the key problems are the oversizing of enterprises, the use of outdated technologies and standards, low labor productivity and operational efficiency, insufficient distribution of platform solutions, the lack of a diversified supplier network, and the same lack of technologically competitive civilian products.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in Russia in 2016, the output per employee in the aviation industry amounted to about $54 thousand (3.6 million rubles). For comparison: output in France is about $500 thousand, in Germany - $440 thousand, in the USA - more than $400 thousand.

Based on a model of a civil aircraft, the average serial production of UAC is 9 units, which is an order of magnitude lower than the level (132) and Airbus (77 units).

If we take only the segment of aviation equipment for military and special purposes, the degree of lagging behind the world leaders is noticeably less.

“The serialization of the UAC is approximately equal to the level of Boeing, but twice as low as the level of Airbus. In the helicopter industry, the backlog of the production of JSC "Helicopters of Russia" from Airbus Helicopters by this indicator is also estimated twice: 36 against 70,” the Ministry of Industry and Trade notes.

Low productivity and the lack of a developed serial production entail an increase in the cost and, consequently, a decrease in the competitiveness of products of the domestic aircraft industry.

The strategy proposes several comprehensive solutions to these problems and two development scenarios - "local growth" with a focus on the domestic market and "competitive growth" with access to the global market.

How successfully even a “local” scenario will be implemented will largely depend on whether managers of state concerns and officials are ready to work in a new way. It is likely that, after another ten or fifteen years, some new minister will state that this strategy has failed.