Russians unveil new heliopter for GA market

Sapsan – which means ‘Peregrine’ in Russian - is indicative of the company’s plan to diversify its lineup and address market needs. The range of modifications covers corporate, private, training, medevac, and surveillance uses – the last from eco-control and oil lines to employment with police forces.

Serial production will be based at Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress which also manufactures the Ka-50 Black Shark and Ka-52 Alligator helicopters.

Manufacture of the piston Mi-34S1 has been resumed until the Sapsan goes into production in 2011.

Other enterprises within the framework of Russian Helicopters will also share in the work. Reduktor PM (main and tail gearboxes, transmission shafts), Stupino Machine-Building Industrial Enterprise (main and tail rotor heads, swash plate). Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress will construct the hull, main and tail rotor blades, and assemble the helicopters.

“We’ve really given this chopper a ‘thorough shaking’, and this was an ideological step,” said Andrei Shibitov, Russian Helicopters CEO.   “We now have a product with a very popular and reliable French turbo-shaft engine, boasting good specifications and economy. This gives our helicopter a new status, a new life.”

The Sapsan uses the popular Turbomeca Arrius 2F engine recognised as a reliable, long-life engine with well-established warranty and after-warranty service. Russian Helicopters says this will help to diminish traditional market scepticism towards a new helicopter model.

“In terms of sales it’s important that 80% of companies, according to statistical data, buy a new helicopter as a replacement for an old one. We’ve calculated that successful sales in the short term (2011—2015) will help Russian Helicopters assume a strong position on the market where the Mi-34 competes, and promote Russian-built rotorcraft in target regions in general,” said Dmitriy Rodin, Director of the Mi-34 programme.