KAZAN, Eastern European Russia, July 26 (AVN) - The Kazan helicopter plant completed production of the third flying model of the new Ansat light multipurpose helicopter, the plant's director general Alexander Lavrentyev told the Military News Agency on Thursday.
The helicopter production is financed from the plant's own funds with the help from Tatarstan authorities, Lavrentyev said.
Ansat made its fight flight two years ago. Currently it undergoes flight tests and its tail boom was completely renewed and the fuselage partially reworked in accordance with test results. According to Lavrentyev, the main task of the producers is to enhance the service life of main components and the helicopter itself.
The helicopter is Russia's first one equipped with electronic remote control. Almost all electronic equipment on-board is made by domestic enterprises. Ansat can transport nine passengers at the distance of up to 600km. Its maximum take-off weight is 3,300kg, the crew comprises one person and the practical ceiling is 3,000 metres. The helicopter has a simple design of the rotor which considerably facilitate its assembly and disassembly in transportation by prime mover.
The marketing research proved that the interior and foreign market of those helicopters amount at 700 to 900 aircraft in the forthcoming 10 years. The Air Force, Navy, Emergencies Ministry, several Russian and foreign companies have displayed interest in the helicopter, which will cost USD1.5m to 1.7m.