Russian Helicopters Holding Company, a part of Rostec State Corporation, has made its first overseas presentation of its newest Mi-38 civilian helicopter at the Dubai Airshow. The rotorcraft, featuring a luxury cabin, was showcased at the static exposition, and also took part in the flight programme.

The civilian version of the first serial Mi-38 helicopter was introduced last August at MAKS-2019 Moscow air show, where it was demonstrated to the Russian president Vladimir Putin. Cutting-edge technical solutions in the field of safety and comfort were used in the development of the helicopter interior. The engines of the Mi-38 are located behind the main rotor transmission, instead of their traditional forward placement, which ensures the reduction in aerodynamic resistance and noise level in the cockpit, as well as increased rotorcraft safety. In addition to its excellent flight performance, the competitive advantage of Mi-38 is its cost, which is lower than that of its foreign same-class peers.

The flight range of the transport version of the new Mi-38 helicopter is up to 1,000 kilometres (with additional fuel tanks). With its maximum takeoff weight of 15.6 tonnes, the helicopter can carry five tons of payload on board or on an external sling.

The light Ansat helicopter is also being introduced to the Middle East. The corporate version of the rotorcraft will also take part in the flight programme of the show. In this configuration, the helicopter can comfortably transport up to five passengers.

“Research and development efforts, as well as experimental designing activity within the Mi-38 project were financed by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade,” says minister of industry and trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov. “The helicopter was originally designed to meet the toughest existing and potential standards of safety, environmental friendliness and land noise. The closest attention was paid to meeting the customers' needs in terms of flight performance, operational and economic parameters. Our engineers have performed a range of activities aimed at further expanding the operational capabilities and ensuring maximum versatility of helicopter use. The improvements aimed at ensuring reliable and comfortable operation of the new rotorcraft in the conditions of hot climate and desert terrain should be of particular interest to operators in the Middle East.”

Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov adds: “It is the first time in Russia's recent history that our civilian helicopters will be presented at a Middle East air show. The format and content of the participation of Russian Helicopters Holding Company in the Dubai Airshow demonstrate the new approach of Rostec State Corporation to promoting Russian high-tech civilian products in foreign markets, which involves the support from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Export Center and leasing companies. We are confident that, in terms of their price and quality, Russian-made helicopters can be quite competitive in the world market and we expect that their demonstration will result in more actual contracts.”

The UAE is seeing the rapid development of its urban mobility sector. “In addition to flight models, at our booth we will present the VRT300 UAV, and a model of a light single-engine VRT500 helicopter will be showcased at our joint exposition with Tawazun, an Emirati Holding Company,” explains director general Andrey Boginsky. “It is no secret that UAE investors are interested in joining the project, and we expect to take the first actual steps in this area during the exhibition.”

The Mi-38 can be operated in a wide range of climatic conditions including maritime, tropical and cold climates. The use of unparalleled technical solutions makes the Mi-38 superior to other helicopters in terms of load capacity, seating capacity and main performance characteristics.

The light multi-purpose Ansat helicopter is equipped with two engines and can be used for passenger transportation, cargo delivery, environmental monitoring and as an ambulance aircraft. The Ansat has successfully passed high-altitude tests, which proved that it is suitable for use in mountainous terrain at up to 3,500 metres of altitude, as well as climatic tests, which confirmed its operability in a temperature range between -45 and +50 degrees С.

The light VRT500 helicopter and VRT300 UAV were developed by VR-Technologies Design Bureau and feature coaxial rotors, which ensure their high side wind resistance and small dimensions making them suitable for use in the restrained urban conditions.

The VRT500 features the largest passenger/cargo cabin in its class, with a total seating capacity of up to five people. The flight and technical parameters of the helicopter will allow it to speed up to 250 km/h, have a flight range of up to 860 km and carry on board up to 730 kg of payload.