Mi-38 makes first flight

New Russian Mi-38 Class Helicopter Makes First Flight

The medium-weight class Mi-38 helicopter has been built at OAO Kazan’ Helicopter Plant.
Today its first flight was demonstrated to Russian Federation Deputy Government Chairman, Boris Aleshin.

Aleshin gave the new one high marks. The aircraft corresponds to international flight worthiness standards, and with 30 passengers or 11 tonnes of freight, it can climb to an altitude up to 6,000 meters and develop a speed up to 275 kilometers per hour. The maximum flight range is up to 1,300 kilometers. The joint Euromil’ enterprise is realizing the project, with the strengths of the Kazan’ and Moscow helicopter plants with the participation of the Eurocopter firm, the enterprise’s general director, Vladimir Yablokov, said.

The new item, according to Yablokov, is undergoing certification tests, and series production will begin in 2007. In his opinion, this project which is significant for domestic helicopter construction will cost 500 million dollars in the past decade, half as expensive as foreign ((projects)). ITAR-TASS is reporting on this.

Source: 23.12.03, Izvestiya