Last month, Russian helicopter builders celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the unique Mi-10 helicopter, which gave a new impetus to the development of heavy helicopters - both in our country and in the world as a whole. Subsequently, on its basis, the Mi-10K variant was created, and then the Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter, which still has no equal in the world. And today in the world there is a steady trend of growing demand for heavy transport helicopters (TTV). Moreover, it is now possible to satisfy the emerging needs only through a radical modernization of the existing models of helicopter technology, or - which is most preferable for a number of reasons - through the creation of new models.
HELICOPTER CRANE
The decree of the USSR Council of Ministers on the creation of the V-10 crane helicopter, which later received the name Mi-10, was signed on February 20, 1958. The new vehicle was designed to transport bulky goods weighing 12 tons over a distance of 250 km or 15 tons over shorter distances.
The Mi-10 was created on the basis of the Mi-6 helicopter, which had already managed to impress foreign designers, with the maximum use of its parts and components, but the fuselage of the new machine was redesigned. The cockpit of the crew of three was located in the bow, and under the fuselage there was a camera that sent a signal to the cockpit, where there was a special television installation that helped to monitor the cargo during loading and in flight. A telescopic tube was installed under the cockpit - for emergency escape by the crew when flying with a platform. In the central part of the fuselage, a cargo-passenger cabin was equipped, in which it was possible to transport a team accompanying cargo - up to 28 people - or cargo up to 3 tons. The helicopter transported the main cargo under the fuselage between the chassis, either on a special platform (for small cargo), or directly on remotely controlled from the cab or from the ground, using a remote control, hydraulic grippers, or on an external cable suspension unit designed for a load of 8 tons.
The design of the B-10 was completed in 1959, and on June 15, 1960, the crane helicopter, which had already become the Mi-10, made its first flight. And in 1965 it was demonstrated at the Paris Air Show, where the Mi-10 made a splash among experts and ordinary visitors. Foreign specialists were so intrigued by the new rotary-wing giant that the following year one of the aircraft was acquired by a Dutch company, then resold it in the USA, where the Mi-10 underwent intensive testing. The expert ratings were very high.
The technical potential of the crane helicopter turned out to be so significant that special military modifications were created on its basis. For example, the Mi-10P jammer helicopter, designed to support the combat operations of frontline aviation by jamming ground-based early warning, guidance and target designation radars, as well as a prototype of the Mi-10GR air direction finder.
FOREIGN EXPERIENCE
Work on TTV was carried out not only in our country - foreign helicopter builders, mainly American ones, also tried to compete actively. In the beginning, of course, there were helicopters that fit the definition of "heavy" only because there were virtually no real rotary-wing giants in the world at that time. For example, the "heavy" CH-37 transport helicopter of the Sikorsky company, which began to enter the US Marine squadron in July 1956, had a maximum take-off weight of 14,080 kg and could take on board 26 paratroopers or 24 wounded stretchers. And only a year later, a truly heavy Mi-6 helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of 42,500 kg made its first flight in the USSR. It could carry up to 70 fully equipped paratroopers or 41 stretcher wounded with two orderlies.
The closest competitor of the Mi-26 is the CH-47 Chinook
Although we must pay tribute to the Americans - they used their steel dragonflies "to the fullest." So, for example, on the basis of CH-37, the first ever helicopter complex for long-range radar detection HR2S-1W was created. And four modified СН-37В, sent to Vietnam in 1963 to ensure the evacuation of downed American aircraft, for a short time on a mission, removed equipment and equipment worth more than $ 7.5 million, part of the cargo from territories not controlled by the US military.
In addition, on the basis of the same machine in 1958, the first foreign helicopter crane was created, capable of transporting up to 100 military personnel on the ventral platform, a medical unit, a radar or other. Subsequently, a more powerful gas turbine version of the CH-54A / B appeared (civil designation - the S-64 Skycrane helicopter crane), which had a maximum take-off weight of about 21,000 kg, a combat range of 370 km and could transfer a mobile an army hospital equipped with an operating room, an X-ray room, a research laboratory and a blood bank. In the airborne version, he could carry a "block" with 45 servicemen in full gear.
The helicopter was actively used in Vietnam by the 1st Cavalry Division, including for dropping 3048-kg bombs to clear the landing zones in the jungle and to evacuate damaged aircraft, which turned out to be too heavy for CH-47 Chinook helicopters. A distinctive feature of the American crane helicopter was the ability, while hovering in the air, to raise and lower the transported equipment on the winch, thereby avoiding the need to land. These machines were in operation by the US National Guard until the early 1990s, and a half dozen machines continue to be operated by civilian companies to this day. Unlike our "younger" helicopter-crane Mi-10 / 10K.
However, the military command of the NATO countries needed not only a rotary-wing crane capable of operating in a fairly "calm" environment - the vehicle was too vulnerable to enemy fire. A TTV was also required, which could be effectively used on the front line to solve a wide range of general military and special tasks. Such machines were CH-47 and CH-53, which have undergone more than one modernization today and have no replacement in the foreseeable future.
"CHINUK" AND "SUPER STELLON"
The history of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter began back in 1956, when the US Army Department decided to replace the CH-37 piston transport helicopters with new, gas turbine machines. Although in views on what the new helicopter should be, the American generals differed significantly: if some needed an airborne assault helicopter capable of transferring 15-20 paratroopers, then others needed a vehicle capable of transporting heavy artillery systems, vehicles and even missile launchers " Pershing ".
Responding to the demands of the army, the company "Vertol" developed the project "Model 107" (V-107 from 1957), and in June 1958 a contract was signed with her for the construction of three prototypes. The choice of the ministry fell on the most difficult option proposed by the company under the designation "Model 114", which was later adopted for service under the designation NS-1V (since 1962 - CH-47A). He had a maximum take-off weight of about 15,000 kg.
Almost immediately, the command of the US ground forces identified the CH-47 as the main transport helicopter. By February 1966, 161 helicopters were delivered to the army. Since November 1965, CH-47A, and then CH-47B, fought in Vietnam, where their most impressive actions were the "landing" of artillery batteries at commanding heights and in strong points remote from the main bases, as well as the evacuation of downed aircraft - sometimes from enemy territory. Official American statistics claim that during the war years, the Chinooks evacuated about 12,000 shot down or damaged aircraft, the total cost of which was $ 3.6 billion. …
Of the entire fleet of "Chinooks" that were at the disposal of the American and South Vietnamese armies during the Vietnam War, about a third was lost from enemy fire or during various incidents, which in itself already speaks of the intensity of their use in this theater of operations. CH-47 fought in other, no less famous wars: between Iran and Iraq, since Tehran acquired 70 Chinooks built in Italy in 1972-1976, as well as in the Falklands in 1982 - and from both conflicting sides. Interesting facts include an episode from July 1978, when four Iranian CH-47s "flew" into the airspace of the USSR - one was shot down, and another was planted on Soviet territory.
The Chinook was constantly upgraded to improve its flight performance. So, the CH-47S already had a maximum take-off weight of more than 21,000 kg, a more powerful power plant and an automatic hold system at a given hover point. And in 1982, a modernized CH-47D helicopter began to enter service with the US Armed Forces, featuring an improved power plant, avionics, composite rotor blades, a new pilot's cockpit, and so on. The new helicopter could fly with an external load of up to 8000 kg (for example, bulldozers or cargo containers) at speeds of up to 250 km / h, and also became the main means of operational transfer of 155 mm M198 howitzers to the theater of operations, including a ready-to-fire 30 rounds of ammunition and a combat crew of 11 people. By the way, Canada became the last buyer of the “D” model - on December 30, 2008, the Canadian army received six helicopters. The empty weight of the CH-47D is 10 185 kg, the maximum take-off weight is 22 680 kg, the crew is three people, the service ceiling is about 5600 m, the combat range is 741 km, and the ferry range is 2252 km.
The Chinooks took an active part in the operations of the multinational coalitions in the 1991 Gulf War, in the operations to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. The machines are still there and are intensively used in humanitarian and military operations of NATO forces.
Today, the combatants of the American armed forces are receiving the latest representatives of the Chinook family - helicopters of the CH-47F modification. The vehicles equipped with digital avionics and new engines (with a capacity of about 4800 hp) can fly with a load of up to 9500 kg at a speed of at least 280 km / h. The contract for the supply of more than 200 such vehicles to the US Army is estimated at more than $ 5 billion. The first foreign customer of the F model was the Netherlands - a contract for the supply of six new vehicles and the modernization of existing CH-47Ds was signed in February 2007. Canada also placed an order for the CH-47F last year; deliveries of 15 helicopters are expected in 2013-2014. Also last year, the command of the British Armed Forces expressed their intention to acquire the CH-47F. Since 2012, 24 new machines will be delivered. More recently, on March 20, 2010, Australia signed a contract for the purchase of seven CH-47F helicopters. Licenses for the assembly of the machine were transferred to Italy, Japan and the UK.
Another American heavy helicopter, CH-53, was developed by the Sikorski company under the requirements of the command of the US Marine Corps and the US Navy (payload - 3600 kg, range - 190 km, speed 280 km-h). But it turned out to be so successful that it was adopted by the law enforcement agencies of Germany (built under license under the designation CH-53G with two additional fuel tanks), Iran (the country's navy received six helicopters before the Islamic revolution), Israel and Mexico. And in the variant NN-53V / S "Super Jolly" is used in the search and rescue units of the US Air Force.
American heavy helicopter, CH-53
The contract for the construction of two prototypes of the helicopter was issued in September 1962. The command of the "Marines" had to overcome the "desire" of the then US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to unify the TTV fleet of the national armed forces by equipping all branches of the armed forces exclusively with CH-47 Chinook vehicles. As a result, on October 14, 1964, the first prototype of a new American heavy helicopter was taken into the air four months earlier than the approved date. Deliveries of serial vehicles began in 1966, and the following year, CH-53 already arrived in Vietnam. More than 140 helicopters were produced.
The basic version of the CH-53A could carry 38 paratroopers or 24 wounded stretchers, or cargo inside the cabin - up to 3600 kg or on an external sling - up to 5600 kg. Subsequently, a modernized, more lifting modification of the CH-53D was adopted, capable of taking on board 55 soldiers or 24 stretcher wounded and flying at a distance of up to 1000 km. And also an anti-mine modification of the RH-53D. And CH-53E "Super Stellon", which takes on board 55 servicemen or a load of up to 13 610 kg in the cockpit or up to 16 330 kg on an external sling.
An interesting episode with the participation of CH-53 helicopters took place at the end of December 1969 - it was with the help of two such machines that Israeli commandos, who penetrated deep into the territory of Egypt, “stole”, took out the newest Soviet radar P-12 and all the accompanying equipment (operation "Rooster 53").
Despite their almost half-century age, the Super Stellons and Sea Stellons, including the minesweeping helicopters - the old RH-53, converted today back to transport options, and the newest MH-53E Sea Dragon, are still in active operation in the US Armed Forces (a total of about 180 vehicles), as well as in a number of other countries of the world.
Currently, by order of the Pentagon, the next version of this family, CH-53K, is being developed, which should replace all other machines in the US Armed Forces by 2022. The first flight of the new aircraft is scheduled for November 2011, 227 helicopters have been ordered.
SOVIET GIANT
And yet, after the appearance of the Soviet serial Mi-26 and the experimental Mi-12, Western helicopter manufacturers remained outsiders on the TTV market for a long time. The same CH-47 "Chinook" was almost 1.6 times inferior in payload weight to the first and 2 times to the second. Of course, the Americans made attempts to close the resulting "gap of opportunities", for which their efforts have joined the military aircraft manufacturers and NASA. For example, for a long time, under the general leadership of Boeing, work was carried out on the HLH (Heavy Lift Helicopter) topic, which envisaged the creation in the interests of the US Army of the HSN-62 helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight of 53,524 kg, a power plant consisting of three turboshaft engines and a ferry range of up to 2800 km. The corresponding contract for the construction of the prototype was issued by the army in 1973. However, the project was closed by Congress, which considered the capabilities of the CH-53E Super Stellon heavy helicopter sufficient for the US Armed Forces. In the 1980s, the US Defense Advanced Research and Development Agency (DARPA) and NASA tried to revive the project, but again did not receive funding.
All the same, the American heavy helicopters that went into series were not able to approach the Mi-26 in terms of their capabilities. Taking off on December 14, 1977, this rotary-wing giant made another revolution in helicopter construction and set new standards for TTV: the machine could take on board up to 80 paratroopers or 60 stretcher wounded, or carry a payload weighing up to 20 tons in the cockpit. At the same time, the mass of the empty vehicle was 28, 2 tons, and the maximum take-off weight was about 56 tons. Even the Americans were forced to admit that in the field of combat transport helicopters, our Mi-26 has no analogues and is at a completely unattainable height (for comparison: the empty mass of the CH-53K is about 15,070 kg, and the maximum take-off weight is about 33,300 kg, the payload weight in the cockpit is 13,600 kg, the maximum payload of the vehicle is 15,900 kg, the maximum landing capacity is 55 fighters, and the crew is five people, including two gunners).
When in 2002 the Americans needed to evacuate two Chinook helicopters from the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, only the Mi-26 was able to solve this problem. It cost American taxpayers $ 650,000.
In addition, the Mi-26 has already recorded 14 world records, and its technical potential, laid down by the developers more than 30 years ago, turned out to be so capacious that at the MVZ. ML Mil, on its basis, such projects as a minesweeper helicopter, a passenger saloon helicopter, a fire-fighting helicopter with a water cannon and catchment rods, electronic warfare and environmental reconnaissance helicopters were developed.
Despite its fairly advanced age, there is still no replacement for the Mi-26. It still remains the largest and most lifting among the mass-produced rotary-wing aircraft in the world. However, in order to remain "in the stream" of scientific and technological progress, any piece of equipment must undergo modernization. Therefore, six years ago, on the initiative of the MVZ im. ML Mil began work on a serious modernization of the machine - the new version received the designation Mi-26T2.
Its distinctive feature will be a reduced crew - only two pilots, as on most modern aircraft, as well as the introduction of new avionics. The developer was faced with the task of creating such a "crew-equipment" interface that would guarantee a safe flight in various conditions. And now a new heavy helicopter Mi-26T2 is under construction in Rostov-on-Don. Its flight tests, as reported by helicopter builders at the May this year. in Moscow exhibition HeliRussia-2010, it is planned to start this year. It is likely that it will also be shown abroad, for example, at the aerospace exhibition in China.
It should be noted that the Mi-26T2 will become the first representative of the class of heavy helicopters, fully complying with the requirements of the new millennium and incorporating as much as possible all the achievements of modern science and technology. In fact, we are talking about creating an effective and reliable machine for round-the-clock use, having a reduced crew and equipped with modern avionics based on the avionics complex BREO-26, which is based on a navigation and flight complex with an electronic display system, an onboard digital computer, and a satellite navigation system. and a digital aerobatic complex. In addition, the Mi-26T2 avionics integrates a round-the-clock surveillance system of GOES, a system of backup devices, a modern communications complex and an on-board monitoring system. Thanks to the new avionics complex, Mi-26T2 flights can now be carried out at any time of the day, in simple and difficult weather conditions, including over non-orientated terrain.
At the same time, in the military version, the Mi-26T2 will be able to transport 82 paratroopers, and in the ambulance version or with participation in emergency response - up to 60 wounded (sick). With the help of a helicopter, it is also possible to carry out construction and installation work of varying degrees of complexity or to carry out prompt delivery of fuel and autonomous refueling of various equipment on the ground, as well as to extinguish fires, etc.
EXPORT PERSPECTIVES
Prospective markets for the modernized Mi-26T2 - apart from, of course, the Russian one - may be the European, Southeast Asian and a number of other regional markets where there is a high demand for TTV. Building a heavy transport helicopter in Europe is not an easy task, primarily for economic reasons. Therefore, the acquisition of the Mi-26T2 is an absolutely sensible approach that would allow quickly and at the lowest cost to solve a whole range of problems faced by European consumers.
It should be recalled here that back in the early 2000s, the NATO command developed a set of requirements for a heavy helicopter for the rapid reaction forces: a modern machine is required that could replace the aging heavy helicopters made by the United States. The need for a new heavy transport helicopter arose also because, despite the deep modernization undertaken by the developers, the heavy Western helicopters currently in operation can no longer provide the transfer of all ground equipment in service with the armies of NATO countries and intended for air transportation.
A huge amount of work for the promising Mi-26T2 exists in the states of Africa, Asia, the Middle and Far East. Among the most potential customers for the new machine is China, where various government departments and private companies are showing high interest in getting a TTV into operation, adapted to the specific requirements of the Celestial Empire. The intensification of negotiations came after the analysis of the actions of the Mi-26TS helicopter during the elimination of the consequences of the devastating earthquake in the Chinese province of Sichuan, which were assessed by experts as extremely successful and highly effective. However, so far China has only recognized the type certificate and is acquiring Mi-26TS helicopters from Russia, and efforts to jointly develop the machine needed by Beijing have been suspended. In this regard, a number of experts hastened to recall the "unique ability" of the Chinese industry to create "seamless" versions of weapons and military equipment - almost exact analogs of Western and Russian models.
