"AIR CODES – AN OBSTACLE TO DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN HELICOPTER INDUSTRY""Conflict Situations Agency", 28.07.2006
There has been recently held the Russian 4 th open “Mil Cup” helicopter sport championship in the Moscow region. Only three crews of ten flew Russian Mi-2 helicopters. All the rest, including the Cup holders and winners in some categories, demonstrated their skills on the American R-44 Robinson helicopters. Mr. Andrei Shibitov, the “Mil” plant General Director, tells us about problems and achievements of Russian helicopter industry.
Andrei Borisovich, the way things are going, the “Mil Cup” helicopter championship will soon be renamed “Robinson Cup”, won’t it? No, the Cup has existed and will exist. Its name is a tribute of respect to the great Soviet designer. Of course, it is a pity that pilots prefer “Robinson” helicopters to the “Mil” and “Kamov” rotorcraft. Unfortunately, the economic situation of the Soviet times, when there were no possibilities for sport development and private aviation, set a seal on the helicopter fleet, we now have.
The Mi-2 is the most known helicopter in sport. But the situation changes, new possibilities appeared, and our design bureaus prepare proposals for those, who are fond of sport. Among developments of our design bureau this is, first of all, the Mi-34 helicopter undeservedly forgotten for some time. It is a unique vehicle capable of performing acrobatic maneuvers. I know quite few helicopters of the same class capable of such maneuvers. Today we are preparing a program for the helicopter production recovery. We have recently conducted negotiations with the Arseniev enterprise where this helicopter used to be produced. We upgrade the helicopter, so that it would meet the latest requirements for aircraft equipment, engine and some units.
The Kazan helicopter plant produces its light helicopter “Aktai”, which, I think, will soon appear at the market and will be successful with our sportsmen and just private operators. I hope for development of our light helicopter industry.
Will the plant production of Mi-34 and “Aktai” be launched? And will they be cheaper?
There is little doubt that they will be cheaper. But we would like them to reach a higher technical level (if not perfect), more convenient in service and to meet the requirements of our country. It is not only the price that should be acceptable, but also the performance should be at its best.
Is this task being fulfilled now? The Mi-2 looks considerably “rougher” and heavier than a small elegant Robinson does. Probably, the Mi-2 is even more difficult to fly.
The Mi-2 is much older than the Robinson, at least, by twenty years. Nevertheless, the potential embedded in the helicopter, in due time, allows the pilot to demonstrate successfully their skills. Of course, now the helicopters win mainly due to qualification of our pilots. The design of new vehicle, I’ve mentioned, will allow performing more interesting manoeuvres on the Mi-2 helicopter.
They are not intended only for sports events, aren’t they?
Certainly, they are not. First of all, these helicopters are general-purpose. For example, the Mi-34 helicopter can be used both for sports events and patrolling, environment monitoring, police service, EMS and etc.
Next year the “Robinson” plans to sell about 100 units in Russia. What market volume will the Mi-34 helicopter have?
After the production recovery we plan to sell 30 to 40 units per year. In future we intend to increase the sales volume. The helicopter will cost for the Russian customer approximately $ 250, 000 in standard configuration (the Robinson is two times expensive – editor’s note).
It is like an expensive car, isn’t it?
That’s what we are talking about: a helicopter produced in Russia will cost little.
The Russian Army is in sore need of helicopters, it desperately lacks them. What’s the problem?
There is only one problem: lack of finance. The maintenance and operation of helicopter are poorly financed by the Defence Mystery. Today the Ulan-Ude aircraft plant, the Kazan helicopter plant and the Rostov helicopter plant producing Mi-helicopters operate in full.
Has the situation begun to change for the better with a holding established by the “Oboronprom” (a holding uniting the main Russian helicopter building enterprises – editor’s note)?
Certainly, it has. Consolidation of all producers into one large company is an objective necessity for the branch development, for adequate competition with such “monsters” as Boeing, Bell, Eurocopter, Sikorsky. It is simply impossible to compete singly with them. Only by uniting the potentials, economic opportunities, financial flows it is possible to oppose our Russian helicopter program against this external expansion.
But in the sphere of military aviation, our helicopters are unlikely to be ever replaced with foreign ones, aren’t they?
The competition in military aviation is even severer than it is in civil aviation. We must be vigilant here. It is necessary to trace clearly through the development trends of this market segment and to do such helicopters that would meet the operators' requirements (I mean Defence Ministries of different countries, mainly, the Russian Ministry) and would competitive at the world market. At present we have such rotorcraft. These are the Mi-8 (Mi-17) upgrade version, Mi-38 and our new Mi-28m helicopter. The helicopter industry is now developing at a very quick pace. We have a lot of products to offer to our customers and at the external market.
How many Mi-24 helicopters are now produced?
I can say nothing about our army, but we annually export, at least, 55 Mi-24 helicopters. For last three to five taking into account oscillatory movements we exported annually, at least, 40 Mi-17s. The helicopter price varies depending on Customer and its configuration. Certainly, it is a bit lower than the price of similar foreign helicopters. Recently, however, it has begun to grow. We raise the prices, not artificially, but due to increasing complexity of the helicopter: we install new air navigation systems, the so-called “glass cockpits” and so on.
What can you tell about Russian Armed forces?
Last year we launched plant production of the Mi-28 helicopters. This year we have already produced two prototypes and three helicopters of production batch. By the end of the year the Rostov helicopter plant will produce 5 to 7 helicopters more and will supply them to the army. No matter how many helicopter the MOD orders, we will complete all order. Pray God, it would be able to order more and pay, of course.
They say sometimes that the helicopter assembly quality is lower at the Ulan-Ude aircraft plant than that of at the Kazan plant. Do you have such problem?
No, no – indeed, it is a matter of taste I talk with customers, including foreign ones. There are different opinions, but I can say for sure that all helicopters we produce are notable for their quality. Certainly, our products like any other products can be subject to criticism, everybody has the right to criticise, but one cannot say that one plant is worse than the other. Both enterprises are worthy plants.
Where does the Russian helicopter industry move?
Integration is the main tendency of the helicopter industry within last five years. The producers of equipment, combat suites and engines will be also involved in the integration process. From the point of view of the helicopter lineup, now more attention is paid to light helicopters which were ignored both during Soviet times and “perestroika” (reshuffle) when the helicopter industry was in stagnation. We trace very attentively through the economic indicators as now the economic variables emerge to prominence after all. We pay a special attention to it.
How would you estimate the market saturation? To what extent is the demand in helicopters of different purpose met?
It should be estimated basing on different market segments. Speaking about light helicopters, Russia has a potentially very large market, but it can be actually revealed after the flight clearance procedure is optimized.
Unfortunately, today the Russian air codes and the air traffic control system do not encourage a wide operation of helicopters of this class. The same is true for China. And if the laws were changed in Russia and China, the colossal markets would be opened. Their volume numbers thousands of vehicles which can be supplied within shortest timeframe. There are people that want to fly, there are finances and an objective need plus a wide spread of our country!
In Latin America, South-East Asia there are also serious opportunities for developing the small aviation. As for European and American markets they are nearly saturated, now one machine is merely replaced with the other. The African continent has other problems, such as low paying capacity and helicopters are used mainly in the interests of the government.
If not speaking about sports and private use, does Russia have enough traditional spheres of helicopter application?
The question is difficult to answer, as now the Russian economy is on the rise, the oil and gas field are started to be developed again. Five yeas ago neither Mi-8s nor heavy Mi-26 were actually sold in Russia. While for recent years the “Rostvertol” has already sold five new Mi-26s. Some operating organizations are ready to buy the Mi-17s. In the near future we plan to deliver a great number of helicopters to the "Gazprom" for development of the North fields. It is possible to say that the market is reviving. It is difficult to estimate its volume, but I can say for sure that there is a positive tendency.
Do you have problems with helicopters repair and spare parts for them?
Today we have no such problem.
The plants now lack of orders, therefore we have no problems connected with availability of capacities and spare parts.
The “Mil” design bureau and production plants cooperating with them look forward to the future with confidence. If we had orders we would be able to double helicopter production as since the Soviet times we had preserved all mobilization capacities required for production of hundreds of helicopters annually.
Do you mean capacities used in case of war?
We call it capacities for a special period.
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