Russian Ansat-M light helicopter manufactured by Kazan Helicopters made its maiden flight.

According to a press release published by the Russian state corporation ROSTEC on December 30, 2020, the upgraded Russian-made Ansat-M light helicopter manufactured by Kazan Helicopters made its maiden flight 

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Russian-made Ansat-M light helicopter manufactured by Kazan Helicopters made its maiden flight. (Picture source ROSTEC)

“The Ansat was upgraded under a contract with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. To this end, the budget allocated RUB230 million (USD3 million),” said Rostec.

The Ansat is a Russian light, multipurpose helicopter manufactured by Kazan Helicopters. The maximum takeoff weight is 3.6 tons. It can carry over 1.2 tons of payload or 7-8 passengers.  The Ansat is powered by two PW207K turboshaft engines, which produce 630 shp each. It features a four-blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor. The cruising speed is 250 km/h and the range is close to 500 km. 

In 1998 the first prototype of Ansat helicopter for ground static tests was completed. The second prototype first flew on August 17, 1999, but the first official flight was made on October 6, 1999.

The modernized Ansat-M helicopter received an improved fuel tank increasing the range of flight. The steadiness of the air platform has been improved thanks to the use of an enhanced tail group. The Ansat-M has also been fitted with a new round-the-clock onboard avionics.

The flight range of the modernized rotorcraft has been extended from 505 to 800 km, while the proportion of composite materials has increased from 15% to 35%. The certification tests and the first deliveries of the Ansat-M are scheduled for 2021. The rotorcraft is also planned to be fitted with a new defrosting system and a three-axis autopilot.