From time immemorial, man strove into the sky, so it is not surprising that over the years he succeeded. Today, aviation is not only passenger and cargo transportation, but also the defense of the state’s air borders. This article will discuss such an aircraft as the Ka-27 helicopter. We will talk about how this machine was created and what its characteristics are.
Historical reference
In the spring of 1970, after the completion of the Ocean flight review, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy held a meeting with the chief designer of the Kamov Research Institute and with the Deputy Fleet Aviation Commander, Lieutenant General Naumov. As a result of the conversation, a decision was made to open a new project. The final decision on the development of a special Ka-252 anti-submarine helicopter designed for naval vessels, project 1143, was adopted at a meeting of the USSR Council of Ministers in April 1972. The meeting of the State Commission on the aircraft took place next summer.
Production start
The Ka-27 helicopter, in its essence, is an improved version of the Ka-25. Serial creation of a new car took place at a factory in the city of Kumertau. However, this was preceded by a flight of a prototype, which for the first time took off in the air on August 8, 1973. In December of the same year, the machine made its first flight in a circular path.
The Ka-27 helicopter layout is quite standard for Kamov Design Bureau and is twin-screw coaxial. It should be noted that this combat aircraft was about three to five times higher than the capabilities of its predecessor, the Ka-25. In particular, parameters such as flight duration and length increased by almost 40%. Also, the installation of more powerful and reliable engines led to an increase in specific thrust-weight ratio by 1.7 times.
Service
The Ka-27 helicopter was adopted in April 1981. Prior to that, in 1978, five vehicles were delivered to the Minsk missile cruiser. In 1979, a special helicopter regiment consisting exclusively of Ka-27 was formed at the Severomorsk-2 airfield.
Today, the Ka-27 serves on the Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser, as well as on other destroyers and anti-submarine ships. In addition, the car was sold to China, India, Syria, the former Yugoslavia.
Main purpose
The Ka-27 helicopter is used to detect, track and neutralize enemy submarines that travel at a depth of up to 500 m at a speed of no more than 75 km / h and are removed from the lead ship up to two hundred kilometers. At the same time, a sea state of 5 points is allowed. Weather conditions can be both normal and complex. The time of day does not matter.
Also, the helicopter is capable of performing the tasks assigned to it both independently and as part of a group.
Structural elements
The Ka-27 combat helicopter is equipped with three-bladed propellers with opposite rotation, which are folded during the stay on the ship. The blades of these screws are made of fiberglass, and their bushings are titanium.
The fuselage of the machine is made of solid aluminum alloy. To ensure both longitudinal and directional stability of the helicopter, the tail unit has two keels. The washer of each keel has an uncontrolled slat and is turned with its toe to the axis of the fuselage itself.
The chassis has four fixed support legs and is equipped with a hydraulic system for a small lift of the helicopter in order to provide convenient access to the cargo compartment. A characteristic feature of the front wheels is self-orientation. There is also the possibility of installing skis.
Aircraft Power Unit
The helicopter uses two TV 3 turboshaft engines, the total take-off power of which is 2x2200 horsepower, and a VR-252 gearbox. The rotors have a stable speed during flight.
The main sources of electrical energy are two three-phase alternating current generators with a frequency of 400 Hz, which are driven by a VR-252 gearbox. The generators work in parallel mode, but only the left one is connected directly to the network, and the right one is in reserve. The direct current in a helicopter is obtained by converting from alternating one using two VU-B semiconductor rectifiers.
Emergency power is provided by two nickel-cadmium batteries, as well as two current converters.
During an emergency landing on the water surface, inflatable balloons are activated, which during normal flight are folded up in the side containers of the helicopter located on the fuselage. It is important to note that balloons do not guarantee the required buoyancy of the machine with the engines turned off.
Also, the Russian Ka-27 helicopter is equipped with an autopilot system and a semi-automatic coordinate transmission system and other information about the detected submarine.
The crew consists of three people: a pilot, a navigator-coordinator and an anti-submarine system operator.
"Octopus"
This is the name of the special airborne complex, which includes:
- A radar station that solves navigation problems and the search for submarines that have surfaced. The fairing of the system is located on the nose of the fuselage.
- Omitted sonar station. It is located in the rear segment of the fuselage and determines the coordinates of the submarines.
- Computing and sighting device. Provides automatic withdrawal of the helicopter to a point for subsequent discharge of weapons.
- Buoy of radio-acoustic type.
- The detector is magnetic.
In addition, the Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter is capable of dropping markers, smoke generators, and transponder beacons.
Above-water targets this combat aircraft during a flight at an altitude of up to 500 m detects:
- If the EPR is up to 250 m - at least 25 km.
- If the ESR is 2 m - at least 5 km.
A distinctive feature of the Octopus system is the availability of a special digital information and computing subsystem, as well as the highest degree of automation of the boat detection process itself. The speed of the system deserves special attention: in one hour of its operation, it is able to conduct a detailed survey of the water surface, the area of which does not exceed 2000 square kilometers.
Weapons equipment
In order to destroy submarines, the Ka-27 naval helicopter in a special compartment stores torpedoes of anti-submarine class AT-1MV, as well as aircraft bombs, the caliber of which ranges from 50 to 250 kilograms. In addition, if necessary, guided missiles can be installed on an aircraft engine to neutralize APR-2E type submarines.
Technical specifications
Deck helicopter Ka-27 has the following technical characteristics:
- The number of people in the carriage is 3.
- Normal take-off weight is 11,000 kg.
- The maximum flight speed is 270 km / h.
- Cruising flight speed - 230 km / h.
- Dynamic flight ceiling - 2950 m.
- The real flight range is 800 km.
- The rotor has a diameter of 15.9 m
- The length of the car is 11.3 m.
- When folded, the ship has a height of 5.4 m.
- The carrying capacity is 5000 kg.
- The fuel weight in the tanks is 12,000 kg.
Modifications
The Ka-27 PSD helicopter is designed for search and rescue operations. He has an increased maximum take-off weight, which is 12,000 kg. Also, the chassis suspension is reinforced on it, auxiliary fuel tanks are mounted, due to which the total fuel capacity of the helicopter is 4830 liters.
There is also a model Ka-27E. This helicopter was located on the Absheron support ship and was used to inspect the ships for the presence of various hazardous radioactive materials and elements on board.
The Ka-27PL is a ship’s anti-submarine version of the helicopter, and the Ka-28 is an export model of the aircraft. This modification of the helicopter is painted as follows: white paint is applied on board, and red stripes on the fuselage and belly.
The aircraft is equipped with powerful rescue, lighting and rescue equipment. If necessary, attach a seat or belt for astronauts to a load winch. In addition, on board there are also inflatable belts, two boats, rafts.
It is also very convenient that the search and rescue model of the helicopter can very well be converted by operating personnel into a training version. To do this, the control stick is mounted in the longitudinal-transverse direction, pedals, step lever at the place of the navigator.
In the case of using a helicopter as a sanitary one, you can install a stretcher in the amount of 4 pcs., A pair of folding stools, a table for a medical worker, oxygen devices.
The Ka-27 PS helicopter is the most demanded model, since for the most part it is operated as a transport aircraft at marine facilities and naval bases. Initially, it is a rescue vehicle that seeks out and assists the crews of distressed vessels, as well as searches for landing aircraft. The crew of this helicopter is four people, among whom there was a place for the medical assistant-rescuer, who, in turn, without fail has special diving and medical training. He also must be able to lower himself on a winch from a height of fifty meters.
As for the price of an aircraft, the exact cost of the Ka-27 helicopter was not disclosed by the Russian defense department.