Helicopters in the modern world are of great importance. And not only in the military sphere, but also in the national economy: transportation of goods, transportation of people to distant objects, which cannot be reached by conventional vehicles. Helicopters are also used in the construction and installation of large facilities. And at the same time, the question is interesting: how fast does a helicopter fly? And which helicopters are the fastest?
Ka-50
The helicopter "Black Shark" immediately catches the eye. And in this he helps not only the unusual appearance, but also the rotors. There are two of them. And they are made according to the coaxial scheme. Due to this, the screws are located one above the other, and their rotation occurs in opposite directions.
This scheme allowed the designers of the car to abandon the tail rotor in the tail. The absence of a tail rotor made it possible to increase the reliability of the machine in combat conditions. In addition, the twin-screw circuit allowed to reduce the area of the rotors.
This scheme increased the maneuverability of the machine. In addition to the ability to move sideways and backward at a speed of up to 100 km / h, the combat vehicle is capable of performing aerobatics as well - a "dead loop" and a "combat funnel."
In addition to the excellent flight characteristics that this helicopter possesses, the speed of the Black Shark exceeds 400 km / h!
Ka-52
Such remarkable characteristics did not prevent the production of the Ka-50 in 2009. The main point for making such a decision was the criticism of the single-seat scheme. Based on the "Black Shark", it was decided to develop its two-seat modification - Ka-52.
This decision was due to the fact that a complex of optoelectronic and radar reconnaissance equipment was installed on the helicopter.
It was for the management of this complex and needed a second crew member. For these purposes, the helicopter cockpit has been redesigned. Now another crew member began to be accommodated next to the pilot of the combat vehicle, and at the same time the helicopter speed was 4 times higher than the cruising speed of the car.
Mi-28N "Night Hunter" combat helicopter
The combat helicopter under the nickname "Night Hunter" is also interesting. This is the most modern attack helicopter MI-28N.
The main tasks that this machine is capable of performing are:
- Fire support of the ground forces.
- Fighting enemy tanks.
- Fire support for air assault formations.
- Destruction of airborne forces.
- Destruction of low-speed low-flying targets.
This is an extensive list of tasks that this helicopter is capable of performing. Its speed can reach 300 km / h. At the same time, the cruising speed is 265 km / h.
In the export version, this combat vehicle has the MI-28NE Night Hunter index. And for this task, the helicopter underwent a deep modernization:
- Equipping with new avionics.
- Availability of night vision devices.
- Updated navigation tools.
The updated version is designated Mi-35. He now has a truly revolutionary on-board electronics, which is integrated into the avionics complex avionics-28. The brain of the complex are two duplicated computers "Baguette - 53-15".
The main advantages of the new equipment:
- The device is equipped with numerous sensors that facilitate piloting, including at night.
- The result is displayed in the form of multi-functional indicators.
- Allows you to solve the problem of aiming both in the daytime and at night and under various weather conditions.
Possessing high flight technical characteristics, which, by the way, allow performing aerobatics as well, the Mi-28N Night Hunter was included in the legendary Golden Eagle helicopter aerobatic team.
Mi-24 Helicopter
Mi-24 at first glance seems heavy and slow. Nevertheless, this helicopter was tested during military operations in Africa. Also in Afghanistan, this combat vehicle has become a symbol of those fighting.
In combat use, this is a fairly fast helicopter. The speed that it can reach is 335 km / h. With a crew of two, with a rotor diameter of 17.5 m, the cruising speed is 270 km / h. With such data, the Mi-24 can be safely ranked as one of the most rapid combat helicopters.
It should be borne in mind that helicopters were adopted in 1970 and were built according to the classic single-rotor scheme. The main rotor is five-blade, three-hinged. And the steering - three-bladed.
The designers paid special attention to the combat survivability of the helicopter. For this, in addition to booking the cabin and engine hoods, if one of the engines is damaged, an automatic transfer of the second engine to take-off mode is provided.
From 1970 to 1989, 2570 such machines were mass-produced.
In addition to the military campaign in Afghanistan, this helicopter managed to prove itself in both Chechen conflicts. And also in local ones both in the territory of the CIS (in Nagorno-Karabakh and in South Ossetia), and abroad. Mi-24 took part in operations in Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone, where they especially appreciated the fact that the helicopter flies at a speed of almost 340 km / h.
"Black Hawk"
In terms of speed, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk (Black Hawk) is slower than the Mi-24.
In 1976, evaluation tests were conducted, and the US Army chose the Sikorsky company for the supply of these helicopters for service. It was allocated 83.4 million dollars for the production of the first batch of 15 machines of the UH-60 Black Hawk series.
On the basis of UH-60, the creation of a whole series of helicopters for various purposes has been deployed. He also came into service with the U.S. Army, to replace the Bell UH-1 helicopter. Various modifications of this helicopter were delivered not only for the needs of the army, but also exported to 21 countries.
Flight performance allowed to increase the helicopter flight speed. With a cruising speed of 282 km / h, the maximum permissible speed of the Hawk can reach 361 km / h, taking into account the practical range of the helicopter, 584 km.
Hawk found its application both for military purposes and in search and rescue operations. In the US Army, it is used as a staff helicopter.
Special helicopters
Now in Russia small aviation also begins to develop. So, in Vladivostok, Eurocopter AS-350B3e helicopters were purchased for the needs of medical aviation.
On the new sanitation aircraft installed:
- defibrillator;
- mechanical ventilation apparatus;
- infusor pump;
- electric aspirator.
Rescue vehicles are also equipped with a set of transport tires and equipped with a stretcher.
The speed of the helicopter is 240 km / h and at the same time it can fly for 4 hours at one gas station, which in the conditions of the region allows it to cover the distance from one end to the other.
Westlandlynx
British-made WestlandLynx, or Lynx, was also listed as the fastest production helicopter. Moreover, it should be noted that when the car first flew into airspace in 1971, the standard speed was 260 km / h.
And by 1986, the helicopter had undergone modernization, during which the engine power was increased by 40%, and other special blades were supplied to it.
The carried out modernization significantly improved the helicopter. Speed increased 1.5 times from the previous one. Now its figure is 400.9 km / h. At the same time, fuel is enough for 280 km, with a take-off weight of 4875 kg.
In military conditions, the helicopter is able to accommodate 9 fighters and carry weapons from 8 anti-tank missiles with wire guidance. Also, the helicopter was equipped with an onboard machine gun 1 x 7.62 mm Minigun, which is controlled by a regular door shooter.
Modern tendencies
Modern realities are such that for the further development of Russian helicopter industry, production transfer to the territory of the Russian Federation is required.
So, the Ukrainian AI-98 powerplant was replaced with the domestic TA-14 model. Nowadays, work is underway on the modification of the helicopter -8-. This will allow using the helicopter in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. Also in the plans of Russian helicopter builders by 2020 it is planned to occupy 20% of the market. At the same time, the speed of the helicopter is constantly increasing. At the same time, rotorcraft are able to cover ever greater distances at one gas station.
Such tasks that the Russian aviation industry sets itself will not only allow it to maintain leading positions in the world in this market, but also expand it by increasing the range of helicopters produced.