Rostvertol recently unveiled the Mi-26T2V helicopter, which has now made its first flight at the company’s flight test center. The Mi-26T2 is a modernized version of the Mi-26 heavy-lift wide-body transport helicopter, while the ‘V’ version is made for the Russian Aerospace Forces by Rostvertol, a part of the Russian Helicopters conglomerate.
The Mi-26T2V can carry up to 20 tons of cargo and features NPK90-2V integrated avionics to allow flying both during the day and at night and in adverse conditions. The avionics also includes an autopilot that is capable of performing approach and final approach maneuvers and of returning to the main or an alternative aerodrome.
“The Mi-26 helicopter is a unique machine. No other serial helicopter in the world can lift the weight that this helicopter can lift,” said Anatoly Serdyukov, industrial director, aviation cluster of the Rostec State Corporation. “Modernization allows for a much wider scope of applications for this machine. The State Armament Program for 2018-2027 envisages providing the armed forces with this version of heavy-lift helicopters. I am convinced that the Mi-26T2 helicopter will be a sought-after machine both in Russia and abroad: we also expect that there will be demand for it in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.”
“The first successful flight shows that technical solutions used for upgrading the Mi-26T2 helicopter in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense were right. We have managed to considerably reduce the load on the crew by automating the flight and landing of such a large and complex machine. Besides, the helicopter’s survivability was considerably increased due to modern onboard defensive aids,” said Russian Helicopters CEO Andrey Boginsky.
