The Russian company UEC-Klimov has completed the assembly of the VK-650V engine demonstrator, which is designed to replace imported power plants on Ka-226T multi-purpose helicopters. According to the state corporation "Rostec", currently specialists are completing preparations for engineering tests of the new power plant.
Development of the VK-650V turboshaft engine has been carried out by UEC-Klimov since 2019. The power plant is capable of developing a power of 650 horsepower in take-off mode and 750 horsepower in emergency mode. The estimated specific fuel consumption of the power plant is 245 grams per horsepower per hour and 280 grams per horsepower per hour in cruising flight mode.
First of all, the power plant is being developed as a replacement for the French Arrius 2G1 engines of Turbomeca, which are currently installed on Ka-226T multi-purpose helicopters. In addition, the VK-650V can be installed on Ansat-U and VRT-500 helicopters, as well as adapted for installation on unmanned aerial vehicles.
The developers installed a fully assembled demonstrator of the turboshaft engine on a test stand specially designed for testing this power plant. Tests of the VK-650V are planned to begin in the near future.
According to the current schedule, the first flight of the VK-650V will take place in 2022, and the developers will complete the certification of the engine in 2023. In 2024, it is planned to launch mass production of the power plant.
Earlier it became known that the St. Petersburg company "UEC-Klimov" has started developing a hybrid helicopter engine, the demonstrator of which is planned to be created by the end of 2022. Work is being carried out on the project, which received the designation PDV (Promising Helicopter Engine).
The hybrid propulsion system will receive an internal combustion engine with a capacity of 298 kilowatts and an electric motor with a capacity of 110 kilowatts. Both motors in the installation will be included in the circuit in parallel, so that they can transmit power to the shaft together or separately. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a hybrid helicopter engine with a capacity of up to 2.9 thousand horsepower.
Vasily Sychev