TSAMTO, June 10. The Russian Helicopters Holding Company has successfully tested the additional fuel tank of the Ansat helicopter for resistance to destruction during an emergency landing.
Certification tests were carried out at the Kazan Helicopter Plant – a container filled with contrast liquid was dropped from a height of 15.2 m. Such works were held for the first time in Russia, before that they were carried out only abroad.
A special platform was made for testing at the KVZ. From a height of 15.2 m, a fragment of the fuselage of the Ansat helicopter was dropped with an additional fuel tank installed inside the passenger cabin. A contrast liquid was poured into it: the main criterion for the success of the tests was the absence of a leak.
An additional fuel tank with a volume of 195 liters will increase the range of the helicopter by 140-150 km – up to 650 km. This option will be in demand when making long-distance flights. For example, when it is necessary to deliver a helicopter to a permanent base, as well as in the air ambulance for the evacuation of victims. In parallel, work is underway to modernize the main fuel system, as a result of which the maximum range of the helicopter will increase to 800 km.
"We started preparing for the tests in 2020 and tried to focus and develop all the relevant competencies at the KVZ as much as possible. A lot of work was carried out together with the specialists of the certification center of the State Civil Aviation Research Institute, the Aviation Registry and the Federal Air Transport Agency. I would like to note that earlier certification tests of accident-resistant fuel systems for helicopters were conducted abroad. The tests carried out at our enterprise were recognized as successful, we managed not only to create an accident-resistant additional fuel tank for Ansat, but also to master a new type of test work, " said Alexey Garipov, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Designer of the KVZ Design Bureau.
The drop was preceded by a number of certification works: tests for puncturing the shell of the soft tank, pressure tests, ground and flight tests of the Ansat helicopter with an additional fuel tank. According to their results, changes were made to the design. For example, after the puncture tests, the number of layers of fabric was increased and the way they were laid was changed. In addition, the test laboratory of KNITU-KAI passed bench tests for spillage and vibration, as well as static tests of the additional fuel tank.
To date, most of the bench certification tests have been carried out, as well as ground and flight tests of the Ansat with an additional fuel tank. The preparation of evidentiary documentation is being conducted.
An additional tank will be placed inside the passenger cabin of the Ansat. It can be installed in the passenger and sanitary versions of the helicopter. It is also planned to retrofit the helicopters in operation. This will require minor modifications to the aircraft.
The message is posted in the public domain on the website of the State Corporation "Rostec".
