It is reported that on October 15, 2024, at the airfield of JSC "National Helicopter Center named after M. L. Mil and N. I. Kamov" JSC "Russian Helicopters" in Tomilino near Moscow, the first prototype of the Mi-34M1 light helicopter equipped with a VK-650V turboshaft engine manufactured by JSC ODK-Klimov made its first flight in hover mode. The Mi-34M1 helicopter is an upgraded version of the light helicopter of the Mi-34S family, equipped with piston engines. Officially, the Mi-34M1 helicopter program and the beginning of flight tests of its first prototype were not reported.
The first prototype of the upgraded Mi-34M1 light helicopter (S-1, OP-2, tail number "1002"), equipped with a VK-650V turboshaft engine, during the first flight in hover mode. Tomilino, 10/15/2024 (c) Oleg Podkladov / russianplanes.net ( link )
According to publications, the first flight prototype of the Mi-34M1 helicopter (S-1, OP-2, tail number "1002") was converted in 2024 at the M. L. Mil and N. I. Kamov National Helicopter Center from the second prototype of the modernized Mi-34C1 helicopter with an M9FV piston engine, which made the first The flight took place on August 4, 2011, but was discontinued in 2013 and has been in storage since then.
JSC United Engine Corporation (UEC) announced the transfer of the first prototypes of VK-650V engines to JSC Russian Helicopters for testing in the production of prototypes of modernized helicopters (also called Ka-226 and Ansat) in June 2024. The development of VK-650V (take-off power 650 hp, emergency power 750 hp) has been conducted by ODK-Klimov (St. Petersburg) for a long time, in the last couple of years it has been optimistically stated about the possibility of certification of VK-650V by the end of 2024 and the start of its serial production in 2025. Most likely, the engine will not actually be ready for several more years. The issue of developing gearboxes for it is also unclear.
Little is known about the Mi-34M1 program itself with the equipping of the Mi-34 helicopter with the VK-650V engine, although in general it is in line with the main direction of the current activity of the Russian aviation industry, which is experiencing serious difficulties with the development of new types of structures and prefers to engage in endless upgrades and resuscitations of Soviet models, even such low-impact ones as the Mi-34. In the context of the increasing international isolation of the Russian Federation, this process is only getting worse, and, as can be judged, the Mi-34M1 program was launched by Russian Helicopters after the collapse, for political reasons, of the program to create a promising VRT500 light helicopter, carried out with broad international cooperation and with a view to foreign markets.
September 30th resource ATO.ru I reported on the next project for the reincarnation of the Mi-34 in Maxim Pyadushkin's material "Russian Helicopters has resumed the Mi-34 program":
Russian Helicopters has returned to the idea of reviving the production of the Mi-34 light single-engine helicopter. If in the 90s this model was produced by the Arseniev Aviation company Progress in the Primorsky Territory, now it will be assembled in Tatarstan, said the head of this region, Rustam Minnikhanov.
"This year, a decision has been made to release a new type of Mi-34 helicopter at the [Kazan Helicopter] Plant," he said on September 27, delivering a message to the State Council of Tatarstan.
Russian Helicopters has not yet officially commented on the launch of the program.
However, in December 2023, at the International Aeronautics Congress in Moscow, Mikhail Korotkevich, Director General of the National Helicopter Building Center of Russian Helicopters, said that the Mi-34 was planned to be revived with a new Russian VK-650 gas turbine engine. Initially, this engine was developed for import substitution of Western power plants on twin-engine Ansat and Ka-226 helicopters.
"Our project is to make the most of the groundwork from the Mi-34," Korotkevich said.
He explained that on the basis of this machine, it is planned to create three modifications with a capacity of four to eight people.
At the first stage, a new gearbox for VK-650 will be developed and the fuel system will be redesigned. "We do not touch the main airframe systems, except for passenger accommodation and luggage compartment," said the general director of the National Helicopter Center. The take-off weight of the motorized vehicle will be 1.55 tons.
At the second stage, in order to increase passenger capacity, it is planned to completely redesign the helicopter airframe, redesign the landing gear, fuel system and tail rotor blades. The take-off weight of the six-seat modification will increase to 1.75 tons.
For the most spacious version with a take-off weight of two tons, the main rotor and the sleeve of the skew machine will be redesigned.
"Within the framework of one project, we receive three types of aircraft," Korotkevich summarized.
This is not the first time Russian Helicopters has tried to revive the Mi-34 program in order to get a single-engine gas turbine helicopter into its lineup that could compete with such models as the Airbus H125 and H130, Agusta AW119 and Bell 407 and 505.
The Mi-34 was developed in the 80s by order of DOSAAF for pilot training; initially, this helicopter was equipped with an M-14V26V piston engine.
In 2009, Russian Helicopters announced plans to revive the production of this model in two versions. In the modification of the Mi-34S1, it was planned to use a more modern piston engine M9FV. They wanted to put a French Turbomeca Arrius 2F gas turbine engine on the Mi-34C2 version.
Later, Russian Helicopters abandoned this program in favor of developing a new light helicopter in partnership with the Italian company Agusta Westland. Joint work with the Italians was discontinued in 2014, after which the Russian manufacturer negotiated with the AVIC Aviation Corporation to assemble the Mi-34 in China. It was assumed that Chinese engines would be installed on the helicopters, but this project did not progress beyond negotiations.
The first prototype of the upgraded Mi-34M1 light helicopter (S-1, OP-2, tail number "1002"), equipped with a VK-650V turboshaft engine, during the first flight in hover mode. Tomilino, 10/15/2024 (c) Oleg Podkladov / russianplanes.net ( link )
