Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, visited the region’s aircraft building enterprises – Kazan Helicopter Plant (KVZ) and Kazan Aviation Plant, Rostec’s press service said.
These sites produce civil airliners, strategic missile carriers, and helicopters of different classes, which are crucial for the transport system and security of the country.
During his visit to the Kazan Helicopter Plant, Sergey Chemezov checked the progress of work on import substitution of foreign systems in the Ansat helicopter. The central topic of the discussion was the replacement of the Canadian-made engine with the domestic VK-650V from ODK-Klimov. Its mockup was presented to the delegation at the site.
“Delivery of the VK-650V prototype engines for assembly and preparation for flight tests of the Ansat helicopter is planned for the end of the third quarter of 2023. In 2024, it is planned to obtain a type certificate and carry out a set of works to expand the engine’s characteristics and prepare its serial production. The beginning of flight tests of the import-substituted Ansat is planned for the end of 2023,” Chemezov said.
In early August 2022, Alexei Garipov, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Designer of Design Bureau KVZ, said at a meeting of the Coordinating Council of Tatarstan’s machine building enterprises devoted to import substitution in aircraft construction that the design bureau was working to present a fully domestic Ansat helicopter in the shortest possible time.
According to him, the machine is being reassembled without components from Ukraine, USA and Europe. “In fact, we are re-assembling the machine from scratch. But we were seriously preparing, we had certain experience, and there is every chance to meet the deadline, and in 2024 to return the car to the market,” – he said.
Of the 14 positions of key components for ten, the process of import substitution is either completed or in its final stage. For example, the German foam and blades will be replaced by VIAM, Ukrainian hydraulic pumps will be replaced by Design Bureau AKS, and products from the U.S. and France were also used to assemble the Ansats.
