The holding company Russian Helicopters (part of Rostec State Corporation) will for the first time be presenting full-scale equipment samples at the exhibition in Asia-the Mi-171A2 and Ansat helicopters will be participating in the Airshow China 2018 flight program. Following the airshow, the helicopters will go on a demonstration tour of countries in Southeast Asia.

The Mi-171A2 and Ansat models have already arrived in China, where they are performing training flights before the opening of the airshow's flight program. Guests and participants of Airshow China 2018 will be able to see the Russian helicopters in the air on every day of the show, which will run from November 6-11 in Zhuhai (China).

In addition, models of the Mi-171A2, Ansat and Ka-32 will be on display at the Russian Helicopters stand, and specialists of the holding will give presentations to potential customers about the competitive advantages of Russian-made helicopters.

"China is one of the key operators of helicopters not only in Asia, but worldwide. Today, there are more than 400 Russian helicopters registered in the country, but this market is continuing to expand rapidly, it needs modern civilian aircraft, and we are prepared to offer these. At Airshow China 2018, we will be presenting the Mi-171A2 and Ansat-models which have received particular interest from our Chinese partners. We have already begun the process of certifying these helicopters in China, the process will shortly be completed for Ansat, and for Mi-171A2 it will be completed by mid-2019," said Andrey Boginsky, the Director General of Russian Helicopters.

After the airshow, the Mi-171A2 and Ansat helicopters will set off on a demo tour of countries in Southeast Asia. The almost 5-kilometer route will pass through Hanoi (Vietnam), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Bangkok (Thailand), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The tour will include demonstration flights, as well as events for partners and potential operators, where representatives of the holding will talk about the key benefits of Russian helicopters, their after-sales service system, and financial options to ensure a smooth procurement process.

"China is Rostec's largest strategic partner in various areas of aviation, including the helicopter-building industry. This is one of the main reasons for us to start the demo tour of our helicopters to Southeast Asia and China during Airshow China," said Anatoly Serdyukov, Rostec's Aviation Cluster Industrial Director. "Ansat and Mi-171A2 are modern civilian helicopters that are competitive in terms of price and quality. I am convinced that these machines will have strong positions in their market niches."

The Ansat is a light, multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter manufactured by Kazan Helicopters. In May 2015, a modification of the aircraft with a medical module passed certification. The module complies with all international air ambulance standards and can help in saving people's lives. The helicopter is equipped with a mechanical ventilation system and a tele-ECG machine that is capable of reading a cardiogram in real time. According to the certificate, the design of the helicopter allows it to quickly be transformed into either a cargo or passenger helicopter with capacity for up to 7 people.

The Mi-171A2 is the latest modification of Mi-8/17 helicopters. It is equipped with VK-2500PS-03 engines with a digital control system, as well as a more efficient X-shaped tail rotor and a new main rotor with composite blades and an enhanced aerodynamic profile. The cruise and maximum speeds of the Mi-171A2 are 10% higher than those of the mass-produced Mi-8/17 helicopters, and the payload is 25% greater. The Mi-171A2 is equipped with the KBO-17 modern digital on-board equipment suite designed according to the "glass cockpit" principle, which has meant that the number of crew members can be reduced to two. The helicopter can be used as a passenger aircraft and is available in transport, passenger, and VIP versions.

Contributed by Russian Helicopters