The Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has certified the civilian Mi-38 helicopter with a highly comfortable cabin. The fact that the main change to the certificate for the machine of this type was approved gives Russian Helicopters Holding Company (part of Rostec State Corporation) new opportunities in terms of Mi-38 promotion on the Russian market and abroad. Besides, Russian aviation authorities certified an eightfold increase in the resource of the light Ansat helicopter's fuselage.

"Certification of the VIP version of Mi-38 gives us new opportunities in terms of supplying this machine both in Russia and abroad. We present the first serial machine of this version at MAKS 2019 Aviation and Space Salon. It will soon have a Russian operator, and we also expect that foreign customers will be interested in it. Such a considerable increase in the period ofairworthiness certification of the light multi-purpose helicopterAnsat's fuselage is a result of hard work of our engineers," saidDirector General of Russian Helicopters Holding Company Andrey Boginsky.

During MAKS 2019 Aviation and Space Salon the head of Russian Helicopters received certification documents in the presence of Russian Deputy Premier Minister Yury Borisov.

The Mi-38 helicopter was given two approvals for the main change to the type certificate: for a highly comfortable cabin and an air conditioning system for cargo and passenger cabins. A change in the period of airworthiness certification of Ansat's fuselage was certified: the resource was increased from 2,000 to 16,000 hours.

The light multi-purpose helicopter Ansat, which has the largest cabin within its class, is actively used by the Russian air medical services. This twin-engine helicopter has compact size and does not require a large landing area. It can also be used for passenger and VIP transport, cargo delivery and environmental monitoring. High-altitude tests of Ansat have been successfully completed, which confirmed the possibility of its use in mountainous terrain at altitudes up to 3,500 meters. The helicopter can be operated in a temperature range between -45` and +50`. Its significant advantage is the possibility of storage out of the hangar and low cost of operation.

The multi-purpose Mi-38 occupies a niche between the middle Mi-8 and heavy Mi-26. Several changes to the design of the Mi-38 helicopter have been made: these are improved aerodynamic contours of fuselage and cowling of a propulsion unit, protection of the main rotor hub and a swashplate. For the first time in Russian helicopter industry engines are placed "behind" the main rotor transmission instead of their traditional placement in front of it. This allowed reduction in aerodynamic resistance and noise level in a cockpit, and increased safety of the machine. The "VIP Cabin" version of the civilian Mi-38 helicopter can accommodate up to eleven passengers. Mi-38 has new engines manufactured in Russia, an explosion-proof fuel system, and additional landing gear struts for landing on soft ground and snow.

Contributed by Russian Helicopters