MMHP JSC has got rich experience in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. Similar flying experimental models as per exterior dimensions and dynamics configuration were built at the enterprise for investigating complicated and dangerous aerodynamic phenomena, testing the complex flight dynamics modes, and also perfecting the procedures of solving sensibly complicated problems of the structural air elasticity and dynamics. Under the Customers’ requirement the MMHP designers developed many a time unmanned versions aimed at operating in the area dangerous for human life and based on the mass-production “Mi” helicopters.
MMHP JSC being an enterprise incorporated in the holding company “Helicopters of Russia” established by JSC “UIC OBORONPROM” at present is accomplishing the series of activities intended to increase combat efficiency and technical and economic features of their own products and at the same time is performing a new concept of after-sale maintenance of “Mi” helicopters for the purpose of optimal meeting of the requirements of home military and civil customers, and also of keeping and further expansion of the export potential of their products. The development progress of avionics and flight service automation system made the UAV helicopter development one of more prestigious programs of Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. Comparatively cheep aircraft will be able to solve at a new level a wide range of military and civil purposes without any risk for the personnel in extreme conditions and dangerous operation areas, as well as given considerable reduction of manpower and resources for operation and maintenance. The appearance of unmanned military-purpose helicopters is a new stage of increasing combat efficiency of special units of security agencies. Within the civil service it is more perspective to apply unmanned rotary-wing aircraft to the benefit of fuel and energy complex of the Russian Federation. The capacity of the national market of unmanned helicopters amounts to several thousand vehicles.
The primary works aimed at the development of unmanned rotary-wing aircraft are carried out by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, JSC on the basis of the Mi-34 sports helicopter assimilated in operation and mass-production with the maximum take-off weight amounting to 1450 kg. In 1995 the helicopter was certified under the Russian airworthiness standards and has comparatively low production and operation cost, and also high upgrading potential. The cargo capacity of the base-line aircraft makes it possible to accomplish overall missions laid upon the unmanned rotary-wing aircraft. The ease of use of the Mi-34 helicopter in the term of basis is provided by means of possible development of a test vehicle as a flying laboratory on the above mentioned basis, which testing can be accomplished both in the unmanned mode and in the piloted version with one or two test-pilots.
In the Armed Forces the Mi-34UAV helicopter will be able to play the role of highly mobile component of military units within the tactical and operational-tactical command and is intended to fulfill missions, such as air, engineering, radiation-chemical reconnaissance and surveillance of battlefield including transmission of the data to a ground control station and/or recording the data by means of the aircraft flight data recorder; laser backlighting of the targets; fire correction; transportation of cargoes; evacuation of the injured and wounded; lifting of mines and extinguishing fires.
The Mi-34UAV as part of helicopter units of civil state agencies, stock companies and other private companies can play the role of universal highly mobile facility incorporated in special-purpose units to accomplish various missions, such as: round-the-clock surveillance of ground and sea surface and also of the lengthy objects: frontiers, shelf zones, sanctuaries, disaster areas, power supply lines, oil and gas pipelines including transmission of television, infrared and other types of optronic images; ecological monitoring; safe traffic control on highways; transmission and retransmission of data; engineering and other types of reconnaissance; photographing, telephotographing, filming; searching and rescuing of distress sufferings, evacuation the injured and wounded, providing the rescue operations; extinguishing fires; delivering cargoes to hard-to-reach areas; application in the term of agricultural aviation; ice surveillance, etc.
In accordance with the forthcoming application the corresponding equipment will be fitted on the unmanned helicopter. When using the Mi-34UAV to the benefit of the fuel and energy complex it is proposed to include in the mission equipment the following:
* Laser and infrared horizontal scanning system to detect oil and gas leakage
* Optronic (low-level television) systems with day and night reconnaissance of the fuel and energy complex objects and areas
* all-weather round-the-clock surveillance radar systems
* combined multi-spectrum remote systems for detection of damages in the power supply lines
* non-linear search-and-rescue radar systems.
It is stipulated to develop on the Mi-34UAV two unmanned helicopters. At the first stage the piston Mi-34БП1 unmanned helicopter will be developed on the basis of the mass-production Mi-34C helicopter. In the term of the flight performance the above UAV helicopter will surpass overall existing helicopters of the kind. The Mi-34БП1 will be used in the term of an experimental unmanned/piloted aircraft for the purpose of perfecting the remote and automatic control systems.
At the second stage of the Program will be developed the upgraded Mi-34БП2 as an unmanned helicopter based on the perspective turbo-shaft Mi-34AC helicopter. It is supposed to install the home engine VK-450X, or the Ukrainian engine AI-450, or the French engine Turbomeca “Arrius 2F”. The change of the power plant unit will improve sufficiently the technical and economic features of the vehicle.
The project will be accomplished in 2-2.5 years with possible enlisting of foreign partners.
In the term of the unsolicited development Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, JSC also is engaged in designing the subminiature unmanned helicopter with the take-off weight amounting to 3100 g. The helicopter will be performed in accordance with the four-rotor scheme with the fuselage in the form a cross and is made of composite materials. The two-blade fixed-pitch rotors are applied in the term of main rotors. The power plant unit is composed of four collector-free synchronous alternating current motors powered by electric batteries connected with the motors by means of electric wiring and compact frequency converters. The system is equipped with the radio signal receiver calculated for reception of signals from the remote control panel. The helicopter can be equipped with autopilot and position control system supported by GPRS. The remote radio control system is notable for its high noise immunity.
