Aerokopter Offers New Helicopter At Great Price
By ANN Senior Correspondent Kevin "Hognose" O'Brien
Hey, I know that copter! It's a Schweitzer... the old Hughes
269. Or is it? But wait... it looks like one... but is that a
Subaru engine...?
That's what ran through my mind when I first saw a picture of
the Aerokopter 1-3, a new light helicopter from the Ukraine (you
know, the European country where elections have as much drama as in
some American states). In the Ukraine, as in many other parts of
the former Soviet Union, people have embraced their freedom to fly,
building on their nation's proud aviation heritage. One example of
that new freedom is the Aerokopter 1-3.
Despite looking like that common training helicopter, a closer
look at the 1-3 tells you it's an all-new design. It's a very light
machine -- the design objective was 650-700 kilograms, 1430-1540
lbs. -- and it does indeed have a 2.5 liter Subaru powerplant. Alex
Miroshnichenko of the Aerokopter Trading House (like many Eastern
European firms, there are separate design and marketing companies)
confirmed that the resemblance is only casual: "Hughes design? No,
AK1-3 was designed from scratch.
It looks a bit like Schweitzer, but it is only a feeling." There
are worse feelings to have than looking like the helicopter that
tens of thousands of Western helicopter pilots remember fondly as
their introduction to rotary-winged flight, but when you look at
the machine closely you can see that Alex is definitely right: This
is an all-new machine with a lot of innovations in it.
The helicopter weighs 370 kg (850 lb) empty, which yields a
useful load of around 650-700 lb, and also makes the machine easy
to handle on the ground, and able to trailer even behind a compact
car. The design weight they used for the crew was about 240 lbs!
The machine also accommodates the reasonably tall pilot: "Our
pilots are about 189-192cm," the FAQ says: the taller is 6'3 1/2".
The AK 1-3 was designed to land in tight surroundings, with its
small-diameter, three-bladed rotor and skid landing gear (which
accept ground handling casters). A dedicated agricultural version
is in development also.
I was particularly interested in the rotorhead design. I am not
a historian of helicopter design (to get the disclaimer out of the
way), but I have never seen a rotorhead like this -- it looks like
it will be robust and dependable in service, and it's about as
simple as you can make this complicated device.
The 1-3 first flew on October 12, 2001. After the initial
flights, this prototype subsequently has been used as a static test
article and engineering process-development mockup. The second
AK1-3 prototype flew in July 2003.
If there is a problem with the AK 1-3 it is -- from an American
viewpoint -- its certification status. It is designed to FAR/JAR27
standards, and in the Ukraine is type certified. With the
uncertified Subaru engine it is unlikely to receive US
certification -- but Aerokopter has no plans to produce it as a
kit. "We are not ready to deliver it as a kit," Alex explained to
Aero-News, "since it costs additional... time and investment. We
can separate the whole 'ready-to-fly' helicopter [into] few big
parts just to deliver it easily." In this case, the copter is
simply dismantled into its large components for crating, and,
according to Aerokopter, requires 7-8 hours to reassemble. In the
US, this would require the machine to be registered as
Experimental-R&D, -Exhibition, or other restrictive licenses,
which would make it hard to use for things like flight training or
pipeline patrol.
Of course, in nations that are a little less dogmatic about
aircraft type certification, the AK 1-3 can be put to work
immediately. And it probably will be, in considerable numbers: it's
the best buy in a type-certified (even if not US-recognized) light
helicopter by far.
Alex quoted a price of $90,000 US on Rotary Forum last week; the
Aerokopter website says Euros 75,000 with exact equipment for that
price to be determined; if you are seriously interested in an
Aerokopter 1-3 contact them directly (use the FMI links at the end
of the article). Actual prices will depend on exchange rates in
effect at the time.
One thing that anyone needs to know about a helicopter, almost
all of which are operated for business, is the maintenance expenses
and per-hour costs. Here, Aerokopter's people are honest: The
machine is new; they don't know.
The Aerokopter design bureau was founded by I.V. Polituchy, A.N.
Zapishny, and A.I. Polituchy in 1999. From the very beginning, they
meant to make a 2-seat, piston-powered, light helicopter for
utility and sport flying. The Aerokopter 1-3 is their second
design, but the first one they have brought to market: work on a
previous design, the Aerokopter 1-5 "Sanka," has been
discontinued.
The development process has been assisted by other,
long-established Ukrainian design and engineering bureaus, and by
the National Academy of the Ukraine, and the Zhukovskiy National
Aerospace University.
With development wrapping up and final certification flight
tests underway, the attention that Aerokopter management has paid
to production engineering will start to pay off. The firm occupies
1200 square meters of design and manufacturing space, and produces
more than 65% of the parts of the AK 1-3 in house, including the
composite main and anti-torque rotorblades.
What about that proud aviation heritage? Igor Sikorsky, the
helicopter pioneer often described as a Russian-American, was born
in Kiev, Ukraine -- and built his first helicopter there, 97 years
ago (it never flew). So he is a homeland hero to Ukrainian
aviators, even though he was an Imperial Russian, and later
American, citizen, whose heritage was Polish -- so no less than
four nations have a claim on him! The Aerokopter guys were
fortunate to get Sergei Sikorsky, son of Igor, to try out the pilot
seat of the Aerokopter 1-3 at the Kharkhov air show on August 27,
2004. Unfortunately all the aircraft at the show were grounded
because of a sport plane accident the day before -- otherwise the
Aerokopter team would be able to say: "Many have flown in a
Sikorsky helicopter, but this is a helicopter a Sikorsky flew
in!"
Ah well. Perhaps he'll be back for the 2005 Kharkhov show!
Sergei Sikorsky or none, the Aerokopter 1-3 has got excellent
potential as a sport and training helicopter, assuming the
certification hurdles can be overcome. We'll be watching this one
closely. (E-I-C, what's my per diem expense rate in Kharkhov... and
am I doing anything else in late August?)