When Kamov’s Ka-62 multi-role helicopter gets flying later this year, it will be coming down to earth on an innovative set of main and tail landing gear. Russia’s Aviation Equipment says the gear is unique, with shock-absorber and retracting system integrated in one unit.
The design is compact despite its complex arrangement and, says chief executive Maxim Kuzyuk, will meet offshore passenger transfer requirements of landing at high vertical speeds of up to 15m/s.
Also on show is Aviation Equipment’s latest fire protection system, for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet and Irkut MC-21 narrowbody, as well as the in-development Multirole Transport Aircraft - a joint Indo-Russian programme.
The modular system is being developed jointly by Aviation Equipment and Curtiss-Wright Controls and is claimed to exceed the performance of any rival – 20% lighter and more compact thanks to a new fire protection computer design and lightweight extinguishers, and with “unparalleled reliability thanks to its false alarm protection”.
A gearless auxiliary power unit, the APU-120, for the Irkut МC-21 and Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A was developed around the concept of the “more electric aircraft”, says Kuzyuk. APU-120 power exceeds all other Russian models, he adds, and the gearless direct-drive solution means no gearbox – and 30% fewer parts.
A high-speed generator to go with it can operate at 40,000–60,000rpm, more than twice the speed of current products.
Aviation Equipment Holding is part of Rostec, parent company of Russian Helicopters.
Source: Flight Daily News
