A Russian Helicopters Mi-171A2 has set a Russian record during the Baikal Mile speed festival, held on the ice of lake Baikal in Siberia at the end of February, having reached a maximum speed at a limited distance of 1.6km. The civilian helicopter was operated by the crew of Russian Helicopters' manufacturing facility Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAZ) and reached 268kph at a minimum altitude of 20m.

The U-UAZ crew set the record during three competition flights. Prior to that, a series of training flights were made to assess the behaviour of the helicopter and how the measuring equipment would work, and to adjust the photography and video equipment for taking pictures and filming.

“The Mi-171A2 has the best features of the world famous Mi-8 type rotorcraft,” says Rostec State Corporation executive director Oleg Yevtushenko. “It was tested in extreme environmental conditions: these helicopters can be operated in temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius. At the Baikal Mile festival the rotorcraft demonstrated its best features -speed, control, manoeuvrability and stability. The record set at this short distance and at this limited altitude confirmed the great performance of the helicopter.”

The Mi-171A2 is equipped with VK-2500PS-03 engines, the civilian version of the military Mi-28 helicopter engines, with a digital control system. It can be used for a wider range of purposes due to upgraded piloting and navigation equipment and avionics; in high mountains, at low and high temperatures, high humidity and over water. The piloting and navigation equipment allows the use of the helicopter around the clock in normal and difficult weather conditions.

“Participation in the festival and flights over the ice of Lake Baikal are additional opportunities to show the potential of Mi-171A2,” adds U-UAZ managing director Leonid Belykh. “The flights to set the record started with hovering, and a mobile GPS station installed on the helicopter recorded the result. I am convinced that our equipment is reliable, and that the pilots are highly skilled; the certificate issued by the representatives of the Russian Book of Records confirms that.”

The Mi-171A2 helicopter is certified as Category A, and has already been certified in India and Colombia while validation of the Mi-171A2 type certificate is planned in China, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and other countries.