Abu Dhabi, UAE. 23 February 2023. Russian Helicopters holding company, Rostec State Corporation, presented its offshore helicopter Mi-171A3 in the United Arab Emirates’ capital. The global premiere of a new rotorcraft, designed to benefit petroleum companies, took place at the major international show IDEX-2023 in Abu Dhabi.
The state-of-the-art aircraft is intended to take people and cargoes to offshore platforms and perform search and rescue operations in the open sea. The Mi-171A3 offers unique transportation functionality in the offshore class. With the maximum takeoff weight of 13 tones, this rotorcraft is able to carry up to 4 tons of cargo or up to 24 passengers. The flight range of the helicopter with extra fuel tanks reaches 1,000 km.
“The Mi-171A3 helicopter was developed within a record short time span. Design work started in 2018. Two years later, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russian entered into a government contract for rotorcraft development with Russian Helicopters holding company. As early as June 30, 2022, the first Mi-171A3 prototype performed its first flight, thus launching a certification test cycle. The obtainment of type certificate for the cargo transport helicopter configuration in late 2022 is a very meaningful event, confirming the emergence of a new unique domestic helicopter,” Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, previously noted.
“The Middle East has been traditionally interested in our helicopter machinery. These are mainly Mi-8/17 type machines, but Russian Helicopters holding company is now working intensely to promote new commercial models in this market. As we see it, the Mi-171A3 has high export potential. This cutting-edge offshore helicopter, designated to carry passengers and cargoes above the sea and to provide services to remote offshore oil platforms, might be of interest to the UAE as Emirati oil is mostly extracted precisely from these offshore fields. The Mi-171A3 meets the needs of the petroleum sector companies, whether domestic or foreign, and the standards of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP),” CEO of Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov noted.
The Mi-171A3 features state-of-the-art onboard radio-electronic equipment package, which ensures safe flying above the sea in the absence of natural landmarks and satellite signal even in poor visibility. The helicopter meets heightened requirements for safety when flying above the water surface. The aircraft is equipped with an emergency landing system with inflatable shock-absorbing airbags. In the case of emergency landings on water, the helicopter’s flotation will be maintained. Passengers and crew members are evacuated onto two inflatable rafts with a capacity of up to 27 people each.
Moreover, the Mi-171A3 features cutting-edge navigation equipment, a digital autopilot, mid-air collision warning system. The helicopter boasts a new extra-robust fuselage with extensive employment of composite materials. The upgraded rotor system includes high-performance X-shaped tail rotor and main rotor with composite blades of an improved aerodynamic configuration. Crash-resistant fuel tanks are located in the bottom fuselage modules under the floor of cargo-and-passenger cabin, thus improving helicopter safety level.
