New Russian Engine for Mi-171A2 Helicopter Certified in India

The General Directorate of Civil Aviation of India has certified a new engine for the Mi-171A2 helicopter being manufactured by Russia’s UEC-Klimov enterprise.

The new VK-2500PS-03 turboshaft engine is the latest modification of the VK-2500 engine with an improved performance. The engine was certified based on the results of successful validation, Rostec said in a statement late September.

The VK-2500PS-03 engine is reportedly a civil version of the propulsion system installed on Mi-28 gunships.

The main design difference between the two engines is the presence of a digital control system such as FADEC in the new one. The overhaul and designated resource of this engine is two times higher than that of its predecessors. VK-2500PS-03 gives helicopters fundamentally new opportunities for their operation in high-altitude regions and areas with a hot climate. Its installation on a civilian Mi-171A2 helicopter is considered as a basic application of the engine.

“Design solutions implemented in the VK-2500PS-03 engine, an increase in PD modes, and the implementation of a modern automatic control and monitoring system allow the engine and helicopter not only to have more advantages compared to the previous generation of equipment, but also significantly increase the reliability and safety of operation. We plan to validate the VK-2500PS-03 engine type certificate in China, South Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and expand the network of service centers,” said Evgeny Prodanov, director of VK-2500, TV3-117 program and chief designer of UEC –Klimov.

Certification tests of the VK-2500PS-03 engine in Russia were successfully completed in 2016.

Rostec presented the civilian chopper to India at the Eastern Economic Forum held in September, along with the Ka-226T helicopters. India’s Vectra Group placed an order for unspecified number of Mi-171A2 rotorcraft at Dubai Airshow 2017. Delivery of the aircraft will commence later this year, and will go on until early 2020.