Russian Helicopters Starts Certification Flights of BAS-200 Helicopter Drone

Russian Helicopters has begun certification flights of the BAS-200 helicopter drone.

For the first time, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) of a helicopter type with a maximum takeoff weight of 200 kg and a payload of 50 kg, number 393, has been registered in the register of experimental aircraft of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. It is planned to receive a type certificate for the BAS-200 as early as 2022.

BAS-200 successfully passed the methodological council and made its first flight as part of certification tests at the Shuvoye airfield (Moscow Region, Yegoryevsky district). The flight lasted 11 minutes at an altitude of 100 meters at a speed of 60 km/h. The first flight took place according to the approved flight program.

In February 2022, the manufacture of three prototypes of the BAS-200 complex was completed. In April 2022, production and acceptance tests for all prototypes were successfully completed. By decision of the methodological council of the aviation industry, prototypes were transferred to the flight research center "NTsV Mil and Kamov" for certification testing. As part of obtaining a type certificate, it is planned to conduct about 90 flights and complete them in the second half of 2022. BAS-200 became the first domestic helicopter-type drone, which is included in the register of experimental aviation.

The BAS-200 unmanned helicopter complex includes two UAVs, a ground control station and a container for transporting aircraft. Pre-flight preparation for the flight lasts only about 10 minutes.

The unmanned aircraft system performs flights in a fully automatic mode, and there is also a semi-automatic control functionality. This model allows the group use of heavy UAVs to perform special tasks.

BAS-200 is designed to carry out work on monitoring the area, detecting objects and tracking them, transmitting video information to the control point in real time, transporting goods and carrying out rescue operations.

Since the end of 2021, a number of demonstration flights and test tests of the BAS-200 for potential customers have been carried out, where the drone confirmed the specified characteristics and functionality. Interest in the BAS-200 complex was shown by a number of commercial and government customers.

Further development of the BAS-200 is planned on the basis of the aviation cluster in the city of Kumertau (Bashkortostan) with the creation of a complete technological chain for the production of an unmanned aerial system.