OREANDA-NEWS. August 04, 2014. The Russian crews of military helicopters Mi-28N(E) Night Hunter, Ka-52 Alligator and Mi-26, as well as models fr om the Mi-8/17 series manufactured by Russian Helicopters (a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of State Corporation Rostec), took part in the final stage of the Aviadarts 2014 international pilots competition.

Top pilots from several other countries participated in the event, which was held between 22 and 28 July at the Pogonovo military firing range in the Voronezh region. The legendary Berkuty (Golden Eagles) helicopter aerobatics team was among its participants.

Russian Helicopters manufactures state of the art military helicopters engineered by the Kamov and Mil design bureaus, which supply the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as produce for export. Russian Helicopters companies successfully and in a timely manner meet the needs of Defense sector procurement, providing the Ministry of Defense with new, modern helicopter equipment.

The high flight performance specifications of Russian-made helicopters allow them carry out the most challenging aerial maneuvers. For example, Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopters, used by the Berkuty aerobatics team, feature a number of unique attributes. The Mi-28N was the first Russian helicopter to carry out “loop-the-loop” and “barrel roll” maneuvers. The Ka-52 reconnaissance and combat helicopter, thanks to its coaxial rotor system and extremely capable pitch control, can efficiently carry out aerial maneuvers, such as the “flat turn” and “circle strafing”, as well as the “slalom”.

The Mi-26 is unrivaled in its features and can carry up to 20 thousand tonnes on board – a feat unmatched by any other transport helicopter. The military Mi-26 is designed for a multitude of missions, ranging from transport to evacuation to firefighting. The Mi-26 is capable of transporting up to 82 fully armed paratroopers, as well as jumbo-sized equipment.

The organisers of Aviadarts had to make a change to the programme for the competition, as it became necessary to help local emergency workers fight a forest fire that had broken out near the Pogonovo airbase near Voronezh. The crews of Mi-8/17 and Mi-26 helicopters were mobilised to assist in extinguishing the fire. Over two days the helicopters, which had been outfitted with Bambi-Buckets, made around 80 trips to the zone wh ere the fire had broken out.

Russian-made commercial and military helicopters are frequently used for firefighting and, regardless of their type, can be outfitted with Bambi-Buckets, can be used to transport firefighter teams, carry out monitoring, SAR and emergency evacuation.

Top pilots were chosen to participate in the competition in May, during the first stage of the contest. The current stage served as the season’s closing competition for flight skills. The Ministry of Defense plans to hold the Aviadarts event on a yearly basis.