Mi-28 Havoc - Testing
Several months after the completion of assembling the ground-based aggregates and systems, the first flight came on 28 November 1982. The crew was composed of the leading test pilot G.R.Karapetyana and instructor navigator V.V.Tsygankov for the first time detached the new helicopter away from the earth, and on December 19 the same year accomplished the first circling flight. All parts and systems of helicopter operated satisfactorily, and already next day took place the official transfer of helicopter to the first stage of joint comparative official tests (SSGI). They were satisfactorily completed in 1984 ; and helicopter entered in GNIKI VVS the second stage SSGI (stage VVS). The large contribution to testing of combat helicopter introduced the plant pilots Yu.F.Chapaev, V.V.Bukharin, V.I.Bondarenko and B.V.Savinov, navigator V.S.Chernyy. The chief flight-test engineers were V.G.Voronin and V.I.Kulikov.
The first model Mi-28 was intended predominantly for plotting the technical flight parameters and did not bear weapon system. They established on the second flying copy, whose assembling experimental production MVZ completed in September 1983. In its construction all observations of model commission VVS were taken into account. The second flying copy at the end of year entered the test range [polygon] weapons testings. At first flight tests of both machines were complicated by the insufficient service life of transmission and carrier system, but then designers brought the resource of basic aggregates to several hundred hours and ensured, thus, the satisfactory completion of the test program.
In the course of comparative joint testing of the first flying model Mi-28 by 1986, all assigned technical flight characteristics were confirmed, and they even exceeded some parameters. The wish of customer was reduced only to the expansion of the range of the permissible overloads in connection with the fact that the reserves of control of helicopter made it possible to carry out maneuvers with their higher values. After the appropriate modification of blades and hydraulic system it was possible to solve this problem. As a result vertical overload composed 2,65 at the height of 500 m and 1,8 at height 4000 m. they substantially increased and the maximum speeds of flight "sideways" and "tail forward".
On the second flying copy in the same year all work on finishing of the special complexes of helicopter and assuring of compatibility of armament with the machine was completed. Weapons testings on the Gorokhovets range successfully passed the first experimental night launching from the helicopter of the guided missiles, including on the ground targets. After installation in 1987. to the first flying model of X-shaped tail rotor the extrinsic ethos and the assembly of combat helicopter finally were determined.
The impressive results of the first tests Mi-28 allowed the ministry of aircraft industry in February 1984 to make a decision about the preparation for its series production in the Arsenevskoe Aviation Production Enterprise. With the satisfactory confluence of circumstances the Soviet Air Force they could obtain the first Mi-28 already in 1987 ; however, this did not happen.
Investigations conducted in the USA proved the impossibility of creating the valuable one-place combat helicopter with the existing level of the development of American electronics. Soviet military specialists came to reverse conclusion, considering that Soviet instrumentmakers can create the automatically controlled complex, which makes possible for one-place combat helicopter effectively to act near the earth. In October 1984. customer made his selection, after giving preference to helicopter V-80 for further development and series production in Arseneve.
In April 1986 there were simultaneous tests of the Mi-28 and V -80 for the detection, the recognition and the imitation of destruction of the targets, in course of which Mi-28 it convincingly proved its advantages. Nevertheless the specialists of the customer, without waiting until the end of comparative tests, on the basis the theoretical calculations came to the conclusion that V-80 possessed "the larger prospect for development and requires smaller expenditures for creation and content of helicopter group". For increasing the measures of the effectiveness of detection and discernment of purposes the servicemen proposed for the V-80 procedure "equipment aim designation" from the special helicopter- intelligence officer or the ground-based complexes of guidance. However, this two-place helicopter target indicator was in prospect to still construct, and instrumentation and armament V-80 - to bring to the operational state. Therefore no one decided to shut the Mi-28 program , was reduced only the volume of financing.
"Competition" was continued, but already under the unequal conditions. In spite of this, Mi-28 it successfully completed State tests, after proving the high efficiency of its onboard systems and armament. Taking into account positive results SSGI, the CC CPSU and the Council of Ministers of USSR let out decision dated December 14, 1987 on the completion of works on Mi-28 and the beginning of series production at the Rostov helicopter plant. Further program of the improvement of helicopter provided for the creation of the during the first stage modernized "day" helicopter Mi-28A, and then its "night" version Mi-28N, capable of conducting military operations in the adverse weather conditions at any time of twenty-four hours.
Building the third flying copy Mi-28, in construction of which were taken into account all observations of customer and changes into the research-experimental models in proportion to their finishing, experimental production, "MVZ im. M.L.Mil" at the beginning in 1985. The modernized helicopter was obtained in 1987, and named Mi-28A. It differed from the first experiment models in terms of the modernized high-altitude engines TV3-117VMA with a power of 2225 hp each, by the improved instrumentation, changed with the construction of ejector exhaust devices and with the modified main rotor gearbox. At the end was a wing they appeared containers with the cassettes of the infrared and radar passive interferences (on the first of two Mi-28 they were not established).
The tests of that modernized Mi-28A began in January 1988. They passed satisfactorily, and in the following year helicopter was for the first time demonstrated at the airshow of Le Bourget in Paris and on the exhibition near London, where it used the enormous interest of visitors. In the same year the first experimental helicopter Mi-28 for the first time officially was demonstrated also in itself in its native land during the aviation holiday in Tushino.
In January 1991 the test program was joined the second Mi-28A, assembled by experimental production MVZ. In September 1993. in the course of general military studies under Gorokhovtsom the helicopters lustrously demonstrated their flight characteristics and combat superiority over competitors. The expediency of the selection of two-place layout became obvious for all. The development of one-place combat helicopters was ended.
Helicopter Mi-28A obtained the appreciation both of domestic and foreign specialists. It completely corresponded to its designation and exceeded all helicopters of analogous class in many indices. Piloting and maneuverability characteristics are unique and guarantee the high degree of viability in the air battle. With exception of its "junior brother" of training- sport Mi-34, combat Mi-28 is the only helicopter in Russia, capable of carrying out the figures of the aerobatics. On May 6, 1993. test pilot Karapetyan for the first time carried out to Mi-28 "the Nesterov's loop", and after several days - "barrel". Joint stock company "Rostvertol" began the preparation for the series production "flying tank" and in 1994. it approached building of the first series model due to its own means.
In Russian combat helicopter they interested the management of the armed forces of many foreign states. In autumn 1990 with Iraq was concluded agreement about sale of helicopters Mi-28, and subsequently also about the joint production of these helicopters (Mi-28L - license) in Iraq, but the begun Gulf War prevented these plans. In autumn 1995 the Defense Ministry of Sweden selected among different types of combat helicopters Russian Mi-28A and American An-64 "Apaches" for conducting the comparative tests. The Russian helicopter completely ran the test program, including field service firings, and it showed itself "very reliable and that well fitted out to the field conditions".
In 1993, after the end of the first stage official tests Mi-28A, came the preliminary conclusion of customer about the production of the adjusting party of helicopters. Military test pilots approached the mastery Mi-28A. However, works were tightened because of the insufficient financing, and the equipment of the competing helicopters by this time had time to become obsolete. In connection with this M.V.Vaynberg, who became the design project leader of MVZ, with the agreement of customer made the decision to end development Mi-28A on the final stage official tests and to concentrate all forces and financial possibilities during the development of combat helicopter Mi-28N ("N" - night) - of twenty-four hour and all-weather, with the fundamentally new integrated complex onboard equipment for the fifth generation. The correctness of the solution was confirmed with the tests of helicopter Mi-28A in Sweden in October 1995. European testers produced to the Russian combat vehicle only requirement - the presence in the future of the systems, which make it possible to conduct military operations under nighttime conditions.
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