Rostec to supply ten VRT500 to Scandinavia
Dubai / 18 November 2019
Rostec State Corporation will supply ten light VRT500 helicopters to Scandinavian countries. At the Dubai International Airshow 2019, VR-Technologies, a daughter company of Russian Helicopters, and the Swedish company Rotorcraft Nordic AB signed a corresponding dealership agreement.
The agreement with Rotorcraft Nordic AB reflects the company's intentions to acquire ten VRT500 helicopters in a basic configuration before the year 2023. The optional equipment, as well as interior detail and exterior paint scheme of VRT500 will be determined after the helicopter receives a type certificate and a certificate of airworthiness according to the standards of European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). An application for certification is scheduled for this year.
"Our Russian Helicopters Holding Company enters the international market in a new segment of lightweight single-engine civil helicopters. The VRT500 project is certainly competitive and of great interest to foreign customers, which is confirmed by the agreements reached on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow with the Emirati Tawazun holding company and Swedish partners from Rotorcraft Nordic AB. I am confident that our new machine will be appreciated in many regions of the world," commented General Director of Rostec Sergey Chemezov.
The technical project of the VRT500 program was successfully completed in early 2019, and the development of working design documentation has begun. Tests of the first flight model will start in 2020.
"Europe is one of the potential markets for VRT500. With its flight and technical performance, the helicopter will compete with rotorcraft of the same class operating in the region. Considering today's agreement, the order portfolio for VRT500 already includes 15 machines," said Director General of VR-Technologies Alexander Okhonko.
It was reported earlier that in August 2019, at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019, a dealership agreement on the promotion and sales of VRT500 was signed with the Malaysian company Ludev Aviation. The company intends to purchase five helicopters.
VRT500 is a lightweight single-engine helicopter with coaxial arrangement of propellers and take-off power of 1,650 kg. The machine has the most spacious passenger-and-freight cabin in its class with a capacity of up to 5 passengers and is equipped with a modern system of interactive avionics. The design solutions of the helicopter will allow it to reach the speed of up to 250 km/h, fly to a range of up to 860 km and hold up to 730 kg of payload. The helicopter has been created in passenger, multi-purpose, cargo, training, VIP and medical evacuation configurations.
VR-Technologies is an innovation design office of Russian Helicopters Holding Company established in 2014 to offer competitive research and technical solutions in the helicopter industry.
JSC “Russian Helicopters”, a part of Rostec State Corporation, is a leading player in the global helicopter industry, the sole Russian designer and manufacturer of helicopters. The Holding Company was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Moscow. We operate five helicopter assembly plants, two design bureaus, component production and maintenance enterprises, aircraft repair plants and one helicopter service company providing after-sales support in Russia and abroad. The customers of the Holding Company are the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, EMERCOM of Russia, and other state customers, Gazpromavia, UTair Aviation company, large Russian and foreign companies.
State Corporation Rostec is one of the largest industrial companies in Russia. It unites more than 800 scientific and industrial organizations in 60 regions of the country. Its key areas of activity are transport engineering, electronics, medical technology, chemistry and innovative materials. Rostec holdings form three clusters: electronics, weapons and aviation. The corporation’s portfolio includes such well-known brands as AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ, Kalashnikov, Russian Helicopters, Uralvagonzavod and others. Rostec is active in the implementation of all 12 national projects. The company is a key provider of Smart City technology, it is engaged in the digitalization of public administration, industry and social sectors, and it is developing plans for the development of 5G wireless technologies, an Industrial Internet of Things, big data and blockchain systems. Rostec partners with leading world manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Daimler, Pirelli and Renault. The corporation’s products are delivered to more than 100 countries worldwide. Almost a third of the company's revenue comes from the export of high-tech products.