The Chinese company China General Aviation Service confirmed its intention to acquire a batch of Mi-171A2 helicopters manufactured by the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAZ). Six aircraft holding “Helicopters of Russia” (part of Rostec State Corporation) plans to manufacture and transfer to the customer until 2022.

Taking into account the demand for this model of helicopter among Chinese customers, the holding is currently working on validating the certificate of the type Mi-171A2 in the PRC.

“We are ready to start mass production of the Mi-171A2 for foreign customers, and I am sure that China will be among them. Deliveries in the interests of such a large operator will undoubtedly contribute to obtaining further orders. This helicopter is a huge step in the development of the Mi-8 family / 17, which embodies the latest technical solutions, which have improved the comfort, safety and flight characteristics of the helicopter, ”said Andrei Boginsky, Director General of the Russian Helicopters holding.

The multi-purpose helicopter Mi-171A2 is one of the most awaited innovations of the Russian helicopter industry, the result of a deep modernization of the helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family. More than 80 changes have been made to the design of the Mi-171A2. The helicopter is equipped with VK-2500PS-03 engines (a civilian version of engines installed on Mi-28 combat helicopters) with a digital control system.

One of the most important differences between the Mi-171A2 and the helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family is the new carrier system. The helicopter is equipped with a more efficient X-shaped tail rotor and a new rotor with full-composite blades of an improved aerodynamic layout. Thus, only due to the aerodynamics, the thrust of the rotor Mi-171A2 increased by more than 700 kg, which had a positive impact on the whole complex of flight performance. 

In August 2017, the helicopter received a type “A” type certificate from the Federal Agency for Air Transport of the Russian Federation providing for the fulfillment of the highest flight safety requirements for civilian helicopters. In January 2018, the Mi-171A2 successfully confirmed the possibility of operating the latest multipurpose Mi-171A2 helicopters in difficult climatic conditions at ambient temperatures of up to -50 ° C.