Ka-50 HELICOPTER NEEDED BY RUSSIA!

Everybody who has flown the Ka-50 helicopter noticed
the high degree of flight safety. The pilot is sure of this safety 
in any situation and his ability to survive. This conviction stems 
from the availability of an emergency escape system (K-37-800 
ejection seat, rocket-assisted ejection and blade jettisoning 
systems), which enables the pilot to escape from the helicopter 
at zero altitude.

I n many publications, the new Russian single-seat helicopter Ka-50, named Black Shark, was described as an aircraft boasting unique flight and combat performances.
However, occasional doubts were also voiced on a single pilot ability to fly over the battlefield, search for armored materiel and simultaneously annihilate enemy manpower.
To confirm or dispel these doubts, we decided to contact the Pilot Training Center of the Russian Land Forces Army Aviation that adopted for test service the first batch of series produced helicopters. The chief of the Center, merited pilot of Russia Major-General Boris Vorobyov, who can fly all types of Russian helicopters (he also led the Ka-50 squadron at air parade on Poklonnaya Gora on May 9, 1995) described the Ka-50 as follows.
     - After starting to operate the Ka-50 helicopter we were a little bit confused that it should be piloted by only one crew member. We also had some doubts about the helicopter flight performance. However, as soon as I performed several flights, I realized that our helicopter is an unrivalled rotary wing aircraft in terms of flight performance characteristics.
     The Ka-50 helicopter put an end to the widely acknowledged stereotype that only two crew members could fly, search for targets, detect and destroy them on the battlefield. It turned out that automatics could successfully substitute the weapons system operator. The integrated degree of flight, navigation, sighting, communications systems and automation of combat use enable the pilot to fly the helicopter, search for enemy targets and destroy them on the battlefield.
     The helicopter can be piloted with a speed unattainable by other aircraft, thereby providing effective performance combat missions.
     - The helicopter's flight and maneuvering characteristics were fully demonstrated at the Moscow Air Show in August 1995 and evoked the admiration of viewers, who witnessed these splendid events and the flight skills of Russian pilots.
     As I recall, the Ka-50 made its first flight on July 27, 1982. It was christened Hokum by NATO and known as a Black Shark in Russia.
     Although the Ka-50 helicopter did not participate in combat actions, its developers drew on experience accumulated in the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars. For example, the helicopter pilot can effectively use airborne armament, rapidly climb and execute maneuvers, swiftly change flight direction and even fly in the "tail-first" direction maintaining a small radius of a 360o turn. The helicopter can develop 310 km/h at level flight with 10,800 kg payload and 350 km/h at a steep dive. The Ka-50 features a hovering ceiling of 4,000 meters and service ceiling of 5,500 meters. The vertical climb speed at 2,500 meters is equal to 10 m/sec. The helicopter has a range of operation of 455 km.
     The Ka-50 helicopter can make a flat turn at all ranges of flight speeds. It can also fly "tail-first" at 90 km/h and side-slip at 80 km/h. Conversion training to fly the Ka-50 is simple enough even for the average pilot.
The helicopter instrumentation is very convenient and fully reliable. The main rotor tachometer is always in good view. As soon as the main rotor rotations drop, you begin to automatically reduce the rotor-pitch. The engine speed is regained almost immediately. This is a great asset during aerobatics, when you make an oblique loop. Usually, the engine's speed drops in the upper part of the loop.
     I describe in detail flight performance characteristics of the Ka-50, as they serve as the basis for the high combat capabilities. For example, the Ka-50 helicopter stands out owing to its unique aerobatics maneuver, the so-called "funnel" that enables the aircraft to deliver aimed concentrated fire at a point target. The helicopter is "connected" with this target by an "invisible thread", while still on the move. In this way it does not present a target of opportunity for enemy aimed fire and also keeps an enemy target stationary at the same time.
     Everybody who has flown the Ka-50 helicopter noticed the high degree of flight safety. The pilot is sure of this safety in any situation and his ability to survive. This conviction stems from the availability of an emergency escape system (K-37-800 ejection seat, rocket-assisted ejection and blade jettisoning systems), which enables the pilot to escape from the helicopter at zero altitude.
     The different flight and proving ground tests revealed that the Ka-50 helicopter is on a par with the best versions in the world in terms of the redundancy of its vital systems and cabin's armor plating to protect the pilot. The pilot's cabin can withstand 12.7mm bullets of automatic small arms fire and 20mm gun rounds. The main rotor blades are made of composite materials, thereby ensuring flight safety even when hit by several bullets and round splinters. For example, during the test one rotor blade sustained 30 rupture holes from an assault rifle and continued to "fly" at the test stand for 80 hours before a final breakdown. Furthermore, the coaxial main rotor ensures increased survivability. Local war experience revealed that the tail rotor and long tail-rotor shafting are the most vulnerable spots in any helicopter.
     The Black Shark surpasses its rotary wing "brothers" in terms of combat capabilities. The Ka-50 is fitted with state-of-the-art armament, including 12 Vikhr supersonic antitank guided missiles (ATGMs) with versatile warheads to engage both ground armored targets with explosive-reactive armor of 900 mm thick and air targets flying at 800 km/h to support ground forces, destroy armored materiel and annihilate enemy manpower. The ATGM is fired at a 10 km range. The point target hit probability, similar to a tank or infantry combat vehicle, equals up to 1. The Black Shark is most dangerous helicopter acting from ambushes.
     It should be noted here that ATGMs are guided by a laser beam, when the Ka-50 is at the standoff range of the enemy AD system. It is virtually impossible to counteract the ATGMs, as they are detected by the enemy at the moment when they hit their targets.
     The Ka-50 is also fitted with a 30mm 2A42 gun, similar to that of the infantry combat vehicle (BMP). The pilots are enthusiastic about this gun. It features a 4 km aiming range. The gun has 500 rounds of ammunition load, including armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation rounds. The gun also features selective feeding. The gun's barrel deflects from +10 to -45 degrees in elevation and up to 15 degrees in azimuth. The barrel's endurance means that a complete ammunition load can be fired without stoppages and over-heating. The unprecedented fire accuracy is ensured by the unique mounting of the gun on the load-bearing part of the fuselage near the helicopter's center of gravity.
     The Ka-50 helicopter features four underwing weapon pylons to arrange virtually all types of air weapons weighing up to 2,000 kg, including ATGMs, versatile gun and machine gun pods, 80 and 130mm air rockets, air-to-air missiles and other weapons. The headup display system (HUD) on the flight and sighting data, as well as the helmet mounted system of the target designation, enable the pilot to effectively use airborne armament even at extremely low altitudes that require increased attention to helicopter piloting. The Ka-50 helicopter is fitted with altitude stabilization and target data storage equipment.
     The target guidance and search system is extremely convenient. When a tank or any other target appears at a range of 8-10 km on the screen, all one needs to do is to frame it, switch on the automatic lock-up and watch over the battlefield how the automatics will search for the target. Fire will be opened at the preset range and displayed on the screen.
     The accuracy is so great that we decided on the wheel of the infantry combat vehicle that should be hit: the front or rear wheel. It would have been fantastic for old generation helicopters.
     If a group of helicopters executes a combat mission, every Ka-50 helicopter's pilot can see on his display all helicopters of the group and the position of a target detected by any helicopter. In short, all the main problems associated with the familiarization of the single-seat helicopter are being resolved successfully. We are no longer concerned that this helicopter is a single-seat aircraft. Actually, single-seat helicopter pilot training has been improved radically. The pilot in his flight has to rely on himself alone and his helicopter.
     Naturally, the Ka-50 helicopter is a genuine breakthrough in helicopter building. It can radically increase the combat capabilities of the Army Aviation. Russia needs such helicopters.
     - Pursuant to the Russian Federation President's Decree, issued in August 1995, the Ka-50 helicopter was adopted for service with the Russian Land Forces Army Aviation. The Arseniev-based (Maritime Territory) aviation company Progress launched series production of the helicopter. 
     - To develop any new aircraft, one needs to build up proper statistics, begin flights at night and primarily equip the helicopter with thermal sight systems and state-of-the-art complexes. Currently, developers of the Ka-50 helicopter, work over a single-seat night version. At present, a two-seat version is also being developed from the Ka-50 helicopter.
     The Ka-52 will be a new combat helicopter. This does not mean that we will no longer make single-seat helicopters. These helicopters are being developed to execute definite missions and operate as a team in combat.