ULAN-UDE (BURYATIA REPUBLIC): To facilitate the expeditious production of rotorcraft, Russian Helicopters has established an ultra-modern, new paint workshop, here.
The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant can be considered as Russia’s foremost manufacturing facility for a variety of helicopters, whose sales have picked up huge demand.
Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant managing director Leonid Belykh said that the paint facility was part of its modernisation efforts that include new technological equipment.
“The workshop is equipped with painting and drying chambers, along with automated systems to filter hazardous atmospheric emissions,” said Belykh following a media tour of the facility in conjunction with the MAKS 2019 aviation and space exhibition.
Present were Ludev Aviation director-general Philippe Lubrano and VR-Technologies director-general Aleksandr Okhonko.
The six-day exhibition, which ends Sunday, is held at the Zhukovsky International Airport.
The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant is 4,420km south-east of Moscow, and takes about six hours by flight.
A Malaysian company, Ludev Aviation, secured a contract for five VRT500 light, multipurpose helicopters at MAKS 2019.
The rotorcraft are designed by Russian Helicopters innovation agency VR-Technologies and due for delivery in 2023.
“The workshop will enable us to improve painting quality and working conditions.
“It will reduce the production cycle by at least 15 per cent.
“In addition, it will increase the level of fire and environmental safety as per the modern requirements,” said Belykh, whose company is a subsidiary of Rostec State Corporation.
He added that the workshop would also facilitate painting jobs for the Mil Mi-8/171 helicopters, and up to six rotorcraft could be processed at a time.
“Typically, helicopters up to 25m long, 22m wide, 6.5m high and weighing up to 22.5 tonnes can be accommodated at the workshop.
“The workshop can automatically maintain ventilation, temperature and humidity parameters to permit a consistently high coating quality without follow-up fixes.
“Water recycling, air purification, emergency prevention and elimination, and engineering automation systems ensure overall safety,” said Belykh.
The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant has built over 8,500 aircraft of various types, since its inception 80 years ago.
Today, the plant specialises in the production of the Mi-8AMT (Mi-171E), Mi-171 and Mi-8AMTSh (Mi-171Sh) helicopters.