Article Posted on : - Aug 09, 2011

MOSCOW (BNS): A new Russian helicopter, Berkut VL, will be showcased at the Moscow Air Show at Zhukovsky next week.

Maker of the light helicopter maker, Berkut, plans to show the first production standard Berkut VL, patented for mass production, at MAKS, a Ria Novosti report quoting a representative said.

Berkut VL is a two-seat light commercial helicopter with a take-off weight of 740 kg, a 147 hp engine, a maximum speed of 174 km/h, and range of 380 km, the report said.

“…The absence of a tail rotor means the helicopter is much safer and if compared to a classical type helicopter it is uses less energy and has less drag,” Berkut’s chief designer Valentin Malkin was quoted as saying.

The helicopter is being produced at a plant in Tolyatti in central Russia. Currently, the Russian market of civil light aircraft is dominated by the US-made Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters, it said.