Ka-50 future?

[tn_prvteye]

So, what's the current status of the Ka-50? (the real one, not the sim) :)

 

Does the Russian Military have any plans to request more airframes, or are the few examples flying going to be it?

 

Just curious...been flying the hell out of it in Black Shark and was wondering what the Real-World examples are doing nowadays.

[Groove]

I think i know a expert on russian aviation. I will PM him.

[RvETito]

Ka-50 doesn't meet nowadays russian army requirements. However it's successor Ka-52 has been aproved to go in limited serial production. The Ka-50 airframes that have been already partialy built in the '90s will be converted to the two seater version which has only different nose section.

[tn_prvteye]

So no more Ka-50 then? :( Oh well, makes since, but I always liked the 50 better (in looks only)...;)

[RvETito]

The russian army still has 10-12 Ka-50's in service and they haven't said that they give up on them. It just doesn't fit into the new war doctrine. Keep in mind that Ka-50 is designed in late '80s with the intention to fight with NATO armoured forces in flat Europe where the Shkval suits perfectly.

[tn_prvteye]

True, but it's still a marvelous piece of machinery. The fact that it's a single-seater always impressed me. Not very practical, but at least it's unique!

 

Hell, I can't even think of another single-seat helicopter at all...military OR civilian...except for those home-built jobs.

[John Cool]

As I remember correctly nowadays there's slightly above dozen of Ka-50's manufactured so far.

 

Let's count. Prototypes and pre-production models: board no. '10', to '14' - flying prototypes, '15' and '16' served as an models for static tests, '17' and '18' were pre-production helicopters.

 

First production series were board numbers from '20' to '25'. On MAKS 2007 an newly finished '26' (painted in black) was seen in flight.

 

In "Rosvertol" helicopter manufacture there's still about a dozen or less unfinished Ka-50's airframes and Russians are currently planning to finish their build. And that will be the end of Ka-50 production I guess.

Edited December 26, 2008 by John Cool

[Groove]

Buy the newest issua of AFM!

 

There are news in there that the production of Ka-52 has started and the first one ready for trial test will be given to the Army Aviation Test Centers early in 2009.

 

Additionally the production of Ka-50 won't stop, it's planed to build some.

[Vekkinho]

I also heard that Mil with it's Mi-28 "Havoc" scored a better result in meeting todays russian army requirements and will finally go into mass serial production during 2009!

[Groove]

The production of Ka-50's won't stop. New models will be fitted with the VK-2500 engine plus a lighter ejection system, same as in the Ka-52.

[Ferski]

KA-52 are designed for target detection and coordination of Ka-50 attacks. So as long as ka-52 are built, Ka-50 will be too. Since 2006 Ka-50 are being builted again.

Edited December 27, 2008 by Ferski