Russian Helicopters Holding Company of Rostec State Corporation has increased the flight range of the Ansat and Ansat-M helicopters by 140 kilometers by installing an extra tank. Thanks to this new feature, the unit in the conventional design will be able to fly up to 645 kilometers, while the upgraded version will be able to fly up to 780 kilometers.
A certificate from the Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) allows Kazan Helicopters to install an extra tank with a volume of 195 liters not only on new units, but also on those in operation subject to minor modifications. The tank can be installed on both passenger and medevac Ansat versions.
“Large-scale modernization of the mass-produced Ansat, one of the key helicopters for air ambulance, is currently in progress. At the same time, an updated version of the helicopter, Ansat-M, is being developed. Increase in flight range is of great importance, as it will make rapid evacuation from remote areas more available and provide new options for passenger and cargo transportation. Thanks to the new extra tank, the flight range of the conventional Ansat will increase to 645 kilometers, while that of the upgraded version will increase to 780 kilometers,” says Nikolay Kolesov, Director General of Russian Helicopters Holding Company.
As for now, certification tests of the Ansat-M main fuel system confirming the declared flight range of 640 kilometers have been carried out.
Ansat is a light twin multi-purpose helicopter, which is produced by Kazan Helicopters. According to the certificate, the helicopter design makes it possible to quickly transform it into both a cargo or passenger model able to transport up to 7 people. Addendum to the type certificate for the helicopter modification with a medical module was obtained in May 2015.
